Silent

About

Silent (aka Silent Records) is an America's premier ambient label from San Francisco, California, USA. Originally started in 1985 (officially in 1986), rebooted in 2016. Started officially with the second release () in 1986. The direction of the label changed in 1988 when label head and founder Kim Cascone helped work on the score of the movie Twin Peaks in the UK with the sound editor Jay Boekelheide. In 1991, Cascone started the distribution company Pulse Soniq after releasing the first CD on Silent. Then, in 1993, three imprints were created for different genres. Flask (beat-oriented ambient), Furnace (hard industrial, industrial dance), and Sulphur (alternative rock, noise, fusion, experimental electronics, found sound). In 1996, Silent and its distribution company were left to an employee so that Cascone could work as a sound designer for Headspace, a company founded by Thomas Dolby. Silent lived on for another two years as a completely different label, focusing on house music and other beat-oriented dance music, including co-releasing some vinyl with other companies, but the label was shuttered in 1998. For any missing catalog numbers in the SR#### series, check the sub-labels. In 2016, Cascone resurrected the label as a Bandcamp site (see sites list). Though most of the current label's albums are re-releases from the previous catalog, there are two new entries for the From Here To Tranquility series, Vol. 6 and 7. In 2016 & 2017, Cascone also DJ'd on a soma.fm site focused on Silent Records releases.