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NMC Interview
Posted on Tuesday, May 16, 2006. © Copyright 2004-2009 David Bruce
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C:T talks to new-music record label NMC
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Ferneyhough's Shadowtime,
one of NMCs recent releases
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Tell us a bit about NMC and how it got started
NMC was started 17 years ago by the composer Colin Matthews to address the lack of recordings of contemporary British music. It is a registered charity which receives core financial support from the Holst Foundation and Arts Council England; all profits from the sale of CDs are used to make more recordings. With a full time staff of only two, NMC now boasts a catalogue of over 100 titles, which are available internationally. NMC has always striven to record the best of British contemporary music to the best technical and artistic standards possible; it also has a policy of keeping all its recordings available, fulfilling its aim of acting as an archive.
How many new releases to you make each year? How you do choose which composers you feature in your catalogue?
We release around a dozen discs a year, of which perhaps 3 will be reissues of important recordings which have been deleted by other labels and which we make available again (at mid price) on our reissues label Ancora. Recording projects are decided upon by our Artistic Panel which meets quarterly to consider proposals submitted to NMC along with our own artistic planning. We try to cover as wide a range of composers as possible, and see our remit as being particularly concerned with making the work of composers who are not featured in other catalogues available to a wider audience.
Do you only produce recordings by well-known composers, or do you ever consider unknown composers?
We try to cover as wide a range as possible, from the young composers featured on Live from State of the Nation 2001 and The Hoxton Thirteen to the six new pieces for violin on Darragh Morgan’s recital disc Opera; we’re actively looking to increase the representation of our younger composers on disc. That said, the majority of composers we work with have established themselves to the point of being represented by a publisher or an organisation such as the British Music Information Centre ( http://www.bmic.co.uk ): this is an important factor in helping us to promote both the composer and the recording.
How has technology changed the way you work over the last 17 years since NMC was founded?
Obviously, technology has changed the mechanics of recording over the years; we have also enjoyed increased exposure through the internet since the launch of our new website and online shop, at http://www.nmcrec.co.uk, to mark our 15th birthday in 2004. Although we haven’t yet moved into SACD or DVD, it is something we will be looking at in the future.
Interview by David Bruce © Copyright 2004-2009
 Comments by other Members
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mikejofm