About us
Happy Robots is a boutique independent record label, artist management service and live gig promoter based in London, with a love of lo-fi indietronica, synthesizer sounds, electronica and krautrock. We call our music botpop.
As a label we have released material by Alice Hubble, Rodney Cromwell, Mood Taeg, Hologram Teen, Roman Angelos, Field Glass, Sinosa, Arthur & Martha, Tiny Magnetic Pets and Pattern Language as well as seen remixes and appearances from the likes of Jupiter, Hong Kong in the 60s, DJ Downfall, Compute, The Leaf Library, Wolfgang Flur, Pye Corner Audio and others.
Our artists have featured in publications such as NME, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Artrocker, Paste Magazine, Word Magazine, Mojo, Electronic Sound, The Electricity Club, The Quietus, Prog, Shindig and Louder Than War. Happy Robots releases have received radio play all over the globe including multiple spins on RNE3 in Spain and BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music in the UK. The label is run by Adam Cresswell, formerly founding member of Saloon and after that Arthur and Martha. At present while running the label he records and performs as Rodney Cromwell.
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Hear an interview with label boss Adam on The Great Northern Radio Show.
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Read an interview with Adam in Stereo Embers Magazine
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Read an interview with The Electricity Club about 10+ years of Happy Robots
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Label of the Month feature in Electronic Sound Magazine
BACKGROUND
History
Happy Robots first appeared in 2000, beginning as a gig and club night in Reading, UK. Run as a shared endeavour by the band Saloon and Amberley Records, with acts such as Herman Dune, kaitO, Kicker, Miss Mend, Billie Mahonie, Essex Green, Lazer Guided, Airport Girl, Karamazov, Curtis Newton and Mahogany playing Happy Robots shows. The high point of the partnership was the three day 'Weekend of Happy Robots'. The festival brought together an eclectic group of artists including Pram, Big Eyes, Electrelane and Saloon themselves, which was described by veteran DJ John Peel as '"better than the real Reading Festival".
When Saloon debunked to London in 2001, the partnership dissolved. The Happy Robots night lived on for another year, with highlights including a second festival, this time featuring acts such as Manitoba (now Caribou) and Dressy Bessy. There was seeming closure to the project in the form of the song 'Happy Robots' on the second Saloon album 'If we meet in the future'. Saloon split in 2003 after releasing three albums and playing countless live shows (including supporting bands such as Stereolab, Of Montreal, Movietone, Sea Power & Quickspace) . They are remembered mostly now for having recorded three John Peel Sessions and for having four songs in John Peel's Festive 50 including the number one in 2002.
In 2008 new life was breathed into the brand, with lead robot Adam (now ex-Saloon) and co-conspirator Alice Hubley re-launching the project as a record label. This iteration led to three releases by their own act Arthur and Martha including the debut album 'Navigation', a critically acclaimed electropop compilation Botpop#1 and a handful of Happy Robots shows in London including appearances by Plastic Operator and Hot Chip conspirator Grovesenor. However, after the release of 'Navigation' the venture again ground to a halt driven by the economic climate and the uncertainty around the direction of the DIY industry in the burgeoning digital age.
But in 2015 Happy Robots returned as a record label. The release of Adam's new project Rodney Cromwell and the album 'Age of Anxiety' marked the re-launch of the label. In 2023 after 35 releases, with all the artists on the label having achieved not least BBC radio play and printed press, it was decided to mothball the label in order to concentrate on management and live gig promotion.
Contact
Label / PR
happyrobotsrecordings [at] gmail.com
Distribution
info [at] cargorecords.com
We are no longer operating as a record label and we are not accepting demos for new releases.
We welcome contact from other creatives, not least video makers and designers that would like to work with us. If you would like to book one of our acts for a show or an interview, please also get in touch via the email.