With the edition of the fanzine “La Línea Del Arco” in 1989, Luis Calvo started a journey that has proved to be terribly influent in the process of development of the Spanish music at the end of the last century and the beginning of the new one. From recording cassette tapes he passed on to release his first vinyl singles, with a definite internationalist vocation from the beginning, and very soon he began to shelter as well some of the best bands in the new, upcoming Spanish scene, shaping a brilliant catalogue formed by bands from all over the world and of very different musical styles, with an only common link: a passion for music. The organization of the legendary (in Spain, of course) Noise Pop 92 Tour (seminal bands as USURA, EL REGALO DE SILVIA, PENELOPE TRIP and BACH IS DEAD -seed of BEEF- on the same bill throughout all our country) helped to call some attention over a scene which was then beginning to shine with its own light, as an answer to the ordinariness and bourgeoisie of the Spanish music in the late eighties.

From then on, Elefant Records became an unavoidable reference when it was about feeling the pulse of the current state of music in our country, participating in such necessary -and risky- enterprises as Spiral monthly magazine, the initial launching of the Acuarela label or the organization and coordination of the first two editions (95/96) of Benicàssim International Festival. Luis Calvo also organized gigs and DJ'd during the first four years of the existence of Maravillas Club. This club was crucial as it was fhe first indie-pop-oriented club in Madrid. As Elefant we have also organized many Spanish dates for foreign bands: for example, we were the first who brought over to Spain such acts as STEREOLAB or THE PASTELS.

Luis also hosted for more than ten years a nationwide radioshow called “Viaje a los Sueños Polares”, alongside with Joako Ezpeleta. This show was broadcasted through 40 Principales, Spanish largest and most important radio network. “Viaje a los Sueños Polares” had also a TV version, shown on 40 TV.

But not only in Spain you can follow the footmark of the pachyderm: above mentioned internationalist vocation has brought us, for example, to shelter a handful of French bands under our fold, attracted by the advantages of being with a label which doesn’t reduce its efforts in promoting its bands in just one territory. Our best achievement in this sense was the worldwide success of Paris-based band SPRING, whose albums were licenced from us to Bungalow -for Europe- and March Records on the States. They got loads of media coverage in the UK and were huge in many countries.

Elefant Records’ expansion from the old times of USURA and LA SÍNTESIS has brought the label to an increasing international progression, reflected in the release in Japan and other countries -and with great feedback from the public- of many records from our catalogue. We have managed to make Elefant a very well-known name for all-pop addicts in the country of the rising sun, and in fact we could check this ourselves when we went to Japan for a few shows and Elefant parties organized by Expo Aichi 2005 in several clubs and venues in Tokyo's Shibuya district. Our music is also well known in other Asian countries like Taiwan or South Korea, where many of our records are released and distributed. In the United States, March Records released SPRING’s “The last goodbye”, and Grimsey Records has released almost the complete LE MANS discography, plus ANA D’s debut album. We are also starting to make our way through Latin America: in Argentina, Indice Virgen released compilations with the best of LE MANS and ANA D; Suave released Elefant music in Mexico, and some compilations and records have been released in Peru and other countries.

The aim which has always driven our trajectory isn’t but the unconditional help to any spontaneous, original musical manifestation, helping to consolidate an alternative, less commercial circuit in our country with a varied, selected, very intuitive judgment. Not everybody can proudly affirm that their passion for pop music has brought them to discover LE MANS, LOS PLANETAS, FAMILY or AUTOMATICS, retrieve NOSOTRÄSH, BEEF, PATRULLERO MANCUSO or PRIBATA IDAHO, and shelter legendary bands as VAINICA DOBLE, LOS FLECHAZOS or CARLOS BERLANGA, to name but a few, not mentioning the exclusive releases of such giants as GO-KART MOZART, FLY (both bands with ex-FELT members within its ranks), MOMUS, TREMBLING BLUE STARS, MARINE RESEARCH, HEAVENLY, FUTURE BIBLE HEROES, THE POSIES, BMX BANDITS, BIRDIE and DAMON AND NAOMI, on a personal and truly independent label where every step in the process of gestation of the records is followed from near with love and care. A prove of this was the launching of our Singles Club, in an attempt -more romantic than commercial- to preserve this dearly loved format, for which we have had such illustrious collaborators as THE FRANK AND WALTERS, QUICKSPACE, CINERAMA, SALAKO, GONZALES, LADYBUG TRANSISTOR, MOGUL, SING-SING, BRIAN, ISAN, THE CLIENTELE, LAMBCHOP, FUGU, GODSTAR, JACK and many others.

On the other hand, our curiosity and interest for the latest trends in dance music and the riskiest sounds of the moment did inevitably end in the creation of the sublabel Stereophonic Elefant Dance Recordings, with which we eagerly joined the attempt to consolidate club culture in our country. Its first references sheltered the more frequent each time dance escapades by SPRING and LE MANS, as well as the coherent, faultless evolution of SILVANIA. Subsequent releases weren’t limited anymore to bands coming from Elefant Records, but were exclusive signings to Stereophonic Elefant Dance Recordings: we’re talking about French act "RINÔÇÉRÔSE" -discovered by Elefant and now world famous- plus many Spanish electronic outfits such as PROZACK, HD SUBSTANCE, MELL ALLEN and WONG.

1999 was a very special year for Elefant, as it meant our tenth anniversary. To celebrate it, we held several parties with live appearances of some of our new signings: VACACIONES, LA CASA AZUL, NIZA, LA PEQUEÑA SUIZA, LA MONJA ENANA, GASCA, JUNIPER MOON, ME ENVENENO DE AZULES or LES TRES BIEN ENSEMBLE, young new outfits which brought tons of fresh air to Spanish indiedom. Some of them grew to become the most important bands in Spanish indie-pop, and even threatened to conquer the rest of the world! We started the year 2000 with the excellent news that LA MONJA ENANA was chosen as single of the week in UK’s Melody Maker. Probably the first time a Spanish single was honoured that way. Besides, JUNIPER MOON was reviewed in NME and was on heavy rotation on Steve Lamacq’s show at the BBC, and later on had the honour to be the only Spanish band to be featured on the "Indiepop 1" compilation, selected by the influential Rough Trade shops, sharing space with PRIMAL SCREAM, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN or THE MAGNETIC FIELDS.

Lately, Elefant has become the record label from which some very important bands in international indie-pop release their records and send them all over the world. We're talking about TREMBLING BLUE STARS (ex FIELD MICE) OR CAMERA OBSCURA; and we have also sheltered the new projects of old companions like COOPER (the new project by Alejandro Díez from LOS FLECHAZOS) or the new songs by SINGLE (Teresa from LE MANS, with the unvaluable help of Ibon Errazkin, who's also releasing his solo albums on Elefant).

This is a very brief summary of all our activities throughout all these more than fifteen years of hyperactivity. We are currently working on a full-detail, year by year Elefant history, to be here pretty soon. Please check our news and new releases sections to know what we are up to nowadays.