The World's First Ice House Netlabel!

Studio1824.com promotes music, field recordings and spoken word around the culture of Ice Houses. If you want to get straight to the sounds go to the releases page. But here we look at the history and current philosophy of the label. We call the project Studio1824.com because the Helmsdale Ice House was inaugurated in 1824.

The label was set up initially to complement Chris Dooks' residency at Timespan in East Sutherland, but the aim is that Dooks' work becomes just one release from any artists. We've already a few nice things lined up - mp3 and video releases to chill and thrill. The netlabel makes no money and is run by volunteers.

Project History

In late 2008, an artist's residency was advertised by Timespan's artist in residence Ruth Macdougall, for an artist to visit Timespan and the Icehouse to make work including a perfomance, to launch the Icehouse as a cultural centre as well as an extension of Timespan's art programme. A panel of young people chose the icehouse for the project and generated the brief themselves - they also chose me as the artist. The Ice House was used for packing Salmon and Herring in shattered ice, in wooden crates bound beyond the Scottish border, for many years. Sometimes the Ice was local. Sometimes it came from Wick (near local) or occasionally the Ice came from Norway.

Anyway, I was lucky enough to be awarded this residency, one of the most pleasurable residencies I have done. The end project became several pieces of work, including this label. The other works were video pieces and Lamda process images. You can see these on the exhibition page. Most of the audio and music work I did, centred around the acoustics of the Ice House fused with historical research. The research examined in minute detail, a 1964 audio cassette from Edinburgh University's School of Scottish Studies, which featured a recording of Neil Mackay - a fisherman from the village.

This netlabel has rules. I like rules. I think constraints open up a channel of relief in the creative person in this multi-genred age of music.

Philosophy of the label and rules!
The rules have already changed!

Here was the first draft :

Studio1824.com is a netlabel, the sole purpose of which is to promote recordings made in or about Helmsdale Icehouse. The Ice House becomes both recording studio and / or cultural conduit for audio (and visual) Ice House musical trains of thought. The sonic ethos of the project is open. Chris Dooks and volunteers will have the final say whether Studio1824.com releases contributions.

Here is the actual draft. See The contribute page for how to contribute:

Studio1824.com is the world's first Ice House Netlabel. It is both local and global at the same time. It's purpose is to release recordings occasionally centred around Helmsdale Ice House - but it's wider goal is to generate and collect culture, mainly in the form of sound recordings (music, spoken word and field recordings) recorded in or about Ice Houses the world over.