Twisted Music

An unpredictable self proclaimed “accidental record label” founded in Manchester in 1997 by 21 year old Grand Central / Fat City graphic designer Andy Votel and printer Damon Gough in order to release Gough’s very first compositions under the name *Badly Drawn Boy*. The label, known as Twisted Music, emerged from obscurity and became a much needed alternative to Manchester’s vibrant dance music and laddish Indie-rock scenes of the era. They reserved a place for genuine alternative and unassuming artists devoid of genre but often dubbed as psychedelic and Lo-Fi.

Twisted Music's first releases were taken from cassette and pressed on 7” vinyl in Nashville. Artists like *Dakota Oak* and *Mum & Dad* similarly emerged from obscurity to persuade the founders to continue the label. With regular vinyl releases and events, Twisted Music quickly gained a large cult following in what would soon be known as The Northern Quarter.

The label played an important role in launching the careers of several successful groups such as *Elbow*, *Doves*, Jane Weaver's band *Misty Dixon*, and Kings Of Convenience. Despite selling more T-Shirts with their omnipresent dead bunny logo than actual records, Twisted Music never officially closed its doors while Votel and Gough pursued other projects. Today, it is considered a pre-cursor to Votel’s Finders Keepers Records archival label.