Light in the Attic Celebrates 20 Years
YEAR-LONG SLATE OF EXCLUSIVE RELEASES, EVENTS, MERCH, AND MORE
LITA, with help from extended family of like-minded reissue labels, announce ‘LITA 20 Online Extravaganza’ featuring 19 limited-edition titles (including two first-of-their-kind 10-LP box sets from Ennio Morricone and Goblin)
Available now to either purchase or pre-order exclusively at LightInTheAttic.net
Plus, the celebrated label announces live concert (October 2022) at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA
Additional releases, events, and info to be announced in celebration of anniversary milestone
album covers for titles from “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza” and anniversary logo by artist Hannah Nance
Click here to watch LITA’s comedic 20th anniversary video
Click here for more info on titles from “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza”
Click here to download logos, cover art, and product shots
“It’s a thrill to look back at 20 years of Light in the Attic and we’re excited for what the future holds - we’ve always worked hard to be inclusive, fair, and true to ourselves and show our love for the music and the artists we work with. I think that shows in the work we do.”
- Matt Sullivan, LITA’s Founder and Co-Owner
Los Angeles, CA (November 2, 2021)─Celebrated archival reissue label and distribution company Light in the Attic (LITA) is commemorating 20 years of rescuing music and cultural artifacts from the brink of obscurity and sharing them with anyone who will listen with a year-long slate of exclusive releases, events, merch, and more.
LITA kicked off their 20th anniversary celebration on Friday (10/29) with the “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza,” plus the debut of the first-ever official Light in the Attic record backpack and the announcement of a live, ticketed, in-person event celebrating the label’s history to be held at the outdoor stage at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA on October 8, 2022 ─ official line-up and event details TBA and fans can sign up here to be the first to receive updates.
LITA asked their family of like-minded labels (including Cinewax, AMS/BTF Cinevox, Ship to Shore, Diggers Factory, Quartet, Tidal Waves, Aloha Got Soul, 180g, Everland, and more) to contribute exclusive versions of key jams from their back catalogs for sale exclusively as part of the “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza,” which kicked off Friday (10/29) with 19 limited-edition titles. The centerpiece from the slate of exclusive offerings from “LITA 20” are two lavish, first-of-their-kind 10-LP box sets from Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter Ennio Morricone and cult prog-rock supergroup Goblin, both longtime favorites for soundtrack collectors and movie fans around world. Below is more info and a list of initial titles being offered from “LITA 20” (with “*” denoting a pre-order and everything else is in stock/shipping now ─ all available exclusively at LightInTheAttic.net).
Over the next year, LITA will be announcing more exclusive releases, events, and news in celebration of their 20th anniversary.
20 years of Light in the Attic:
LITA is no stranger to championing the underdog. In 2012, the label rose to worldwide prominence in connection with the Academy Award®-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, which tells the rise-fall-rise story of an unlikely superstar called Rodriguez, whose music LITA started reissuing four years prior. The film’s success served to imprint the ethos of the label upon a greater audience, one that then, now, and forever craves the redemptive experience of discovering buried musical treasure.
Following the labels rise as a purveyor of critically acclaimed stories with music to match, LITA’s gravitational pull attracted a swarm of like-minded reissue labels whose passion for art, narrative, and spirit of musical discovery created a space where music could be shared and appreciated by those who were looking for something deeper than the usual major-label reissue projects that filled the shelves of their local record stores. Josh Wright, LITA’s Co-Owner, shares: “When we started the distribution part of the business, we did it from a very grassroots level ─ we took road trips around the country to meet store owners and buyers personally, sharing our passion for the music and stories from the Light in the Attic world. That same ethos is really at the heart of everything we do today, both for our own labels and the 100+ labels we distribute. It’s really a blessing to be working with so many great labels that share the same passion for the music and commitment to quality that we do.”
Throughout LITA’s 20 years of business, the so-called “vinyl culture” has always been at the core of the company, though its never been a driving factor in the decision-making process when it comes to what records the label releases or labels it distributes. Says Ryan Wilson, LITA’s General Manager, “I started collecting records as a kid because I didn’t have the money to buy CDs. For me it was about amassing as much music for as little money as possible. When digging for old records, there’s an element of surprise that makes it fun, you never know what you’re going to find and it opens your mind to the possibilities of being turned on to something new.” It’s at this nexus of the secondary (used vinyl) market and the new release business that LITA excels. As they reach this anniversary milestone, LITA still seems to understand where the market is going and somehow get there before anyone else.
LITA received GRAMMY®-nominations for Best Historical Album in 2014 for Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985 and in 2019 for the groundbreaking Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990 ─ both projects that fall squarely outside the mainstream music world, yet somehow managed to permeate the larger cultural conversation, sparking shout-outs from fans ranging from Nardwuar to Kourtney Kardashian.
Matt Sullivan, LITA’s Founder and Co-Owner, shares, “Without the support of so many, we clearly would not be here. From all the artists who opened their doors to give us a chance to get their music back out into the world, to our family of labels that we’re honored to distribute, along with all the talented reissue producers, designers and mastering engineers, plus the record stores, shipping gurus, music supervisors, and manufacturers, to all the hard-working interns, distributors, and lacquer cutting wizards. The list is long and so is the love. Thank you! We’re grateful to still be doing this and will continue fighting the good fight.”
List of exclusive titles from the “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza” here:
Ennio Morricone – Dollars, Dust & Pistoleros: The Westerns Anthology *
Goblin – The Horror Original Soundtracks *
Kurt Stenzel – Jodorowsky's Dune Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Stooges – Til The End Of The Night
MC5 – Live Detroit 68/69
Mariah – Utakata No Hibi *
Gabor Szabo – Dreams *
Betty Davis – Nasty Gal
Digable Planets – Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
Doris – Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby
Burt Bacharach – Casino Royale *
Alberto Iglesias – Almodovar and Iglesias: Film Music Collection
Jerry Goldsmith – Total Recall
Momoko Kikuchi – Adventure *
Piper – Gentle Breeze *
Chet Baker – Mr. B
Oliver Nelson – Skull Session
Kalapana – Kalapana *
Various Artists – WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol. I - Deep, Heavy and Beautiful Jazz from Japan 1968-1984
The Nippon Columbia Masters - selected by Yusuke Ogawa (Universounds) *
* denotes a pre–order, everything else is in stock and shipping now (all available exclusively on LightInTheAttic.net)
More info on the 10-LP box sets from Ennio Morricone and Goblin here:
Dollars, Dust & Pistoleros: The Westerns Anthology (LITA 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set) presents an exceptional collection of Ennio Morricone’s soundtracks from classic Western films, such as Once Upon A Time In The West, A Fistful of Dollars, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, all available for the first time ever in a gorgeous 10-LP box set, pressed on translucent blue vinyl. The set comes housed in a slipcase and includes an eight–page booklet featuring liner notes for each soundtrack by Italian music journalist, writer, and film music expert Claudio Fuiano. Strictly limited to 1,000 units worldwide, the set is available now to pre–order.
The Horror Original Soundtracks (LITA 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Box Set) includes classic titles from Italian cult prog–rock supergroup Goblin (including Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, and Zombi), plus rare and previously unreleased music – all available for the first time ever in a gorgeous colored 10-LP set, pressed on bloody translucent red vinyl. Accompanying the lavishly designed hardcover slipcase is an eight–page booklet featuring liner notes on each soundtrack by Goblin specialist Fabio Capuzzo, plus a unique pop-up gatefold cover is included with the Suspiria release. Strictly limited to 1,000 units worldwide, the set is available now to pre–order.
With all of these records shipping out to fans around the globe, LITA set out to solve an age-old problem by collaborating with Tucker & Bloom to create the first-ever official Light in the Attic record backpack. Available now to pre–order, the sleek but rugged black backpack is composed of the highest quality waterproof ballistic nylon and comes with a custom LITA logo embossed on the outer shell. Boasting a Light in the Attic–yellow interior liner, the backpack can hold up to around thirty LPs and features a full-sized front pocket with an easy-to-access organizer panel to store chargers, sunglasses, and more. A zippered slip pocket on the front panel provides quick access to DJ headphones or life's other essentials. Additionally, the padded sleeves feature a velcro closure and a zippered pocket to keep your laptop (up to 13”) secure while on the go.
About Light in the Attic:
Since rising to worldwide prominence off the grassroots success with reclusive singer-songwriter Rodriguez, whose unlikely story of personal triumph received long-overdue worldwide acclaim in the 2012 Academy Award®–winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, Light in the Attic (LITA) has gone onto earn GRAMMY®–nominations in multiple categories, including Best Historical Album for Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985 in 2014 and Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980–1990 in 2019. Their exuberance and dedication to spreading joy through music has propelled LITA through the release of 200+ titles worldwide (from Nancy Sinatra to Donnie & Joe Emerson, Betty Davis to Haruomi Hosono, Karen Dalton to Serge Gainsbourg, and so many more), setting the pace for reissue labels and the archival process.
LITA is co-owned and operated by high school friends Matt Sullivan and Josh Wright. In addition to the label’s acclaimed output, the company also distributes for a 100+ record labels. In 2010, LITA expanded from their native Seattle, opening offices in Los Angeles, which includes a successful music house focused on licensing for film, television, and advertisements, along with music supervision. LITA also operates a thriving brick-and-mortar record store, Light in the Attic Record Shop, located in Seattle at KEXP’s Gathering Space. For more info, visit LightInTheAttic.net and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
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