Some Bizzare

Some Bizzare, conventionally styled with the deliberately misspelled second word “Bizzare,” is a British independent record label founded in 1981 by Stevo Pearce. It emerged from the early-1980s underground music scene and initially gained attention through Some Bizzare Album, a compilation of then-unsigned artists that included Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange. Rather than functioning only as a conventional label, the enterprise became closely associated with Pearce’s highly personal approach to artist discovery, management, licensing and presentation. The label’s early reputation was established through its work with B-Movie and, especially, Soft Cell. Pearce had championed Soft Cell’s Mutant Moments EP in the music press and subsequently signed and managed the duo through an arrangement involving Phonogram. Soft Cell’s recording of “Tainted Love” became an international chart success, giving Some Bizzare visibility well beyond the independent sector. Pearce also worked with The The, including the release history surrounding Soul Mining and later the album Infected, and was involved with Marc and the Mambas, a project associated with The The’s Matt Johnson. During the 1980s, Some Bizzare broadened its roster beyond synth-pop and electronic music. The label became associated with artists from experimental, industrial, noise and alternative scenes, including Cabaret Voltaire, Psychic TV, Test Department, Einstürzende Neubauten, Coil, Swans and Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel. The 1985 compilation If You Can’t Please Yourself, You Can’t Please Your Soul represented this eclectic approach, while the label’s roster helped connect British underground music with international audiences. Some Bizzare’s identity has always been inseparable from Pearce’s unconventional business style and theatrical public persona. The label developed a reputation for eccentric offices, provocative behavior and an oppositional attitude toward the expectations of the record industry. Its name itself expresses that philosophy: Pearce chose “Bizzare” rather than the standard spelling “Bizarre” as a way of emphasizing ambiguity and the idea of resisting predictable expectations. The label’s output became relatively limited during parts of the 1990s and early 2000s, although its catalogue and historical influence remained visible. In 2001 Pearce compiled I’d Rather Shout at a Returning Echo Than Kid Someone’s Listening, which included material by the reunited Soft Cell and recordings associated with Richard H. Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire. Activity increased again in the mid-2000s with signings such as Dark Poets, Monkey Farm Frankenstein, Meka and Mainstream Distortion. The 2006 compilation Redefining the Prologue marked the label’s twenty-fifth anniversary and accompanied an exhibition of Some Bizzare-related artwork in London. Further activity in the late 2000s included the signing of Portuguese dance producer Pedro INF and UK artist Kontour. Some Bizzare Double Album, released in 2008, presented material from numerous newer artists discovered through Myspace. The label also released music by the French-Welsh electronic group Risqué, including Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down in 2009. In the 2020s, the brand’s historical catalogue and story were revisited through Conform to Deform, a book about Some Bizzare written by Wesley Doyle and published in 2023. Reference material describes a relaunch on 15 October 2025 as the Some Bizzare Network, a digital platform intended to support new artist development and A&R activity. The relaunch was also associated with plans for a Stevo Pearce autobiography, a documentary and new music projects. The catalogue is offered through the label’s website. Some Bizzare remains best understood as a founder-led independent music brand whose importance rests on its role in the discovery, promotion and licensing of boundary-pushing artists.

Some Bizzare Records was established in the United Kingdom in 1981 by Stevo Pearce. Its first major statement was Some Bizzare Album, a compilation designed to showcase unsigned or emerging artists. The release included acts that would become important to the British electronic and alternative scenes, among them Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange. Pearce's early work with B-Movie led into a more consequential relationship with Soft Cell. He had promoted the duo's Mutant Moments EP and then signed and managed the group through a deal involving Phonogram. Soft Cell's version of “Tainted Love” became a major chart success, creating an unusually strong connection between a small independent imprint and international pop recognition. Pearce also became involved with The The. The licensing history of Soul Mining was characterized by repeated negotiations with different major labels before the album was ultimately released in 1983. The The later issued further material connected with Some Bizzare, including Infected in 1986, while Matt Johnson also recorded through the Marc and the Mambas project. The label's catalogue soon expanded into more experimental territory. During the 1980s it worked with or released music by Cabaret Voltaire, Psychic TV, Test Department, Einstürzende Neubauten, Coil, Swans and Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel. This roster made Some Bizzare an important outlet for industrial, post-punk, electronic and avant-garde music. The 1985 compilation If You Can't Please Yourself, You Can't Please Your Soul illustrated the label's interest in presenting a broad underground community rather than a narrowly defined genre. Some Bizzare's public identity was shaped by Pearce's eccentric and confrontational style. In the 1990s, the label's Mayfair offices were described as containing a private chapel and confession box for prospective signings. These stories, together with Pearce's combative treatment of parts of the music retail and press communities, reinforced the label's image as an idiosyncratic alternative to conventional record-company culture. The spelling “Bizzare” was intentional; Pearce associated it with ambiguity and with deliberately opposing audience expectations. Activity was comparatively sparse from 2001 to 2005, although Pearce continued to curate and issue material. The 2001 compilation I'd Rather Shout at a Returning Echo Than Kid Someone's Listening included a Soft Cell track recorded after the duo's reunion and two tracks associated with Richard H. Kirk. From 2006 onward the label again announced and released material by newer artists, including Dark Poets, Monkey Farm Frankenstein, Meka and Mainstream Distortion. Redefining the Prologue, released in October 2006, served both as a twenty-fifth-anniversary retrospective and as the companion to a London exhibition featuring original artwork linked to artists such as The The and Marc and the Mambas. The late-2000s phase included Pedro INF, a Portuguese dance producer, and Kontour, a UK artist whose album Scanners was released through the label. Some Bizzare Double Album followed in 2008 and presented 32 newer artists, many discovered through Myspace. The label also released music by Risqué, a French-Welsh electronic group based in Barcelona, including Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down in August 2009. The label's history has also involved disputes over catalogue exploitation and royalties. Einstürzende Neubauten has discouraged listeners from buying certain Some Bizzare releases and releases handled by the American licensee Thirsty Ear, stating that the band had not received royalties from sales. The available reference material does not establish a court judgment or a definitive resolution, so the matter is recorded as an allegation and artist dispute rather than a confirmed legal finding. Some Bizzare's history was revisited in Conform to Deform, a book by Wesley Doyle published in February 2023. Reference material further describes a relaunch on 15 October 2025 as the Some Bizzare Network, a digital platform intended to support artist discovery and A&R. The described plans include a Stevo Pearce autobiography, a documentary and new albums, while the label's back catalogue is made available online. The brand therefore continues as a catalogue, curatorial identity and digital music venture rooted in the independent British record-label tradition.

1. 2025Some Bizzare Network relaunch

   Reference material describes the label's relaunch as a digital platform for A&R, new projects and online catalogue access.

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2. 2023Conform to Deform is published

   Wesley Doyle publishes a book documenting the label's history and Stevo Pearce's role in it.

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3. 2009Risqué releases Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down

   Some Bizzare releases the electronic group's album Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down.

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4. 2008Some Bizzare Double Album

   The label presents 32 newer artists on a compilation that includes acts discovered through Myspace.

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5. 2006Twenty-fifth-anniversary revival

   New signings and the Redefining the Prologue compilation accompany an exhibition in London.

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6. 2001New compilation after a low-output period

   Some Bizzare issues I'd Rather Shout at a Returning Echo Than Kid Someone's Listening, including material by Soft Cell and Richard H. Kirk.

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7. 1986The The releases Infected

   The The follows Soul Mining with Infected, another significant release connected with Some Bizzare.

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8. 1985If You Can't Please Yourself, You Can't Please Your Soul

   The label issues a compilation reflecting its growing association with experimental and industrial music.

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9. 1983The The's Soul Mining is released

   The The's Soul Mining reaches release after a complex series of licensing negotiations involving multiple major record companies.

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10. 1981Some Bizzare is founded

    Stevo Pearce establishes the British independent label and releases Some Bizzare Album, a compilation of emerging and unsigned artists.

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A founder-led British independent label positioned around discovery, experimentation and non-mainstream electronic, post-punk, industrial and alternative music. Its identity combines underground A&R, provocative presentation and an eclectic catalogue.

• Some Bizzare AlbumCompilation album1981

  The label's inaugural compilation, released in 1981, introduced a selection of unsigned or emerging British artists. Its roster included Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange, establishing Some Bizzare as a platform for artists outside the established mainstream.

• If You Can't Please Yourself, You Can't Please Your SoulCompilation album1985

  A 1985 compilation that represented Some Bizzare's increasingly broad relationship with experimental, industrial and alternative music. It brought together artists associated with the label's underground network and helped define its non-genre-bound identity.

• Redefining the PrologueCompilation album2006

  Released in 2006 for the label's twenty-fifth anniversary, this compilation provided a retrospective overview of Some Bizzare's catalogue and coincided with an exhibition of related original artwork in London.

• Some Bizzare Double AlbumCompilation album2008

  A 2008 compilation showcasing 32 newer artists associated with the label, including acts discovered through Myspace. It documented Some Bizzare's attempt to use emerging online communities as an artist-discovery channel.

• Some Bizzare NetworkDigital music platform2025

  A digital platform described as the label's 2025 relaunch. Its stated purposes include artist discovery, A&R development, new music projects and online access to the Some Bizzare back catalogue.

• 2006Some Bizzare 25th-anniversary exhibition

  United Kingdom

  Some Bizzare paired the release of Redefining the Prologue with an exhibition at the Horse Hospital arts venue in Bloomsbury, London. The exhibition displayed original artwork associated with artists including The The and Marc and the Mambas.

  Outcome. The event functioned as a catalogue retrospective and reinforced the label's identity as a visual and cultural project as well as a record imprint.

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• 2025Relaunch as the Some Bizzare NetworkStrategy

  Reference material describes more than three years of development behind a new digital platform connected with the Some Bizzare brand.

  What changed. The label was described as relaunching on 15 October 2025 as a digital A&R and project-development platform, with the back catalogue available online and plans for an autobiography, documentary and new albums.

  Aftermath. The platform's long-term operating results are not documented in the available material.

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• 2008Use online discovery to expand the label's artist pipelineStrategy

  The label sought newer artists during the growth of online music and social-network discovery.

  What changed. Some Bizzare Double Album presented 32 new artists, including acts found through Myspace.

  Aftermath. The compilation documented the label's adaptation of its A&R approach to an emerging internet-based music environment.

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• 2006Rebuild the roster around new and emerging artistsStrategy

  After a period in which the label's output was limited, Some Bizzare began signing newer acts including Dark Poets, Monkey Farm Frankenstein, Meka and Mainstream Distortion.

  What changed. The label released new material and used the twenty-fifth-anniversary compilation and exhibition to reconnect its historical catalogue with a new phase of activity.

  Aftermath. The revival continued with later signings and compilation projects, although no financial performance is documented in the reference material.

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• Einstürzende Neubauten royalty disputeControversy

  Einstürzende Neubauten has advised listeners not to purchase certain releases issued by Some Bizzare or its US licensee Thirsty Ear, alleging that the band was not paid royalties from sales. The available reference does not provide a final legal determination or confirmed settlement.

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• 2025Some Bizzare relaunches as the Some Bizzare Network

  Reference material describes a digital-platform relaunch intended to support A&R, new projects and online access to the label's back catalogue.

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• 2023Conform to Deform revisits the Some Bizzare story

  Wesley Doyle's book about Some Bizzare and Stevo Pearce brought renewed attention to the label's history and catalogue.

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• 2008Some Bizzare expands its roster and releases a multi-artist compilation

  The label released Some Bizzare Double Album, featuring 32 newer artists, including acts discovered through Myspace and artists signed or associated with the label during its late-2000s revival.

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• 2006Some Bizzare marks its 25th anniversary with a compilation and exhibition

  Redefining the Prologue was issued to commemorate the label's twenty-fifth anniversary, alongside an exhibition of artwork connected with Some Bizzare artists at the Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury, London.

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1. Some Bizzare Records
2. Some Bizzare official website