Founded 1998 | ||
Tribe Records was a Norwegian record label founded in 1998. The company became one of the biggest contributors to the Norwegian record chart VG-Lista Topp 20 the following years. Tribe fast became a commercial label focusing on dance, trance (music) and pop.
Contents
- History
- Christopher Collings
- Andreas Hyer
- Anders Dybvik
- Marketing controversies
- Caroline Dina Kongerud
- Spritneybears
- L8R
- 2PM
- Splash
- Spin Up
- TwoGees
- Silent Forces Shahzad
- The Shining
- Howard Christine
- Chixie Dicks
- Mpetre Hits
- Deejay Charts
- Russehits 2003
- 47 Hip Hop
- References
Tribe Records was among the first record-companies in Norway to fully start with the 360-deals when building their artist. The label had management-, booking-, and the standard label-functions.
History
Originally, four partners founded the company: Christopher Collings, Andreas Papandreu Høyer, Anders Dybvik and Martin O. Muren. In 2001 John Sørensen joined the group.
In 2002 Tribe Records became the biggest domestic hit-label in Norway with a total of 28,9% of the Norwegian hit-share on VG-Lista. Many artists as Dina, Spritneybears, 2PM, L8R and Spin-Up was attached to the label.
In the 3 last years, Tribe Records had a cooperation with the Danish company Capella Music, owned by the founder of Mega Records Edel-Mega Records Kjeld Wennick. At the end of 2003, the label was closed down.
Christopher Collings
A&R and creative leader.
Andreas Høyer
To some extent A&R, presented as head of promotion.
Anders Dybvik
Head of projects, sales and booking.
Marketing controversies
Representatives of Tribe Records have stated in numerous interviews that their slogan is "we make ur shit hit".
The label's aggressive marketing methods soon came under debate, when they organised marketing activities in kindergartens to promote the new group "Splash". Following weeks of pressure applied by various newspapers, most notably Avis1, the leader of "Norwegian Teacher's Association" Norsk Lærerlag Laila-Brith Josefsen, and Ombudsman for Children Trond Waage, the label cancelled the plans. The dispute peaked when the Tribe Records bought the entire frontpage of Avis1, advertising Splash as "This years album" signed with "Tribe Kindergarten".
The strategy on having total control of each band and artist signed to the label was not very popular among the music journalists. When Håkon Moslet wrote his reviews on one of the acts; "Spin-Up", his write-up was more of an essay that criticised the label and its methods, rather than an actual review of the act.
When "Spritneybears", one of Norway's most selling artists for 3 years finally released its album in 2003, rumours arose that the artists had never sung any vocals on the albums themselves. It was rumoured that most vocals were instead performed by Kjetil Tefke, who was never officially attached to the band or credited.
In 2003, when Jostein Hasselgård, the Norwegian winner of Eurovision Song Contest, was readying his single for release, Tribe Records quickly recorded and released a cover version of the track in the same week. The Tribe version of Hasselgård's song outperformed Hasselgård's own version, peaking 4 places higger on the saleschart than Hasselgård did.
Norways third biggest newspaper, Dagbladet at last nominated Tribe as "The Last Cowboys" of the music scene. However, the persons involved went separate ways only months later.
Caroline Dina Kongerud
Known as Norway's first dance artist singing in Norwegian.
Spritneybears
L8R
Norway's first real boyband. The album was mainly produced by Clawfinger, and the young boys referring to their music as "Metal Pop"
2PM
To ensure the breakthrough of this artist, Tribe started to brand its first single as "This Years Official Russ-single"(Årets Offisielle Russelåt).
Splash
A duo consisting of Anett Nylander and Janni Santillan <http://www.nme.com/video/id/CsRzcbqkkpo/search/since+the+day+you+left/offset/40>
Spin-Up
TwoGees
Silent Forces & Shahzad
The Shining
Howard & Christine
A duo consisting of Håvard Sylte and Christine Hauge.
Chixie Dicks
Mpetre Hits
Joint venture with the Norwegian public services, NRK's channel Mpetre.
Deejay Charts
Russehits 2003
+47 Hip Hop
Joint venture with the Norwegian hip hop gazette, Kingsize.