About Us
Split-Notes is an online music label. Our netlabel focuses on microtonal music. We wish to promote artists who are using microtonal techniques in contemporary styles such as electronic music, rock, dance music, hip hop, or basically anything with a good beat on it. This is a lovely niche which has not yet had its time to shine.
Our earliest releases include some fine dub, drum&bass, folk and pop music, plus various styles of electronic and acoustic music on our first compilation. The actual genres aren't important, but it's good to know that over time we're hitting more and more styles, combining the distinctive microtonal sound with today's music in a way that is entertaining to listen to.
As a side goal, we'd like to encourage musicians to try microtonal composition themselves.
Many artists have released their music on our label already.
What is microtonal? Why microtonal?
Microtonal music is music which uses pitches that are not in the Western 12 tone system (also known as 12-tet). 12-tet is but one of an infinite amount of scales musicians can use. With those 12 notes you get a good amount of melodies, harmonies and emotions, but only a limited amount of them.
To truly create a new mood or express a profoundly different emotion, you are going to need microtones. Microtones are the notes which don't appear on a piano. They provide the new intervals that the brain perceives as a mood or feel. In a world dominated by 12-tet, many listeners are welcoming the new feelings offered by microtones.
It is our belief that popular music of all kinds would get a quirky new second life if we used these techniques. While some musicians are working towards this goal, many listeners are unable to find their work. Why so? Microtonal music has its own dark history of avant-garde and classical use which overshadows the funky side! For many people it's hard to enjoy and impossible to nod your head to. We absolutely avoid this kind of music.
Split-Notes was created to trailblaze a funkier kind of microtonality.
Why free?
Simply because we can. This label runs on the tiny budget of a university student's pocket, no problems.
This means that you can expand your mp3 player with some exciting and unique-sounding tunes for free - even make copies legally, which is good for everyone.
Contact
Sean Archibald is the curator of Split-Notes Microtonal Netlabel. Any questions and comments can be emailed to him at 
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