Mikey Coltun (Mdou Moctar) Announces New Label
I’ve always been a fan of the Tuareg sound, and for those in the States, there’s a handful of artists like Mdou Moctar who come to our minds. Just this week, Mdou member/collaborator Mikey Coltun announced Purplish Records, his very own label, with some obvious ties to the band’s work because the first release features both Mikey and Ahmoudou; it’s two very different takes on what looks to be a family of creativity. On Mikey’s side, you get his foray into understanding his own ancestry, and then flip it over to hear Ahmoudou play acoustic guitar with his brother Abdoulaye. For now, you can either grab a limited cassette, or just stream at Bandcamp and below!
One thing we remembered – and re-lived – in 2020 was the spirit of indie DIY. We wrote songs, recorded them at home, took our own pictures, made our own videos. So we decided it was about time to start a label. The first physical releases on Skep Wax will come out next spring. We will be co-releasing the next Swansea Sound single with US label HHBTM and Japanese label Formosa Punk, and we will co-release the new Catenary Wires songs with US label Shelflife. Its great to be working alongside these other labels. We always loved the idea of the International Pop Underground, and in 2021 we hope to breathe new life into it. If we discover we are any good at running a label, we will start thinking about releasing other bands music on the label. Very excited about this!