New Hormones

About

In the late 1970s, amidst Manchester's industrial pulse, New Hormones emerged as an avant-garde force in the punk scene. Founded by Richard Boon, Howard Devoto, and Pete Shelley, the label carved a path as the first independent punk label in the UK. Their catalog, though compact with just 16 releases, resonates with a process-driven ethos that transformed sound into a sculptural experience. Ludus, a frequent collaborator, sculpted their jagged rhythms into "Danger Came Smiling" (1982), an LP that remains a testament to their defiant art-punk aesthetic. Eric Random's "Earthbound Ghost Need" (1982) and "Dow Chemical Company" (1981) further pushed the boundaries, melding industrial shards with post-punk textures. Diversity in format was another hallmark of New Hormones. The label embraced the cassette medium with the "Northern Lights" series, capturing the liminal energy of the era across various compilations. The Biting Tongues' "Live It" (1981) tape resonates with this interdisciplinary approach, blurring lines between recorded sound and live performance. New Hormones was not just a label but a catalyst, a fractal of Manchester's vibrant underground, where collaborative origins fostered an ecosystem of creativity. Their releases, from the LPs to the tapes, remain artifacts of a time when punk was a spirit, not just a sound.