Recordiau Anhrefn (

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

for Anhrefn Records) was a

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

established in 1983 by Rhys Mwyn. Based in the small mid-Wales village of

Llanfair Caereinion Llanfair Caereinion is a market town and community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales upon the River Banwy (also known as the River Einion), around 8 miles west of Welshpool. In 2011 the ward had a population of 1,810; the town itself had a popul ...

, before Rhys and his brother Sion Sebon moved to Bangor,

North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...

, the record label was initially an outlet for their own band Yr Anhrefn but soon went on to release records by other Welsh groups, providing early exposure for such influential names as

Datblygu Datblygu ( meaning "develop" or "developing") were a Welsh experimental rock group formed in 1982. They are regarded as a catalyst of the new wave of Welsh rock in the early 1980s. History The band was formed by vocalist David R. Edwards and ...

Fflaps Fflaps were a Welsh post-punk band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, formed in Bangor, Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales.John Robb (musician), Robb, John (2013)Lost treasure: 80s Welsh underground band the FFlaps, Louder Than War, 2 January 2013. Re ...

and

Llwybr Llaethog Llwybr Llaethog (Welsh for Milky Way, although the Milky Way has several names in Welsh folklore) are an experimental Welsh language band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub, reggae, hip hop, and punk in their music. ...

. Its second release came in the form of a compilation album called ''Cam o'r Tywyllwch'' which rose to prominence on its release in 1985 when

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

played tracks off it on his BBC Radio One show. The album spawned Machlud (who featured a very young

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

who would later form

Super Furry Animals Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian Ciaran ...

) and

Y Cyrff (1983–1991; The Bodies) was a Welsh language indie band in the 1980s, initially formed at the Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy secondary school in Llanrwst, Conwy. The original line-up consisted of Barry Cawley (bass), Emyr Davies (vocals), Dylan Hughes ...

(two of whom would later form

Catatonia Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...

). Although only releasing a handful of records between 1983 and its dissolution in 1990, the label provided a subversive alternative to the ultra-conservative Welsh music scene of the time. Its independent and outward looking approach contrasted drastically with the establishment's isolated entrenchment and brought Welsh language music to corners of the World that had no previous knowledge of its existence, providing a foundation for the Welsh '

Cool Cymru Cool Cymru ( cy, Cŵl Cymru) was a Welsh cultural movement in music and independent film in the 1990s and 2000s, led by the popularity of bands such as Stereophonics, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia and Super Furry A ...

' music boom of the mid '90s, led by

and

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci Gorky's Zygotic Mynci were a psychedelic folk and alternative rock band which formed in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1991. The group performed music in both Welsh and English, and they had eight Top 75 singles on the UK Singles Chart during their car ...

. The label's legacy has continued to be lauded 25 years since 'Cool Cymru'. In 2007 Rhys Mwyn reactivated the label from his PR office at The Galeri in

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...

, and began releasing left-field artists such as Beastellabeast and Patrick Jones.

References

External links

Further Information

{{Authority control Record labels established in 1983 Record labels disestablished in 1990 Cool Cymru British independent record labels

See also

References

External links