recently added
artists
about
1320 Records (thirteen-
twenty) is an independent
label founded on the
homegrown principles of
collaboration, cooperation,
and community. This makes us something of a
throwback. Like Motown, Bluenote, CTI, and other
classic imprints, the artists on our roster are
friends and fans. They tour together, produce and
mix tracks for one another, and appear on each
other’s records—steadfast in the belief that the
success of one benefits all. In short, 1320 musi-
cians have each other’s backs.
Loyalty defines our relationship with artists. We
don’t specialize in a particular musical style.
Instead we seek out acts that we’d want to listen
to, and that we’d want to see perform live. Then
we give them the creative freedom to do what they
do. Be it the gut-punching beatmasters of Sound
Tribe Sector 9 (STS9); the soulful MC and multi-
instrumentalist Count Bass D; or underground hip-
hop poets Collective Efforts, our musicians bring
their own artistic vision to the label. We do what
we can to help them achieve that vision, while they
maintain ultimate control of their careers.
1320 artists are in the game for the long haul, for
the right reasons. Take the improvisational DJ duo
Sub ID; they’ve been bridging the gap between
organic and electronic music for nearly ten years.
Lowpro Lounge, the San Francisco DJ and pro-
duction collective, have been staples on the West
Coast late-night scene since 2001. Even our
newest signing—hip-hop/electronica up-and-com-
ers Pnuma Trio—shares what everybody on the
1320 label has in common: They can’t not make
music. They’re absolute lifers.
In order to best serve our artists and their fans,
we’ve created a sustainable model for running a
record company. Rather than resisting digital
technology, we’re relying on it. The overwhelm-
ing majority of our sales are digital downloads
(in both mp3 and high-quality FLAC format),
which makes for an efficient and economical dis-
tribution system—and an environmentally-
friendly one. Fewer hard copy CDs means less
plastic and paperboard waste. And because
we’ve reduced manufac-
turing costs, our acts get
the royalty rate they
deserve. When you
download a track at 1320,
you can be sure that a fair percentage of your
dollar is going directly to the artist.
Record companies by definition straddle the line
between art and commerce, and surely we need
to make enough money to keep afloat. But we
believe that as long as we focus on the art, the
commerce will take care of itself. This philosophy
gives us the freedom to be more creative than
mega-corporate labels. We can put out side proj-
ects, live albums, remixes, and other releases that
a more conventional company would likely shelve.
For instance, Landscape and Breath—STS9 at
their most acoustic and ambient—might never see
daylight at a label that was more concerned with
quarterly stock prices than musical innovation.
And because 1320 is art- rather than profit-driven,
we can support a band we love, like Jacob Fred
Jazz Odyssey—Tulsa, Oklahoma’s mind-expand-
ing jazz trio—even though they are signed to
another label. We simply refuse to let business
trample creativity.
Our job is clear: Bring the music to the people. In
the most conscious and efficient way possible. By
doing so, we close the distance between artists
and fans, putting the power back in the hands of
those that make music and those that live for it. In
one human body there are 13 major joints and 20
fingers and toes. And while one person can create
art, the strongest artistic statements are supported
by many, for many. At 1320 Records we’re work-
ing to build an ever-expanding community, a musi-
cal support system. There is strength in numbers.










































































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