{{Short description|American independent record label}} {{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music --> | name = Ghostly International | image = GhostlyIntlLogo.png | founded = {{start date|1999}} | founder = Samuel Valenti IV | distributor = Secretly Distribution, BWSCD, Inc. | genre = Various | country = United States | location = Brooklyn, New York | website = {{URL|ghostly.com}} }}
'''Ghostly International''' is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by Samuel Valenti IV and currently headquartered in Brooklyn, New York City.
==History== Ghostly International was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Sam Valenti IV in 1999.<ref name="murketing-QA">[http://www.murketing.com/journal/?p=730 Ghostly International: The Q&A], The Journal of Murketing</ref> He grew up in suburban Detroit, where, having become a fan of underground music culture, he would sneak into hip-hop clubs by carrying records for his Detroit DJ hero Houseshoes. Valenti later became a DJ himself, taking the name DJ SpaceGhost;<ref name="Metro Times">[http://www2.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4307 They spin by night: The rise of Ann Arbor indie label Ghostly International] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829190725/http://www2.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4307 |date=2012-08-29 }}, Detroit Metro Times</ref> this theme is echoed by the name and logo of Ghostly International.
Valenti met Matthew Dear at a house party that Valenti attended during his first week at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Their shared affection for electronic music, particularly the sound of Detroit techno, led to the label's (and Dear’s) first 12 inch single, "Hands Up For Detroit." Following this, Ghostly enjoyed early success with albums by Mullinix as well as ''Disco Nouveau'', a compilation including artists such as ADULT., Solvent, Legowelt, Daniel Wang and DMX Krew, inspired by the Italo disco movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
The label then widened its focus to include groups such as Skeletons & The Girl-Faced Boys and Mobius Band, whose rock-based sound meshes with the label's eccentric leanings. Also known for forward-thinking package design by the likes of Will Calcutt and Deanne Cheuk, as well as the Boy, Cat, and Bird logos of Michael Segal, Ghostly International aims to be a complete aesthetic experience.
Ghostly International followed up ''Disco Nouveau'' with two more successful compilation albums featuring its artists: ''Idol Tryouts'' and ''Idol Tryouts 2''.
Ghostly International also runs a companion label, Spectral Sound, formed in 2000, releasing dance records by Matthew Dear/Audion, Seth Troxler, Avalon Emerson, and other producers.
Ghostly International and Adult Swim released a compilation album known as ''Ghostly Swim'',<ref name="ghostly-swim">[http://www.adultswim.com/williams/music/ghostlyswim/index.html ''Ghostly Swim'' compilation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504065637/http://www.adultswim.com/williams/music/ghostlyswim/index.html |date=2008-05-04 }}, Adult Swim</ref> available on Adult Swim's website for free. It was released with a bonus track on January 27, 2009 as a limited edition CD. Two sequels to Ghostly Swim, ''Ghostly Swim 2'', was released digitally on December 23, 2014, (CD on April 28, 2015) and Ghostly Swim 3 on December 13, 2019.
The label has also been involved in the soundtracks for video games. In 2014, Ghostly released a compilation album of new and previously recorded work by Ghostly artists to act as the soundtrack to the video game ''Hohokum''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/222947/Pure_Hohokum_How_Honeyslugs_wacky_world_came_together.php |access-date=August 13, 2014 |work=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM Tech |title=Pure Hohokum: How Honeyslug's wacky world came together |last=Rose |first=Mike |date=August 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812063624/http://gamasutra.com/view/news/222947/Pure_Hohokum_How_Honeyslugs_wacky_world_came_together.php |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A year later, the first soundtrack to critically acclaimed videogame ''Minecraft'' by German musician C418 was released by Ghostly as a vinyl LP on August 21, 2015, four years after its original digital release by C418.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/06/23/a-minecraft-soundtrack-coming-this-summer-on-vinyl/|title = Minecraft soundtrack to receive vinyl release this summer|date = 23 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ghostly.com/releases/minecraft-volume-alpha |title=C418 presents Minecraft Volume Alpha - Ghostly International |access-date=2015-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629204833/http://ghostly.com/releases/minecraft-volume-alpha |archive-date=2015-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2018 a limited-edition version of the Super Nt home video game console was made by Analogue and Ghostly International.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Craddock |first1=Ryan |title=Analogue Announces New Limited Edition Super Nt, And You Can Order One Right Now |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/12/analogue_announces_new_limited_edition_super_nt_and_you_can_order_one_right_now |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=Nintendo Life |date=3 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Webster |first1=Andrew |title=Analogue's limited edition SNES has custom sounds from your favorite Ghostly artists |url=https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/12/3/18115971/analogue-super-nt-ghostly-international |access-date=19 May 2022 |work=The Verge |date=3 December 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
Throughout the 2010s, Ghostly International released music from artists such as Com Truise, Heathered Pearls, HTRK, Shigeto, Tycho, and TOBACCO. The label also collaborated with various brands, including Adult Swim and Warby Parker.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ghostly at 25: Key moments from the label’s first quarter century |url=https://www.thefader.com/2024/05/21/ghostly-international-25th-anniversary |website=The FADER |language=en}}</ref> In 2015, Ghostly International moved to Brooklyn, New York, where they are still based to this day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/entertainment/ann-arbor/2015/11/report_ann_arbor-born_ghostly.html|title = Report: Ann Arbor-born Ghostly International now has an office in Brooklyn|date = 5 November 2015}}</ref>
In 2019, Ghostly marked its 20th anniversary with collaborative projects, including partnerships with Vans and Miffy, as well as events in multiple cities. The label received its second Grammy nomination for a retrospective box set the same year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McCollum |first1=Brian |title=Beyoncé leads Grammy nominations; Big Sean, Royce da 5'9", Kiki Sheard among Detroit noms |url=https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2020/11/24/grammy-awards-nominees-2021-detroit/6407852002/ |website=Detroit Free Press}}</ref>
In 2020, after more than a decade of working with Secretly Distribution, Ghostly International became an affiliate label of Secretly Group, partnering with Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman and Phil Waldorf, and co-founding All Flowers Group, a label group which also includes the label drink sum wtr.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doherty |first1=Kelly |title=Label Dive: Ghostly International |url=https://thevinylfactory.com/features/label-dive-ghostly-international/ |website=The Vinyl Factory |date=15 May 2024}}</ref>
==List of artists== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *Adult. *Aeroc *Beacon *Brijean *Bullion *Choir of Young Believers *Christopher Willits *Ciel *Com Truise *C418 *crushed *Dabrye *Dauwd *Deastro *dreamcastmoe *Dua Saleh *Emeralds *Fort Romeau *Geotic *Gold Panda *Ginger Root *Goya Gumbani *Galcher Lustwerk *Heathered Pearls *HTRK *Hana Vu *Helios *Jacaszek *Julie Byrne *Kate Simko *Khotin *Kiln *Kate Bollinger *Lord RAJA *Lusine *Loraine James (as Whatever The Weather) *Mary Lattimore
{{col-2}} *Matrixxman *Matthew Dear *Michna *Moderna *Mux Mool *Nautiluss *Pale Sketcher *Phantogram *Psymun *quickly, quickly *Recondite *Sam Valenti IV *Shigeto *The Sight Below *Solvent *STUDIO *Tadd Mullinix *Tobacco *Tropic of Cancer *Ultraísta *Willits + Sakamoto <small>(Christopher Willits & Ryuichi Sakamoto)</small> *Xeno & Oaklander {{col-end}}
===Formerly signed=== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} *10:32 *Ben Benjamin *Black Marble *Cepia *The Chap *Charles Manier *Clark Warner *Daniel Wang *Dykehouse *Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble *JDSY *Jeffery Sfire
{{col-2}} *Kill Memory Crash *Loscil *Midwest Product *PostPrior *Mike Servito *Mobius Band *North Valley Subconscious Orchestra *School of Seven Bells *Skeletons & The Kings of All Cities *Syntaks *Twine *Tycho<ref>{{cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftychomusic%2Fposts%2F10156735610560520&width=500 |website=www.facebook.com}}</ref> {{col-end}}
== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |+ |- ! scope="col" | Award ceremony ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Nominee/Work ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Result |- | Libera Award for Label of the Year | 2015 | Ghostly International | Label of the Year (Small) | {{won}} |- | 59th Annual Grammy Awards | 2017 | Epoch (Tycho album) | Best Dance/Electronic Album | {{nom}} |- | 63rd Annual Grammy Awards | 2021 | The Story of Ghostly International | Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package | {{nom}} |}
==References== <references />
==External links== * [http://www.ghostly.com Official site] * [http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4307 ''Metro Times'' article] * [http://synconation.com/misc/ghostly-apparitions/ Ghostly Apparitions - An Exploration of Michael Cina's Album Artwork for Ghostly International] * [http://www.semichiganstartup.com/InTheNews/ghostlyinternationaltechbrewery0139.aspx Ghostly International moves to Tech Brewery, inks new deals]
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Category:American independent record labels Category:Techno record labels Category:Music of Ann Arbor, Michigan Category:Record labels based in Michigan Category:Record labels established in 1999 Category:Companies based in Ann Arbor, Michigan Category:1999 establishments in Michigan