Having spent over 20 years spearheading his own self-sufficient alternative music industry, Mancunian-born Andy Votel came from an era of record collecting and DJ’ing that had more in common with scrap metal haulage than expensive trophy chasing.

Spending his early teens making “music” with crudely modified old vinyl LPs, kitchen utensils  and cassette tape loops his continued search for discarded noise lead him to run one of the most respected vinyl re-issue labels in the world (Finders Keepers) and be involved in over 250 record releases covering every aspect in making, breaking and mistaking experimental pop music.

As an international DJ, recording Artist, Designer, producer, writer, compiler, detective and presenter his un-blinkered appreciation and promotion of musical lost-property crosses multiple genres and language barriers (Turkish, Iranian, Spanish, Welsh etc) and has resulted in a constantly mutating career transcending wide pop-cultural circles such as psych, mod-culture, experimental, hip-hop, jazz, ambient, cinematic  winning him unanimous respect in the process. Responsible for Exposing the likes of Selda Bacgan, Jean-Claude Vannier and Bruno Spoerri to global appreciation, founding polar-opposite independent labels with Demdike Stare, Jane Weaver (Pre-Cert) and Badly Drawn Boy (Twisted Nerve),  providing sleeve artwork for David Holmes and Gilles Peterson, curating events with Jarvis Cocker and countless festivals, regularly presenting radio shows for Stuart Maconie and the BBC,  providing sample sources for the likes of Mos Def, Timbaland and Erykah Badu, remixing artists like Ian Brown, The Avalanches, Quannum and Tim Burgess , co-writing music with Gruff Rhys and Andrzej Korzynski, performing live with Suzanne Ciani and DJ’ing with Gaslamp Killer, Edan, Broadcast, Belle & Sebastian, Cut Chemist and at least half the aforementioned be they willing and able…

Votel, with support of label partner Doug Shipton and their global “B-Music” community packs more multi-task mayhem into a day at the office than most other workaholics can write on their wipeable calendars.