There's been much debate over what exactly constitutes something as 'underground'. Some say only tape labels can be called underground, others say record labels can too. Some equate 'indie' with 'mainstream', even if it's not really, lumping all indies together with majors just cos they release records and not DIY tapes, and I don't think this is entirely fair. I've said some of what follows before, but there are a few points I feel I need to clarify.

Sure, the bigger, business-orientated independent labels, and of course the major label run 'fake indies' can be lumped in with the majors as the way they operate is similar, but what about the tiny indie labels whose ideologies are no different to that of tape labels (ie putting music before profits; only releasing things that they like, regardless of whether they're fashionable; not having contracts with bands; no concern with being famous; recommending other labels in their zines/newsletters, etc), who release very small runs of 7" singles with cheaply printed or photocopied sleeves, and who write handwritten, personalised letters to people who buy the records by mail-order. Like most people who are aware of such labels (not everybody is aware of them), if I had to compare them to underground tape labels or to the mainstream, I'd say they had much more in common with the former. Many of them even consider themselves to be underground. 'Underground' doesn't always have to mean tape labels, it's a spirit, a belief, a way of life, which some vinyl labels have too. Basically, anything that's not famous can be called underground if it has the right ethics.

I agree to some extent with the idea that independent labels have to be sure that their releases are going to sell, though on more of a minority level than majors, as their money is tied up in their releases, but this doesn't make the really small indies who press 500 or even 1000 7" singles on a par with Sony or EMI does it? These labels are prepared to put their money where their mouth is, to take risks, all out of the LOVE of the music. Some probably lose money but don't care, it's the music that matters, this is not a commercial thing. OK, so selling 500 copies of a 7" is more than most tape labels sell, but that sort of quantity can't be called mainstream, can it? And what about the labels that only press 100 records because the music they release is so obscure that they know they'll never be able to shift any more than that? There are less of those labels around but they do exist. Also, there are lots of overlaps with small indie labels and tape labels, for example bands with records out on indie labels often let tape labels use their songs too; some small indie labels release DIY cassettes as well as records; and music on many indie labels doesn't conform to traditional views of what is mainstream - eg lo-fi bedroom pop or experimental noise. You won't get majors releasing this kind of stuff, whereas I can't think of any style of music that tape labels specialise in that isn't released on indie labels too.

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