Believers Roast is a record label formed in 2009 by musician Kavus Torabi, initially to only release recordings by Torabi and his band Knifeworld. The label expanded with the fundraising album Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith in 2010 and has since released the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game (2013) and albums by artists including Thumpermonkey, The Gasman, Karda Estra, Arch Garrison, and respective band members.
History
Founder Kavus Torabi set up Believers Roast in 2009. The label was initially conceived to only release recordings relating to Torabi and his band Knifeworld, which started out as a solo project. The label released the first Knifeworld single, "Pissed Up on Brake Fluid", on 13 July, and debut album Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat in August. The label expanded upon its second major release, Leader of the Starry Skies, a tribute album by various artists to Cardiacs founder and frontman Tim Smith which aimed to raise funds towards his care. Released on 13 December 2010, Torabi was also among those who helped assemble the musicians for the album, which features contributions from the Magic Numbers, Oceansize, Andy Partridge of XTC and Julianne Regan of All About Eve among others. Released through Believers Roast as no other labels were willing to take 0%, the endeavour raised the band's profile further.
Believers Roast released the Knifeworld EP Dear Lord, No Deal on 4 July 2011, the first recording to feature a full band line-up. With the label, Torabi planned to release a boxset of studio recordings by his former band the Monsoon Bassoon that summer. In 2012, the album Sleep Furiously by art rock quartet Thumpermonkey was released through Believers Roast. In 2013, the label announced the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game, where each artist contributed a one to four minute-long instrumental passage called a "fold" after hearing the end of the preceding track, in reference to the Surrealist technique Exquisite Corpse. The album was released on 2 September, recorded by a cast of collaborators including JG Thirlwell, Appleblim and Max Tundra. Other players assembled by Torabi include the left-field artists Weasel Walter, Khyam Allami and Bob Drake. Despite Joe Banks of the magazine Prog calling Believers Roast a boutique label, Torabi thought it to be an insult to a boutique label to call Believers Roast one due to its small size.The Gasman, an alias of Portsmouth resident Christopher Reeves, released the albums Hiding Place and Hiding Place #2 on Believers Roast in 2012 and 2014 respectively, which feature complex digital piano compositions. He has also released albums on the other Cardiacs-adjacent label Onomatopoeia. Torabi allowed German label Inside Out Music to release Knifeworld's second album The Unravelling (2014) rather than Believers Roast. In 2015, Believers Roast released the album Strange Relations by Karda Estra, a project of composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Wileman, and folk group Admirals Hard's album Upon a Painted Ocean in 2016. Torabi released the three track EP Solar Divination through the label in 2018, followed by the solo album Hip to the Jag on 22 May 2020. Arch Garrison's third record The Bitter Lay was released on the label on 18 September.
Believers Roast released Knifeworld bassoonist Chlöe Herington's first solo album Silent Reflux in 2021, and Thumpermonkey singer and guitarist Michael Woodman's solo album Psithurism on 6 August. Baber Wileman, a collaboration between Sanguine Hum's Matt Baber and Richard Wileman, released their self-titled debut album through Believers Roast on 10 January 2022. North Sea Radio Orchestra's Craig Fortnam released his second solo album Instrumental Music 1 through the label on 17 June, followed by the loose concept album Lunar One. Torabi collaborated with Wileman for the album Heaven's Sun which was released through Believers Roast on 2 June 2023. Wileman released the solo album The Forked Road through Believers Roast on 17 January 2024. Torabi's second solo album The Banishing, which he recorded during lockdown, was released through Believers Roast on May 3, preceded by the singles "Snake Humanis" on March 6 and "Heart the Same" on April 5. Baber and Wileman released their second album, Baber / Wileman 2, through Believers Roast on 3 June 2024. In April, Thumpermonkey guitarist and vocalist Michael Woodman released his debut full-length solo album Hiss of Today through Believers Roast.
Discography Adapted from the liner notes of each release and the Genepool website.
Release dateTitleArtist(s)0113 July 2009"Pissed Up on Brake Fluid"Knifeworld0217 August 2009Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat0313 December 2010Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1Various artistsA Loyal Companion: A Tribute to Tim Smith044 July 2011Dear Lord, No DealKnifeworld0516 August 2011#1 If It Fights the Hammer It Will Fight the KnifeRedbus Noface0610 November 2011Believers Roast Presents: The Central ElementVarious artists0726 March 2012Hiding PlaceThe Gasman0811 June 2012Clairvoyant FortnightKnifeworld0931 October 2012Sleep FuriouslyThumpermonkey102 September 2013The Exquisite Corpse GameVarious artists1122 July 2013Mondo Profondo / New WorldsKarda Estra121 November 2013MandrakeRael Jones1310 February 2014Hiding Place # 2The Gasman1412 May 2014Severance PayDead Days Beyond Help1516 June 2014In Droplet FormStars in Battledress169 February 2015Strange RelationsKarda Estra1725 May 2015Home of the Newly DepartedKnifeworld1817 June 2016Upon a Painted OceanAdmirals Hard192 June 2016Time and StarsKarda Estra2020 February 2017Infernal Spheres2121 March 2018VeilRichard Wileman2223 March 2018Solar DivinationKavus Torabi2322 May 2020Hip to the Jag2418 September 2020The Bitter LayArch Garrison2521 September 2020ArcanaRichard Wileman2618 January 2021Silent RefluxChlöe Herington276 August 2021PsithurismMichael Woodman2817 June 2022Instrumental Music 1Craig Fortnam2910 January 2022Baber / WilemanMatt Baber & Richard Wileman (Baber / Wileman)18 November 2022Lunar One A-SidesCraig Fortnam302 June 2023Heaven's SunKavus Torabi & Richard Wileman3112 January 2024The Forked RoadRichard Wileman323 May 2024The BanishingKavus Torabi332 February 2024Bespoke Guitar PiecesCraig Fortnam343 June 2024Baber / Wileman 2Matt Baber & Richard Wileman (Baber / Wileman)3628 August 2024Bespoke String TriosCraig Fortnam3726 April 2025Hiss of TodayMichael Woodman 3830 May 2025Special PowersNorth Sea Radio Orchestra394 April 2025The Heart Is in the BodyLost Crowns
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