About

Departed Sounds is an independent record label based in Melbourne, Australia which was formed in late 2008 by two friends, Ashley Sambrooks of Melbourne publicity outlet, "Show Off Services" and Andrew Keese of Melbourne band "Andrew Keese & The Associates".

Created during the peak of chaos and confusion within the music industry, the label represents a cohesive effort to bring together business and art without sacrificing one for the other. It also represents a marked departure from the traditional record label structure; its vision is wide and deep.

The label aims to bring high quality Australian music to greater public attention, both in Australia and throughout the world.

And those random icons scattered throughout the site, such as the radio in the lop left? You'll just have to click on them to find out what they do ...

Ashley Sambrooks on Departed Sounds

Ashley's summary is coming soon.

Visions
Andrew Keese on Departed Sounds

So one evening, my friend and band publicist, Ashley, arrives at my house with a six pack of beer and an idea about starting a record label.

Months later, here I am, simultaneously working on the label’s website, about to record a new album with Amaya Laucirica, thinking about my next album and, as we all do from time to time, reflecting on what it's all about.

What it's all about is difficult to define. We spend a good deal of our lives struggling to achieve certain things, yet questions about why, or what these achievements mean, often go unanswered, or are simply not asked.

Still, after a reasonable amount of soul searching, I think it comes down to the Kilroy effect. Everyone wants to leave their mark on the world. But why?

In his final television interview before his death, Dennis Potter broached this question of meaning in a manner both succinct and serene.

Here's what he had to say about our existence:

We're the one animal that knows that we're going to die, and yet we carry on paying our mortgages, doing our jobs, moving about, behaving as though there's eternity in a sense, and we tend to forget that life can only be defined in the present tense.

The beauty of all of this is that although we will pass in time, great art lasts forever. It is, in some ways, a kind of passage to eternity.

Art serves a function above and beyond the accountable and the practical, which is why parents often advise their children not to pursue it. Art can comfort, challenge, frustrate, enlighten and inform. But without a way of communicating its existence to the world, it can do none of these things.

Without public knowledge of its presence, it can't breathe. It exists only in a void.

I have a great deal of faith in Ashley. Above and beyond being my business partner and friend, he is someone whose general approach to life I admire and respect. And he often uses less words than I do to communicate his thoughts and yet somehow manages to say so much more.

So, this is what Ashley says:

“There are certain types of music in this world which need to be heard.”

 

And so, once again, Ashley has saved me the trouble of carrying on at length and in detail about what it's all about.

It’s this balance between us that I think stands our label in good stead. That, combined with some intelligent ideas, a little attitude, some business savvy and an outstanding roster of artists will ensure that we let the world know that Kilroy was, indeed, here.

There are many things I love about Departed Sounds. I love the acts we represent. I love that we’re not cynical, yet we’re still smart. That we are hopeful, but not naïve. And most importantly, in a climate of confusion and chaos, that we have managed to create something solid and bold.

But what stirs me most about this label is its spirit of partnership. Nothing great in life is built by individuals working physically or mentally alone. And the same applies to art. You can be the most brilliant artist in the world, but without engaging with those around you, your art can’t survive. Or, as Joe Strummer put it, without people, you’re nothing.

But to engage with people on a large scale, you first need to believe in something. And ultimately, I believe in what we’re doing.

To truly believe in something takes a certain amount of audacity. It takes nerve and commitment and a shedding of the protection we all too often build around ourselves. It takes heart and soul and sacrifice. And it’s not easy or glamorous, but at least it is within the realm of the possible.

It’s my opinion that all the artists on our label have these rare qualities in abundance. What they are offering is not merely product, but their own unique and heartfelt ways of seeing the world.

In closing, I’d like to quote film maker Orson Welles speaking to film maker Ed Wood in a film made, in reality, by Tim Burton:

“Ed, visions are worth fighting for.”

 

Andrew Keese
Melbourne, 2009

Website

We designed the website, but we should credit some people for design assistance.

Paul Kadysz constructed the beautiful TV, radio, camera and typewriter icons. They are contained in his "Old School Icon Set" which is available from FreebiesDock and is free for non-commercial and commercial use.

The "Grey Waves" pixel pattern background was created by Taylor Satula from nothingsuspicioushere and the "Departed Sounds" logo is an original creation by Adam Hengstberger from Lovey Dovey Design.