A look at the British indie scene, shortly before the Britpop movement brought about the big contracts.
1992 was the year the doors opened in the British underground. Anyone who could hold a guitar and wasn’t at the pub around the corner by three suddenly found themselves in a studio: recording a demo, then one or two singles, enjoying the hype – and hoping that there would be something left after the first album was released . Which was rarely the case. Listening again to the bands that helped shape this year is interesting because the hyped groups of the early Britpop era weren’t Britpoppers at all.
1992 was the year the doors opened in the British underground
The Auteurs, for example, whose singer and songwriter Luke Haines was most surprised that the painstakingly designed demo tapes were not sent back as usual (“postage paid to the recipient”), but that the single “Showgirl” was allowed to be recorded, which was then even made it into the charts. The Shoegazer Ride made it into the top ten, with their long board “Leave Them All Behind”, sandwiched between Kylie Minogue and Simply Red.
Oxford colleagues Radiohead were still a long way from such placements; they released their first EP in 1992 – with “Prove Yourself” as the best piece, which sounded very American with its loud-quiet dynamics and grunge-influenced chorus. In addition to these (today) big names, the set with 61 tracks on three CDs offers all sorts of things from the sidelines, for example the secret hits “Stars” by Poppy Factory and “I Call Your Name” by Medalark Eleven, psychedelic adventurers like Moonshake with “Secondhand Clothes ” as well as the wonderful indie pop queen Amelia Fletchter, who closes this compilation with the question: “Can You Keep A Secret?”
You can find out which albums will be released in January 2025 via our monthly release list.