City Slang

City Slang Records has been in existence for 30 years now and is proud to be home to a diverse roster of artists from around the world. We don’t stick to a certain “style” of music, we prefer to focus on signing artists who are incredible people, who are interesting and stand out from the crowd. Who are creative and special. We don’t sign artists because we think they will make us rich. Of course, we do everything we can to ensure their success, but if we’re going to bring someone into the City Slang family, we need to truly believe in what they are doing and creating. We have to be fans. That’s how it’s always been and that mindset will never change. Passion is what drives us as a label. And you’ll quickly discover, we’re all quite passionate people! The thing about music is it’s never really there. We can write it down, but we can’t hear it. We can play it, but we can’t see it. We can buy it, but all we’re getting is a medium. Music, you see, exists only in our imagination. As such, it’s possibly the most remarkable form of art there is. One might even consider it magic. This makes music an almost perfect metaphor for City Slang Records, one of its most indispensable, innovative champions. For thirty years, the label has chosen to remain largely invisible, offering game-changing releases without placing itself centre stage. We know it exists, but somehow we can’t identify it. It’s almost as though it doesn’t want you to know it’s there. This, it’s true, is an unusual approach: many such companies pride themselves upon – nay, depend upon – branding and reputation. But City Slang is different: it rarely concerns itself with either. That it’s celebrating its thirtieth birthday at all is at odds with its working methods. In fact, its priorities can be summarised in one simple, pithy phrase: “Artists, not excels.”