Artoffact Records has been a force on the Canadian and worldwide music stages for two decades, releasing and nurturing established and newcomer artists, licensing its catalogue to key business partners, and ensuring the success and longevity of the talent in its orbit.
The label enters its second decade with a genre-diverse, international roster bursting with critically acclaimed acts, such as Michigan’s much-loved grindcore crew Cloud Rat; industrial mainstays Front Line Assembly, including the band’s side projects such as Noise Unit and Cyberaktif; Skinny Puppy founder Cevin Key; Canadian post-punk rising stars ACTORS; Russian post-metal group KAUAN; Dutch institution GOLD; and The Cure-approved Icelandic trio Kælan Mikla.
Artoffact Records has grown from a bedroom hobby to a strong brand with an exciting roster and full-time staff, seemingly over-night, and its bands have been featured online and in print across key publications including Pitchfork, Revolver Magazine, and Bandcamp Daily, while Spotify’s and Apple Music’s editors have increasingly confirmed via playlists that Artoffact has a knack for finding and promoting great music. The label also made waves in 2016 when it announced a deal with the CBC to bring out the previously unreleased Brave New Waves sessions, which included music from Canadian royalty, including The Grapes of Wrath, Rheostatics, cub, and The Nils.
Looking to the post-pandemic future, Artoffact continues to expand by developing new and exciting talent, including the recent announcement that the label has signed Siberian post-punk trio Ploho, as well as the news that a slew of Canadian releases, from Cevin Key, Noise Unit, ACTORS, and SPECTRES can be expected in 2021.
