1976: The music business is asleep. Cometh the 7' single. It is a product of the times - recording and pressing is relatively cheap. This is music made in bedrooms; music made for its own sake, music outside the realms of corporate ownership. Most of this music is tinny and tuneless. Some of it is life affirming. The best of this new talent is snapped up, signed up. The 7' becomes an album; the album becomes a revolution. Nothing is ever the same again, until...

The here and now: The music business is asleep. Cometh the CD album. It is a product of the times. Most people have access to recording equipment and pressing up these CDs is inexpensive. This is music made in bedrooms, music made for its own sake, music outside the realms of corporate ownership. Most of this music is indulgent and tuneless. Some of it is life affirming.

The revolution revisited? No. Major labels will not touch these albums. They might like the music, but the investment would be too costly. Once a band is signed, they have to find money for the tour support, the photo session, the posters. Record companies are also obsessed with the periphery: will the band look good on photos? How old are they? What will their second album sound like? Will they give good interview? There is always a good reason not to sign a band, seldom does this have anything to do with music.

Pomona Sounds is a label dedicated to album releases by new bands. They will be with the label on a pretty much no-strings deal. It is music that exists for its own sake, not necessarily to launch a career or service a marketing initiative. The record will be released because it is a fine body of music: innovative, melodic, exciting, heartfelt music at that. Think of it like a club or a gang, or, indeed, a great label. Think Blue Note, Acid Jazz, Factory, Rough Trade, great music and a clear, concise standpoint.

Listen up: These albums will be promoted to press and radio as best we can. Press officers and radio pluggers are very expensive (these are effectively the gatekeepers of the music industry) so we'll need to rely largely on word-of-mouth (tell your friends). Besides, we've too much dignity to bow and scrape to journalists and DJs. There will be no adverts, posters, or pressure on a band to tour. Each album will feature generic artwork: nothing too intrusive or heavy-handed, just a neat line across the top and a little 'P' in a box (so to speak).

Dealing with the devil: Bands do not have to commit themselves to a lifetime on Pomona Sounds. Eight album deal? In chains? When it stops being fun, let's cut and run. Any profits will be shared on a 50/50 basis. A release on Pomona Sounds is merely the starting pistol, and part of a collection.