Light in the Attic celebrates 20 years with year-long slate of releases

Celebrated archival reissue label and distribution company Light in the Attic (LITA) is commemorating 20 years of rescuing music and cultural artifacts from the brink of obscurity and sharing them with anyone who will listen with a year-long slate of exclusive releases, events, merch, and more.

LITA kicked off their 20th anniversary celebration on Friday (10/29) with the “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza,” plus the debut of the first-ever official Light in the Attic record backpack and the announcement of a live, ticketed, in-person event celebrating the label’s history to be held at the outdoor stage at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA on October 8, 2022 ─ official line-up and event details TBA and fans can sign up here to be the first to receive updates.

LITA asked their family of like-minded labels (including Cinewax, AMS/BTF Cinevox, Ship to Shore, Diggers Factory, Quartet, Tidal Waves, Aloha Got Soul, 180g, Everland, and more) to contribute exclusive versions of key jams from their back catalogs for sale exclusively as part of the “LITA 20 Online Extravaganza,” which kicked off Friday (10/29) with 19 limited-edition titles. The centerpiece from the slate of exclusive offerings from “LITA 20” are two lavish, first-of-their-kind 10-LP box sets from Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter Ennio Morricone and cult prog-rock supergroup Goblin, both longtime favorites for soundtrack collectors and movie fans around world. Below is more info and a list of initial titles being offered from “LITA 20” (with “*” denoting a pre-order and everything else is in stock/shipping now ─ all available exclusively at LightInTheAttic.net).

Over the next year, LITA will be announcing more exclusive releases, events, and news in celebration of their 20th anniversary.

20 years of Light in the Attic:
LITA is no stranger to championing the underdog. In 2012, the label rose to worldwide prominence in connection with the Academy Award®-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, which tells the rise-fall-rise story of an unlikely superstar called Rodriguez, whose music LITA started reissuing four years prior. The film’s success served to imprint the ethos of the label upon a greater audience, one that then, now, and forever craves the redemptive experience of discovering buried musical treasure.

Following the labels rise as a purveyor of critically acclaimed stories with music to match, LITA’s gravitational pull attracted a swarm of like-minded reissue labels whose passion for art, narrative, and spirit of musical discovery created a space where music could be shared and appreciated by those who were looking for something deeper than the usual major-label reissue projects that filled the shelves of their local record stores. Josh Wright, LITA’s Co-Owner, shares: “When we started the distribution part of the business, we did it from a very grassroots level ─ we took road trips around the country to meet store owners and buyers personally, sharing our passion for the music and stories from the Light in the Attic world. That same ethos is really at the heart of everything we do today, both for our own labels and the 100+ labels we distribute. It’s really a blessing to be working with so many great labels that share the same passion for the music and commitment to quality that we do.”

Throughout LITA’s 20 years of business, the so-called “vinyl culture” has always been at the core of the company, though its never been a driving factor in the decision-making process when it comes to what records the label releases or labels it distributes. Says Ryan Wilson, LITA’s General Manager, “I started collecting records as a kid because I didn’t have the money to buy CDs. For me it was about amassing as much music for as little money as possible. When digging for old records, there’s an element of surprise that makes it fun, you never know what you’re going to find and it opens your mind to the possibilities of being turned on to something new.” It’s at this nexus of the secondary (used vinyl) market and the new release business that LITA excels. As they reach this anniversary milestone, LITA still seems to understand where the market is going and somehow get there before anyone else.

LITA received GRAMMY®-nominations for Best Historical Album in 2014 for Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985 and in 2019 for the groundbreaking Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990 ─ both projects that fall squarely outside the mainstream music world, yet somehow managed to permeate the larger cultural conversation, sparking shout-outs from fans ranging from Nardwuar to Kourtney Kardashian.

Matt Sullivan, LITA’s Founder and Co-Owner, shares, “Without the support of so many, we clearly would not be here. From all the artists who opened their doors to give us a chance to get their music back out into the world, to our family of labels that we’re honored to distribute, along with all the talented reissue producers, designers and mastering engineers, plus the record stores, shipping gurus, music supervisors, and manufacturers, to all the hard-working interns, distributors, and lacquer cutting wizards. The list is long and so is the love. Thank you! We’re grateful to still be doing this and will continue fighting the good fight.”