Impressed Recordings
Impressed Recordings was founded and is helmed by expat Brit, and former UMG Exec and Apple Music ANZ Lead, Luke Bevans.
The 100% independent record label was largely inspired by the impassioned social media call-out by rising First Nations hip hop star Tasman Keith after he missed out on ARIA Award recognition (Australian Recording Industry Association) for his debut record 'A Colour Undone'.
As an independent artist, Keith didn't have the funds to pay for vinyl pressings, and the ARIA charts are calculated with a weighted formula which places higher value on sales of physical products such as vinyl, CDs and cassettes - most Australian artists debuts on the ARIA top 50 albums chart are fuelled by vinyl sales as opposed to their streams.
This inspired Bevans to create a 100% independent record label that was a lighthouse for independent artists and offered an opportunity to press their vinyl, feature in charts and, most importantly, the opportunity to collect a full royalty for their work that is not offered with streaming services.
Impressed has, since launching in November 2023, pressed over 120,000 records by artists such as Royel Otis, JET, Birds of Tokyo, Folk Bitch Trio, Chet Faker, Fisher, Elsy Wameyo, Sycco, Hayden James, The Terrys, and The Wiggles.
Impressed has also become a home for a host of other artists, including those from outside Australia, including Fink, Nick Mulvey, Emma-Jean Thackray, KOKOROKO, Frankie and the Witchfingers and Toro Y Moi. Impressed has worked with UMG, AWAL, Future Classic, Mushroom, EMI, Dead Oceans and ABC Music within Australia and iconic London-based Brownswood Recordings and NYC Indie darlings Greenway Records internationally, amongst others, to press vinyl for the Australian market.
Impressed isn't rooted in one genre, but in a love of great music and its longevity being pressed as a high-quality vinyl product, and for music makers and music lovers to be placed at the centre of the music experience.