Circumvention is an artist-run independent record label dedicated to releasing cutting-edge improvised and experimental music. By "improvised" and "experimental" we mean a broad field of music making that focuses on discovery and draws from a variety of historically emergent traditions. In some cases, our artists define themselves using common genre-names that have emerged in the world of creative music, including jazz, rock, modern classical music, experimental music, electronica, and so forth. At the same time, all of our artists have crafted musical practices that transcend and problematize these genre-names. Circumvention supports music that is unashamedly hybrid, challenging, and full of surprises. We hope that you will embark on this sonic journey with us!
All aspects of our releases are controlled by the artists. This includes everything from the recording, mixing, and mastering, to the language developed in marketing each release. We take pride in presenting music that is the direct and immediate representation of the artist's intention. We guarantee that no external market pressures (e.g. commercialism) have impacted the music that you are hearing.
Circumvention was founded in 1998 by San Francisco Bay Area saxophonist and composer Jason Robinson (who now resides in San Diego). As a young creative musician, Robinson saw the need for an alternative to the profit-driven music industry and its ubiquitous lack of support for creative music. Drawing in large part on a number of historical self-determination precendents in American music--the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians from Chicago, the Jazz Composers Guild in New York, Nine Winds Records in Los Angeles, and others--Robinson created a structure through which musicians could present their recorded music to an international web of listener communities while retaining artistic control and all legal rights to their music. Now ten years old, Circumvention has continued to embody this simple pledge and has released more than 20 recordings of imaginative original music.
Circumvention welcomes and encourages submissions. We use a "peer review" style process in considering submissions for release. There is a two-step process for submitting a recording for possible release on Circumvention: 1) send an email expressing interest and requesting information and 2) mail two copies of your mixed and mastered recording, along with biographical information, to:
Circumvention Music
Submissions
4370 Idaho Street #1
San Diego, CA 92104 USA
Submissions will be reviewed by two Circumvention artists and will be evaluated based on creativity and the potential effectivenesss of releasing the album on Circumvention.