# Believers Roast

Believers Roast is a record label formed in 2009 by musician Kavus Torabi, initially to only release recordings by Torabi and his band Knifeworld. The label expanded with the fundraising album Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith in 2010 and has since released the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game (2013) and albums by artists including Thumpermonkey, The Gasman, Karda Estra, Arch Garrison, and respective band members.

## History

Kavus Torabi set up Believers Roast in 2009. The label was initially conceived to only release recordings relating to Torabi and his band Knifeworld, which started out as a solo project. The label released the first Knifeworld single, "Pissed Up on Brake Fluid", on 13 July, and debut album Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat in August. The label expanded upon its second major release, Leader of the Starry Skies, a tribute album by various artists to Cardiacs founder and frontman Tim Smith which aimed to raise funds towards his care. Released on 13 December 2010, Torabi was also among those who helped assemble the musicians for the album, which features contributions from the Magic Numbers, Oceansize, Andy Partridge of XTC and Julianne Regan of All About Eve among others. Released through Believers Roast as no other labels were willing to take 0%, the endeavour raised the band's profile further.
Believers Roast released the Knifeworld EP Dear Lord, No Deal on 4 July 2011, the first recording to feature a full band line-up. With the label, Torabi planned to release a boxset of studio recordings by his former band the Monsoon Bassoon that summer. In 2012, the album Sleep Furiously by art rock quartet Thumpermonkey was released through Believers Roast. In 2013, the label announced the collaborative album The Exquisite Corpse Game, where each artist contributed a one to four minute-long instrumental passage called a "fold" after hearing the end of the preceding track, in reference to the Surrealist technique Exquisite Corpse. The album was released on 2 September, recorded by a cast of collaborators including JG Thirlwell, Appleblim and Max Tundra. Other players assembled by Torabi include the left-field artists Weasel Walter, Khyam Allami and Bob Drake.
   It's the most bizarre label – I don't make a penny out of it. To release stuff on the label, it's me saying, 'Yep, I really like this, I'd like to put it out.' Everything on it is in a different genre – there's no one sound.
The Gasman, an alias of Portsmouth resident Christopher Reeves, released the albums Hiding Place and Hiding Place #2 on Believers Roast in 2012 and 2014 respectively, which feature complex digital piano compositions. He has also released albums on the other Cardiacs-adjacent label Onomatopoeia. Torabi allowed German label Inside Out Music to release Knifeworld's second album The Unravelling (2014) rather than Believers Roast. In 2015, Believers Roast released the album Strange Relations by Karda Estra, a project of composer and multi-instrumentalist Richard Wileman, and folk group Admirals Hard's album Upon a Painted Ocean in 2016. Torabi released the three track EP Solar Divination through the label in 2018, followed by the solo album Hip to the Jag on 22 May 2020. Arch Garrison's third record The Bitter Lay was released on the label on 18 September.
Believers Roast released Knifeworld bassoonist Chlöe Herington's first solo album Silent Reflux in 2021, and Thumpermonkey singer and guitarist Michael Woodman's solo album Psithurism on 6 August. Baber Wileman, a collaboration between Sanguine Hum's Matt Baber and Richard Wileman, released their self-titled debut album through Believers Roast on 10 January 2022. North Sea Radio Orchestra's Craig Fortnam released his second solo album Instrumental Music 1 through the label on 17 June, followed by the loose concept album Lunar One. Torabi collaborated with Wileman for the album Heaven's Sun which was released through Believers Roast on 2 June 2023. Wileman released the solo album The Forked Road through Believers Roast on 17 January 2024. Torabi's second solo album The Banishing, which he recorded during lockdown, was released through Believers Roast on May 3, preceded by the singles "Snake Humanis" on March 6 and "Heart the Same" on April 5. Baber and Wileman released their second album, Baber / Wileman 2, through Believers Roast on 3 June 2024.

## Discography

Adapted from the liner notes of each release and the Genepool website.
Key :
| — | No catalogue number assigned |
| No. | Release date | Title | Artist(s) |
| 01 | 13 July 2009 | "Pissed Up on Brake Fluid" | Knifeworld |
| 02 | 17 August 2009 | Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat | Knifeworld |
| 03 | 13 December 2010 | Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1 | Various artists |
| 03 | 13 December 2010 | A Loyal Companion: A Tribute to Tim Smith | Various artists |
| 04 | 4 July 2011 | Dear Lord, No Deal | Knifeworld |
| 05 | 16 August 2011 | #1 If It Fights the Hammer It Will Fight the Knife | Redbus Noface |
| 06 | 10 November 2011 | Believers Roast Presents: The Central Element | Various artists |
| 07 | 26 March 2012 | Hiding Place | The Gasman |
| 08 | 11 June 2012 | Clairvoyant Fortnight | Knifeworld |
| 09 | 31 October 2012 | Sleep Furiously | Thumpermonkey |
| 10 | 2 September 2013 | The Exquisite Corpse Game | Various artists |
| 11 | 22 July 2013 | Mondo Profondo / New Worlds | Karda Estra |
| 12 | 1 November 2013 | Mandrake | Rael Jones |
| 13 | 10 February 2014 | Hiding Place # 2 | The Gasman |
| 14 | 12 May 2014 | Severance Pay | Dead Days Beyond Help |
| 15 | 16 June 2014 | In Droplet Form | Stars in Battledress |
| 16 | 9 February 2015 | Strange Relations | Karda Estra |
| 17 | 25 May 2015 | Home of the Newly Departed | Knifeworld |
| 18 | 17 June 2016 | Upon a Painted Ocean | Admirals Hard |
| 19 | 2 June 2016 | Time and Stars | Karda Estra |
| 20 | 20 February 2017 | Infernal Spheres | Karda Estra |
| 21 | 21 March 2018 | Veil | Richard Wileman |
| 22 | 23 March 2018 | Solar Divination | Kavus Torabi |
| 23 | 22 May 2020 | Hip to the Jag | Kavus Torabi |
| 24 | 18 September 2020 | The Bitter Lay | Arch Garrison |
| 25 | 21 September 2020 | Arcana | Richard Wileman |
| 26 | 18 January 2021 | Silent Reflux | Chlöe Herington |
| 27 | 6 August 2021 | Psithurism | Michael Woodman |
| — | 10 January 2022 | Baber / Wileman | Matt Baber & Richard Wileman (Baber / Wileman) |
| 28 | 17 June 2022 | Instrumental Music 1 | Craig Fortnam |
| 29 | 18 November 2022 | Lunar One A-Sides | Craig Fortnam |
| 30 | 2 June 2023 | Heaven's Sun | Kavus Torabi & Richard Wileman |
| 31 | 12 January 2024 | The Forked Road | Richard Wileman |
| 32 | 3 May 2024 | The Banishing | Kavus Torabi |
| 33 | 2 February 2024 | Bespoke Guitar Pieces | Craig Fortnam |
| 34 | 3 June 2024 | Baber / Wileman 2 | Matt Baber & Richard Wileman (Baber / Wileman) |
| 36 | 28 August 2024 | Bespoke String Trios | Craig Fortnam |
| — | 26 April 2025 | Hiss of Today | Michael Woodman |
| 38 | 30 May 2025 | Special Powers | North Sea Radio Orchestra |
| 39 | 4 April 2025 | The Heart Is in the Body | Lost Crowns |