Comments (0) Best Indication That Size Doesn't Matter - 2001
Radio Khartoum
When people talk about small record labels, they usually refer to number of releases, size of pressings, and amount of staff members. In all these respects, the Oakland-based label Radio Khartoum is rather minute -- since 1997, owner and sole employee Alexander Bailey has put out only nine releases, the largest pressing being the minuscule 1,500 copies of the Hepburns' Champagne Reception. But what really makes Radio Khartoum a small enterprise is the size of its CDs: Instead of the usual 4 1/2 inches, they're only 3 inches in diameter. Of course, the mini-CDs would be nothing more than a novelty if they didn't harbor good music. Luckily, Bailey has a nose for lovely European pop: Highlights so far include the French chanson-meets-beats of Essiar, the dreamy bossa nova of Gypsophile, and the Finnish synth lounge of Cessna.
