Cleopatra Records
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Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles based independent record label. Founded in 1992 by long-time music fan Brian Perera, it specialises in Gothic rock, hard rock, and heavy metal.
Cleopatra made very big waves in the early 90s US goth and industrial scene with several important compilations and reissues. The Industrial Revolution series, The Goth Box, the Gothic Rock double disc sets and In Goth Daze all introduced a new generation of listeners to the dark genres, and their releases of classic albums by Kraftwerk, Nico, and Hawkwind were for many years the only US versions in print of these discs. Cleopatra's dominance of the US goth/industrial market was strong into 1997, when it signed legendary synthpopper Gary Numan, joining an already impressive roster that included (either by contract or license) Electric Hellfire Club, Switchblade Symphony, Leather Strip, X Marks the Pedwalk, Mephisto Walz, Information Society, Heaven 17, Download, and Razed In Black.
The label hatched several smaller subsidiaries according to Perera's musical tastes, including one for Krautrock and a techno imprint. The factor that was most influential in Cleopatra's financial boom in this era, however, was the tribute album. In the mid 90s, Cleopatra released tribute albums of goth, techno, industrial bands covering influential artists such as The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, and New Order. These sold so well that the label kept coming up with more artists they considered ripe for tribute. As goth and industrial acts were compiled to cover songs by AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Smashing Pumpkins (see: A Gothic-Industrial Tribute to The Smashing Pumpkins), Guns N' Roses, and the arguably un-coverable Dead Can Dance and Skinny Puppy, some fans in the dark music scene began to perceive the label as having jumped the shark.
Furthermore, many of the label's acts disbanded or signed with other labels: Switchblade Symphony imploded after disappointing sales of their second and third albums, Electric Hellfire Club, Information Society and Dead or Alive stopped making records, and Heaven 17, Download, Gary Numan, X Marks the Pedwalk, and Ikon all were signed by other companies. Add to this that two labels with whom Cleopatra had licensing deals — Zoth Ommog and Hard Records — both folded, and Cleopatra was suddenly in very dire straits. However, artists such as Razed In Black, and later Zeromancer and Bella Morte, generated some sales for the label.
Today, Cleopatra is largely funded by its sublabels (Hypnotic, Dead Line Music, Stardust Records, Master Classics, Magick Records, Purple Pyramid, and Goldenlane Records), which between them offer prog rock reissues, metal and techno acts, as well as pop and easy listening tributes. Having relegated the tribute albums largely elsewhere, the Cleopatra brand itself is now focusing again on non-cover-oriented compilations and on digging up out-of-print gems of the goth/industrial scene.
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