Biota is an American experimental electronic music ensemble.
63-554: Amid a fertile creative environment in Fort Collins, Colorado , in the late 1970s, Biota's first recording projects were produced under the name Mnemonist Orchestra (shortened soon after to Mnemonists ). Founded by fellow scientists and community radio engineers Mark Derbyshire and William Sharp, the Mnemonists ensemble of artists, musicians, and college-town bohemians released five self-styled albums between 1980 and 1984 on
126-402: A Thread ( RēR ) yields at times a more understated take on some of the same instrumental/vocal elements and themes contained within the previous two CDs, only now influenced perhaps more deeply by the aesthetics of Morton Feldman, Hector Zazou, Mark Hollis, and other masters of electroacoustic sound exploration, minimalism, and Americana. Biota celebrated its 40th year of existence in 2019 with
189-529: A commissioned work for RēR . Almost Never (1992, RēR ) features three voluminous suites for winds, strings, and processed acoustic/ethnic/antique instrumentation. Recordings and production for these and other Biota albums primarily took place at Bughouse Studio in Loveland, Colorado, and Dys studios in Fort Collins and Bellvue, Colorado. By the time of the release of Object Holder (1995, RēR ),
252-588: A detailed history of the group, with commentary by co-founders Sharp and Derbyshire. Biota's current lineup, as featured on Fragment for Balance and Counterbalance , consists of Kristianne Gale (vocals, guitar), James Gardner (winds, arrangement), Tom Katsimpalis (guitars, bass), Randy Miotke (trumpet, engineering), Mark Piersel (guitars), Bill Sharp (production, arrangement), Gordon H. Whitlow (organs, accordion), Larry Wilson (drums, percussion), Randy Yeates (keyboards), and David Zekman (violin, banjolin). As with all Biota releases, extensive visual works are provided by
315-1059: A dual in-person/online school. Additionally, four public charter schools are chartered through PSD, including Ridgeview Classical Schools , and Liberty Common High School, Mountain Sage Community School and Fort Collins Montessori School. The Poudre School District is also home to ten middle schools (Lesher Middle IB World School, Blevins Middle School, Boltz Middle School, Cache La Poudre Middle School, Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School, Lincoln IB World Middle School , Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, Preston Middle School, Webber Middle School, and Wellington Middle School) and 32 elementary schools. In addition to PSD schools, several state charter schools serve Fort Collins, including Academy of Arts and Knowledge, Colorado Early Colleges, and Global Village Academy. Private schools include Heritage Christian Academy , Rivendell School, and St. Joseph's Catholic School. The Poudre River Public Library District operates three branch locations in
378-491: A majority of its projects had been completed. Fort Collins has over 20 breweries. Notable breweries in the city include Anheuser-Busch , New Belgium Brewing Company , Intersect Brewing and Odell Brewing Company . The local chamber of commerce estimates that in 2010, the industry generated $ 309.9 million in output, 2,488 jobs and $ 141.9 million of local payrolls in Larimer County. Much of Fort Collins's culture
441-971: A new library building. Voters approved a one percent tax increase to fund the plan. The new library building, named the Fort Collins Public Library (now, the Old Town Library), opened in 1976 and remains to this day in Library Park at 201 Peterson Street in Fort Collins. Recommended Records Recommended Records ( RēR ) is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler with Nick Hobbs in March 1978. RēR features largely " Rock in Opposition " and related music, but it also distributes selected music released on other independent labels. In 1982 Cutler established November Books,
504-499: A non-profit music company. When RIO folded as an organisation in late 1979, RēR continued RIO's work by representing and promoting marginalised musicians and groups. RēR became a "virtual RIO", and "part of the continuing legacy of RIO". Recommended Records grew from "Ré", a private record label in 1978 to "RēR Megacorp" in 1989, an internationally recognised independent record company with distributors worldwide. They have consistently introduced new and interesting artists from around
567-428: A reading room was established in the back of a Presbyterian Church on Whitton Block. The Fort Collins Public Library was officially established in 1900, the sixth public library in the state. The city received $ 12,500 from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to build the library, with the condition that it would be maintained as a free public library. It was completed in 1904 at a total cost of approximately $ 15,000. When
630-507: A seven-member City Council. The current mayor of Fort Collins is Jeni Arndt, who was elected to a first term in April 2021. The six remaining council members are elected from districts for staggered four-year terms; even-numbered districts in April 2023, and odd-numbered districts are up for election in April 2025. Fort Collins is the largest city in Colorado's 2nd Congressional district, and
693-405: A similar situation to their own: they were forced to operate outside the music industry that refused to recognise their music. In 1978 these groups got together and formed Rock in Opposition (RIO). To provide a record label and distribution network for these artists, Chris Cutler of Henry Cow and Nick Hobbs, Henry Cow's manager at the time, established Recommended Records (RēR) as a model for
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#1732790440829756-445: A site several miles farther down the river would make a good location for the fort. The post was manned originally by two companies of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and never had walls. Settlers began arriving in the vicinity of the fort nearly immediately. The fort was decommissioned in 1867. The original fort site is now adjacent to the present historic "Old Town" portion of the city. The first school and church opened in 1866, and
819-500: A visual-arts collective, which retained the name Mnemonists, and the musical group, Biota. Since the mid-1980s, Biota has released numerous idiosyncratic titles, mostly on RēR . These include Rackabones (1985, Dys) and Bellowing Room (1987) (separate albums focusing on themes of displacement, solitude, and the consequences of long-term institutionalization), Tinct (1988), the Awry 10" (1988, Bad Alchemy), and Tumble (1989),
882-543: A work of abstract visual art), thereby allowing for an element of "listener composition". Such a concept is in keeping with notions of community collaboration and song evolution inherent in many forms of traditional folk music. Biota-Mnemonists has taken to the stage for live performance only twice — in 1981, at the Colorado State University art school in Fort Collins, Colorado, and in November 1990 at
945-674: Is 15.88 inches (403 mm). Fort Collins is the fourth most populous city in Colorado and the 156th most populous city in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates that the city's population was 161,175 in 2015, the population of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area was 310,487 ( 151st most populous MSA ), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 4,495,181. As of
1008-448: Is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado , United States. The city population was 169,810 at the 2020 census , an increase of 17.94% since 2010 . Fort Collins is the principal city of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a major city of the Front Range Urban Corridor . The city is the fourth most populous city in Colorado. Situated on
1071-535: Is a yearly event running down the Poudre Canyon and finishing in downtown Fort Collins. The FORTitude 10K run, a partner running event of the Bolder Boulder , is held on Labor Day each year. The Horsetooth Half Marathon has been a fixture of the local running scene since 1973. The Fort Collins Museum , established in 1941, is a regional center focusing on the culture and history of Fort Collins and
1134-505: Is additionally the county seat of Larimer County , and houses county offices and courts. K–12 public education is provided through Poudre School District (PSD). The district operates and manages the public schools in the city of Fort Collins, as well as in the surrounding towns of Wellington, Timnath, Windsor, Laporte and Livermore. The district is one of the fastest growing in Northern Colorado, adding 400-500 students — about
1197-578: Is centered around the students of Colorado State University . The city provides school year residences for its large college-age population; there is a local music circuit which is influenced by the college town atmosphere and is home to a number of well known microbreweries. The Downtown Business Association hosts a number of small and large festivals each year in the historic Downtown district, including Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest in late summer (permanently discontinued in 2021) which featured local cuisine, music, and businesses. The Fort Collins Lincoln Center
1260-464: Is characterized by warm to hot summers and long and moderately cold winters (with frequent warm spells due to downslope winds, and somewhat less common intervals of severe cold). The average temperature in December, the coldest month, is 31.1 °F (−0.5 °C). Annual snowfall averages 51.4 inches (1.31 m), and can occur from early September through the end of May. Average precipitation overall
1323-694: Is home to a whitewater park alongside the Poudre River. The city purchased the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area , a park and conservation area north of the city. Within the park is the Lindenmeier site , a stratified multi-component archaeological site most famous for its Folsom component . Fort Collins has a council-manager form of government. The mayor, who serves a two-year term and stands for election in municipal elections held in April of odd-numbered years, presides over
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#17327904408291386-644: Is home to the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra and regularly attracts national touring companies of Broadway plays. Brewing and cycling figure in local culture. The Colorado Brewer's Festival is held in late June annually in Fort Collins. The festival features beers from as many as 45 brewers from the state of Colorado and averages around 30,000 attendees. New Belgium Brewing Company hosts the Tour de Fat which draws over 20,000 people riding bikes and dressing in costume. The Colorado Marathon
1449-596: Is represented in Congress by Representative Joe Neguse (Democrat). On the state level, the city lies in the 14th district of the Colorado Senate , represented by Joann Ginal and is split between the 52nd and 53rd districts of the Colorado House of Representatives , represented by Cathy Kipp and Andrew Boesenecker , respectively. All three of Fort Collins' state legislators are Democrats. Fort Collins
1512-472: Is situated at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills of the northern Front Range , approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of Denver , Colorado, and 45 miles (72 km) south of Cheyenne, Wyoming . Elevation is 4,982 ft (1,519 m) above sea level. Geographic landmarks include Horsetooth Reservoir and Horsetooth Mountain —so named because of a tooth-shaped granite rock that dominates
1575-877: The Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range , Fort Collins is located 56 mi (90 km) north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver . Fort Collins is a prominent college town, home to Colorado State University , a public research university and the second-largest university by enrollment in Colorado. The Northern Arapaho were centered in the Cache la Poudre River Valley near present-day Fort Collins. Friday , who attended school in St. Louis, Missouri in his youth,
1638-464: The 1960s, making it the city's primary economic force by the end of the century. Fort Collins gained a reputation as a very conservative city in the twentieth century, with a prohibition of alcoholic beverages, a contentious political issue in the town's early decades, being retained from the late 1890s until student activism helped bring it to an end in 1969. During that same period, civil rights activism and anti-war disturbances heightened tensions in
1701-670: The City of Fort Collins Economic Health Office, Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation, Small Business Development Center, and Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2). The city's major shopping mall is The Shops at Foothills . FortZED was a zero energy district encompassing the Downtown area of Fort Collins and the main campus of Colorado State University. The district's public-private partnerships employed smart grid and renewable energy technologies to manage
1764-579: The Community College (students, faculty, and staff) and the general public. The Council Tree Library is a nearly 18,000 square foot facility that opened in 2009 in the Front Range Village (a retail commons) and is located at 2733 Council Tree Avenue in Fort Collins. The facility has a unique neighborhood atmosphere with an emphasis on families with young children. The Webster House Administration Center opened in 2011 and houses
1827-629: The Library opened, there were 2,770 books on hand. In 1937, the Library was awarded a grant from the Work Projects Administration for an annex to the building that would double its space, allowing for the construction of an auditorium/community room that opened in 1939. As the Fort Collins community grew, so too did the need for more library space. In 1973, the City Council adopted a seven-year master plan which included
1890-735: The Main Library) is a 43,000 square foot facility that has served the Fort Collins Community since 1976. It is located in the Fort Collins Old Town Historic District at 201 Peterson Street. The Harmony Library is a 30,000 square foot joint-use facility located on the Front Range Community College campus, at 4616 South Shield Street in Fort Collins. Since its opening in 1998, the facility has served both
1953-484: The Mnemonists visual-arts contingent (featuring through the years Larry Wilson, Randy Yeates, Ken DeVries, Tom Katsimpalis, James Dixon, Bill Ellsworth, Dana Sharp, Heidi Eversley, Joy Froding (d. 2015), Dirk Vallons, Ann Stretton, E.M. Thomas, Stan Starbuck, Simon Abbate, et al). Biota adheres to an unpredictable method of organizing sounds that ideally invites listeners to imbue proceedings with their own individualized interpretations and experiences (much like interpreting
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2016-1197: The Rockies (AIR), founded in Fort Collins in 2012, was acquired in 2016 by Berea College in Kentucky, where it became part of the College Crafts Program. The Gardens on Spring Creek is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) botanical garden. The site includes several themed gardens ranging from a children's garden to a rock garden, to several themed demonstration gardens. There are also many parks in Fort Collins including community parks and neighborhood parks, totaling 875 acres (354 ha) of developed park areas. Some of these parks have facilities such as public tennis courts, frisbee golf courses, golf courses, dog parks, baseball diamonds, basketball courts and picnic shelters. In total, there are 6 community parks. These include City Park, Edora Park, Fossil Creek Park, Lee Martinez Park, Rolland Moore Park, and Spring Canyon Park. There are also many smaller neighborhood parks. These parks often host events such as marathons, community activities and holiday celebrations. Fort Collins
2079-495: The administration, collections, systems administration, maintenance, communications, and outreach staff. The center's opening freed up 3,000 square feet in the Old Town Library, space that is now used for library materials and services. The library as an institution in Fort Collins dates back to the late 19th century, where reading rooms were established in churches or other rented locations. In 1882, for example,
2142-402: The average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 22.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 17% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the city
2205-562: The census of 2000, there were 118,652 people, 45,882 households, and 25,785 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,549.3 inhabitants per square mile (984.3/km ). There were 47,755 housing units at an average density of 1,026 units per square mile (396 units/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 82.4% White , 3.01% Black or African American , 0.6% Native American , 2.48% Asian , 0.12% Pacific Islander , 3.61% from other races , and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 10.79% of
2268-400: The city experienced a flash flood after and during a 31-hour period when 10–14 in (250–360 mm) of rain fell. The rainfall was the heaviest on record for an urban area of Colorado. Five people were killed and $ 5 million in damages were dealt to the city. The waters flooded Colorado State University's library and brought about $ 140 million in damages to the institution. Fort Collins
2331-496: The city of Fort Collins—Old Town, Harmony, and Council Tree. The Library District was established in 2006 by voter approval, and aims to serve the more than 207,000 people in northern Larimer County, Colorado. The district is governed by a board of volunteer trustees, jointly appointed by the city of Fort Collins and Larimer County. The library participates in cooperative projects with the local Poudre School District and Colorado State University . The Old Town Library (formerly,
2394-435: The city's western skyline. Longs Peak can also clearly be seen on a clear day to the southwest of the city. The Cache La Poudre River and Spring Creek run through Fort Collins. At the 2020 United States Census , the town had a total area of 37,423 acres (151.444 km ) including 807 acres (3.265 km ) of water. Fort Collins has a cold semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSk ). Its climate
2457-468: The city, including the burning of several buildings on the CSU campus. During the late 20th century, Fort Collins expanded rapidly to the south, adding new development, including several regional malls. Management of city growth patterns became a political priority during the 1980s, as well as the revitalization of Fort Collins' Old Town with the creation of a Downtown Development Authority. In late July 1997,
2520-405: The collective's most accomplished and accessible release to date. All music styles (folk, jazz, blues, rock, musique concrète, free improv, etc.) coalesce to be filtered through the dreamer's ears — background vocals are slightly treated, soloing instruments are heard from a distance, rhythm tracks are deliberately just a bit out of sync. This way, the simple tunes never really come into focus, giving
2583-599: The college and its associated agricultural experiment station, proved to be an excellent and abundant food for local sheep, and by the early 1900s the area was being referred to as the "Lamb feeding capital of the world". In 1901 the Great Western sugar processing plant was built in the neighboring city of Loveland . Although the city was affected by the Great Depression and simultaneous drought, it nevertheless experienced slow and steady growth throughout
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2646-453: The course of several albums. Object Holder was the first Biota album to feature "songs", with lyrics written by Biota's Tom Katsimpalis as well as by guest artist Cutler , and performed by Lewis. For Invisible Map (2001, RēR ), the group welcomed Gen Heistek ( Set Fire to Flames , HṚṢṬA ) on vocals and violin. AllMusic.com states, "With its wide range covering delicate post-folkish pop songs to ambient soundscapes, Invisible Map may be
2709-475: The early part of the twentieth century. During the decade following World War II , the population doubled and an era of economic prosperity occurred. Old buildings were razed to make way for new, modern structures. Along with revitalization came many changes, including the closing of the Great Western sugar factory in 1955, and a new city charter, adopting a council-manager form of government in 1954. Similarly, Colorado State University's enrollment doubled during
2772-488: The following imprints : A distribution network of affiliated labels exists throughout the world to promote experimental, unusual and innovative music. While many of these labels are distinct operations, they share a common musical ethic. Some of these affiliated labels are: These are some of the artists that have had music released or re-released on the Recommended Records label. Years given below are for
2835-478: The group had expanded beyond its immediate geographic boundaries to include U.K. drummer Chris Cutler ( Henry Cow , News From Babel ), New York-based vocalist Susanne Lewis ( Hail ), Denver prog guitar virtuoso Andy Kredt (d. 2006), and East Coast multi-instrumentalist/composer Charles O'Meara (a.k.a. C.W. Vrtacek of Forever Einstein , d. 2018), who subsequently joined the group as an essential member, contributing numerous classically-based piano compositions over
2898-513: The group's Dys label. Horde (1981, Dys), a seminal album of electronically processed music, garnered critical attention — including from the Recommended Records/RēR label, who rereleased the LP in 1984 — for its groundbreaking use of unconventional sound manipulation and musique concrète techniques. After the release of Gyromancy in 1984, the group split into two collaborative factions:
2961-509: The local use and supply of energy. FortZED relied upon energy demand management techniques to encourage use of energy at the most efficient times. Federal, state, and local funding made the project a reality. The U.S. Department of Energy contributed $ 6.3 million and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs provided $ 778,000. Locally, private companies and foundations committed nearly $ 8 million. The program ended in 2017 after
3024-522: The new town, which was incorporated in 1873. Although the Colorado Agricultural College was founded in 1870, the first classes were held in 1879. The 1880s saw the construction of a number of elegant homes and commercial buildings and the growth of a distinctive identity for Fort Collins. Stone quarrying, sugar-beet farming, and the slaughter of sheep were among the area's earliest industries. Beet tops, an industry supported by
3087-402: The population. There were 45,882 households, out of which 29% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 26% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and
3150-404: The publishing wing of Recommended Records, and between 1985 and 1997, Recommended Records and November Books published RēR Quarterly , a "quarterly" sound-magazine edited by Cutler. In 1989 Recommended Records became known as RēR Megacorp with a turnover of £ 180,000 in 1994. When English avant-rock group Henry Cow toured Europe between 1975 and 1977 they encountered many bands in
3213-496: The release of its latest full-length album on RēR , Fragment for Balance : 2019 also saw the release of The Biota Box , a 6-CD set that highlights music from four decades of the group's recorded output (including music released as Mnemonists) and includes Counterbalance , a companion CD to Fragment for Balance of previously unreleased Biota recordings/compositions. The inner booklet contained in Counterbalance features
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#17327904408293276-430: The resources of Colorado State University and its research facilities. Hewlett-Packard , Intel , AMD , Broadcom , Beckman Coulter , Microsoft , Rubicon Water and Pelco all have offices in Fort Collins. Other industries include clean energy, bioscience, and agri-tech businesses. According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers are: Regional economic development partners include
3339-622: The size of an elementary school — each year. To accommodate growth, the district plans to build three new schools in the next few years. Poudre School District includes four comprehensive high schools that serve neighborhoods around Fort Collins, including Fort Collins High School , Rocky Mountain High School , Poudre High School , Fossil Ridge High School . The district also operates four alternative high schools: Centennial High School, Polaris School for Expeditionary Learning, Poudre Community Academy and Poudre School District Global Academy,
3402-567: The surrounding area. The Fort Collins Museum houses over 30,000 artifacts and features temporary and permanent exhibits, on-going educational programs and events, and is home to four historic structures located in the outdoor Heritage Courtyard. The arts are represented by The Center for Fine Art Photography , University Center for the Arts, Fort Collins Museum of Art (FCMOA), and the Bas Bleu Theatre Company. The Arts Incubator of
3465-645: The then-annual New Music America festival, held that year in Montreal , Quebec . Under the festival banner "Musiques Actuelles", the group premiered a suite of original works composed specifically for the occasion, featuring live (real-time) production and projected animation created by Mnemonists artist Heidi Eversley. The entire musical program of the New Music America performance was eventually released on CD as Musique Actuelle 1990 (2004), on Anomalous. Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins
3528-483: The town was platted in 1867. The civilian population of Fort Collins, led by local businessman Joseph Mason, led an effort to relocate the county seat to Fort Collins from LaPorte, and they were successful in 1868. The city's first population boom came in 1872, with the establishment of an agricultural colony. Hundreds of settlers arrived, developing lots just south of the original Old Town. Tension between new settlers and earlier inhabitants led to political divisions in
3591-401: The whole album an aura of mystery." The group reemerged in 2007 with its next release, Half a True Day ( RēR ), an album of increased nuance and subtlety (lost on the previous AllMusic reviewer), introducing folk guitarist and vocalist Kristianne Gale. On Cape Flyaway (2012, RēR ), traditional folk ballads, sung by Gale, are interspersed amid original Biota compositions. 2014's Funnel to
3654-700: The world to the United Kingdom. In 1979, Cutler established the Recommended label for releases other than his own. In 1987, he combined the Ré and Recommended labels to form RēR, and at the same time Recommended Distribution became a worker's cooperative enabling Cutler to concentrate on running the RéR label and writing RēR's mail order catalogue. This arrangement worked for a few years, but in 1989, due to enormous unpaid debts from Recommended Distribution, Cutler
3717-483: The world, many of whom might never have been able to release records. They have always put the artist first and commercial viability second. When Henry Cow split up in 1978, Chris Cutler created a record label called Ré for his own projects with a distribution arm called Recommended Distribution , so called because he personally "recommended" the titles they distributed. The intention was to import and distribute new, interesting and experimental music from all over
3780-579: Was $ 64,459, and the median income for a family was $ 110,332. Males had a median income of $ 60,856 versus $ 48,385 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 32,133. About 5.5% of families and 14% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over. Fort Collins' economy has a mix of manufacturing and service-related businesses. Fort Collins manufacturing includes Woodward Governor , Anheuser-Busch , Walker Mowers, and Otterbox . Many high-tech companies have relocated to Fort Collins because of
3843-495: Was a leader of the band of Arapahos as well as an interpreter, negotiator, and peacemaker. He made friends of white settlers who moved into the area, but was pushed out of Colorado in the 1860s. Fort Collins was founded as a military outpost of the United States Army in 1864. It succeeded a previous encampment, known as Camp Collins , on the Cache la Poudre River , near what is known today as Laporte . Camp Collins
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#17327904408293906-627: Was erected during the Indian wars of the mid-1860s to protect the Overland mail route that had been recently relocated through the region. Travelers crossing the county on the Overland Trail would camp there, but a flood destroyed the camp in June 1864. Afterward, the commander of the fort wrote to the commandant of Fort Laramie in southeast Wyoming, Colonel William O. Collins , suggesting that
3969-407: Was forced to restart his own distribution system again, and RēR became RēR/Recommended . Recommended Distribution went on to become These Records, an affiliated label. RēR/Recommended became known as RēR Megacorp with a website and online shopping facilities. Just as Recommended Records's name evolved over the years, so did its logo. Here are examples from 1979 and 1998: Recommended Records has
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