Between the late 1970s and the present, there has been an important shift in the evolution of alternative culture. This transition, from subculture (Hebdige, 1979) to post-subculture (Thornton, 1995), has yet to be comprehensively understood by cultural discourse or applied practically as a method for cultural production. To this end, the present study is concerned with designing a post-subcultural entity and critiquing it. The present study’s primary question is: how does post-subcultural discourse factor in the design of an independent record label? An independent record label is a suitable place to find cultural activity, operating in relation to both mainstream and alternative culture. More importantly, the independent record label performs as a well-poised, concentrated and pertinent social organisation, populated by an already enmeshed network of consumers, producers and participants, which is what makes it such a complimentary situation to conduct an investigation into post-subcultural discourse. This study fleshes out previous notions of post-subculture by designing an independent record label, developing it as an active post-subcultural organisation and studying its relationship with the culture industry, something which until now has never been attempted as an academic study.
