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| Blast First | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Mute Records |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Paul Smith |
| Distributor(s) | Alternative Distribution Alliance (Back catalogue) Caroline Distribution,PIAS (New catalogue) |
| Genre | Alternative rock,indie rock,noise rock |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Location | London |
Blast First is a sub label of one-timeindependent record labelMute Records, founded in approximately 1985. It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radicalVorticist journalBlast, published byWyndham Lewis in 1914. Lewis's "Manifesto" begins with the words "BLAST First (from politeness) ENGLAND".
The label was founded byPaul Smith to give UK release to albums bySonic Youth, a US band with which he was then working closely. It went on to feature more hardcore rock bands than the master label of itssynthpop-oriented parent company. Before Mute Records was sold to the EMI group, Blast First fit into the company's profile, which included labels such as the Fine Line and the Grey Area.
The labels employees included the sisters Pat and Liz Naylor,[1] and the novelistAlistair Fruish.[2]
The label released a range ofalternative music fromButthole Surfers andLabradford throughSuicide andSonic Youth to the William Fairey Band'sAcid Brass collection. The latter, a departure for a label noted for its guitar based rock bands, was acovers album of tunes such asA Guy Called Gerald's "Voodoo Ray" and808 State's "Pacific," all replayed by a brass band. Blast First also organised the Disobey experimental club nights, withRussell Haswell andBruce Gilbert (aka DJ Beekeeper) of thePost-punk bandWire.
Albums on Blast First that either reached theUK Albums Chart or have become examples of the indie/alternative genre:
(Note: Blast First was merely the UK label for these US bands, which were all primarily signed to deals withAmerican labels).
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