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LP
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ATA 020LP
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$29.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 1/16/2026
The spirit of KPM, DeWolfe, and I Marc 4 distilled in a lockup garage in Leeds. The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack works of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express (Theme From The Watcher). Everything released on ATA is written and guided by the label heads Neil Innes and Pete Williams, who frequently dip their toes in the Library pond while working on other projects. These occasional one-off tracks have accumulated over the past few years and have now found a home on the first volume of an ongoing series: The Library Archive. Recorded using the same techniques and equipment used to create the now legendary catalogues of music sold to the film and television industry of the '60s & '70s, The Library Archive could easily sit alongside the plain minimalist covers of KPM or Telesound. The fierce Brass of "Whack, Slap & Blow" and "Kaye Okay" could both be a Keith Mansfield cut, acting as a theme tune to a glamorous Saturday night TV show circa 1972. "Duck Strut" is a cheeky slice of bass driven Brit-funk, Muted horns and flute adding an element of Quincy Jones amongst the grooving drums and percussion. "The Needle Nose," "Midnight Heist" and "Wiretap" are amongst the more cinematic tracks on the album. Moody and atmospheric, they conjure up images of dark alleys, shadowy figures and dead letter drops. "Wigged Out" channels the wonky organ weirdness of Italian library legends I Marc 4 while "Nuclear Wind I & II" use Moog and Mellotron as electronic counterpoint to ethereal voices. "Siren's Sea's" acoustic interlude conjures up images of distant clifftops, gossamer vocals enticing you onto the rocks before album closer "Planet Nine" traverses the cosmos.
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ATA 023LP
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Originally released in 2021. The spirit of KPM, DeWolfe & I Marc 4 distilled in a lockup garage in Leeds returns for a second helping. The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack works of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express. It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own library itch, and so The Library Archive Vol. 1 was born. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Alladins cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the stalwart musicians from the label. Recorded during the Autumn of 2020, The Library Archive Vol. 2 still has the golden age of European Library music squarely in its sights, but this time the focus is drawn more to the wonky organ work of Italian quartet I Marc 4. Opening track "The Glass Eye" starts things off with a tense bass riff, atmospheric percussion and a haunting organ melody. "Mosey Rambler" brings things into more amiable territory before "Windie Man" soundtracks an early '70s sporting highlights reel or student hash party. "Ice Cool" introduces vocal elements reminiscent of Barbara Moore's ethereal output before "Cleared For Launch" blasts into the upper atmosphere and "Swamp Cat" channels Johnny Hawksworth's theme tune to "Roobarb" to close out the first side. Side B kicks off proceedings with the knockout "Fight Or Fuzz" before settling into the Addam's Familyesque "Mysterious Manor." The frenetic organ and bongos of "Push & Go" could quite easily accompany detectives Regan & Carter as they chase down another east end villain, while "Sensed Presence" brings a sense of otherworldly menace. "The Actuator" gets the wheels moving before LP closer "Going Galactic" takes listeners back to the mothership.
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ATA 031LP
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Originally released in 2023. The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton, and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack vision of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express and Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own library itch and so The Library Archive Vol. 1 was born in 2019. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Aladdin's Cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the ATA stable of performers. Released in 2021, The Library Archive Vol. 2 still had the golden age of European Library music squarely in its sights, but this time the focus was drawn more to the off-kilter soul organ sound of Italian quartet I Marc 4. These two volumes garnered praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee and the Don of British Library Music himself, Alan Hawkshaw. And so to The Library Archive Vol. 3: taking heavy inspiration from Jungle Obsession 9 by Roger Roger, and The Feed-back, as well as Blaxploitation era composers such as Willie Hutch and Melvin Van Peebles, and the masterful and ingenious Roy Budd, The Library Archive Vol. 3 draws deeply from the well of library greatness. Each track has been lovingly crafted with a keen ear for authenticity and the same eye for detail shown on The Library Archive Vol. 1 & 2, recorded on the same instruments and equipment and with the same techniques as the music that inspired it, with a focus throughout on stripped-back rhythm sections topped by flute, vibes and vintage synths. With three volumes now out and another currently in R&D, The Library Archive will stand as a testament to the love the ATA producers and artists have for the original composers and performers.
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