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The Cartel

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Distributor's profile

Name: The Cartel
Country: United Kingdom
Start Date: 1982
Close Date: 1991

The Cartel (commonly written as 'the Cartel' without capitalization of the definite article) was an organization founded by several regional, independent record shops and/or distributors to distribute into independent record shops. By the beginning of the 1990s, Red Rhino, Fast Forward, and Rough Trade had all folded, followed by the collapse of the Cartel.

The members were Backs (Norwich), Fast Forward (Edinburgh), Nine Mile (Leamington Spa), Probe (Liverpool), Revolver (Bristol), Red Rhino Records (York) and Rough Trade (London). Several of these had existing 'house' labels, such as Backs Records, Probe Plus (Probe), Recreational Records (Revolver), Red Rhino Records, and Rough Trade Records, which The Cartel distributed. Many records distributed through the Cartel also identify a regional member, e.g. "Nine Mile / Cartel."

By the beginning of the 1990s, Red Rhino, Fast Forward, and Rough Trade had all folded, followed by the Cartel's collapse.