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Prophecy Productions is a German record label located in Zeltingen-Rachtig, founded by Martin Koller in 1996. It proclaims being a "label for eerie emotional music",〔(Prophecy Productions homepage ). Retrieved 2010-07-13.〕 which roughly comprises artists with a dark metal, black metal, or neofolk background, but a unique and unconventional approach to music. == History == Since 1993, Martin Koller used the moniker Prophecy for his small, self-operated mail-order business. According to him, the actual birth of Prophecy Productions as a label was the release of the album ''A Wintersunset...'' by Empyrium. While this record was intended to be the sole release under the name of Prophecy, the success of it encouraged Koller to continue the label.〔metal.de: (Article on occasion of Prophecy's tenth anniversary ) (in German). Retrieved 2010-07-13.〕 Even in the early days, it was obvious that Prophecy took interest in single musicians' entire work and that some of the label's artists felt attached the label. In 1998, for example, Autumnblaze were signed, a new band with musicians from Paragon of Beauty, as well as Sun Of The Sleepless, the side project of Markus Stock from Empyrium. Throughout Prophecy's history, there are many more collaborations of that kind between the label and new projects or bands. Also in 1998, the place of business was moved from Wittlich to nearby Zeltingen-Rachtig,〔volksfreund.de: ("Geburtstag in der 'Plattenfirma'" from Trierischer Volksfreund ) (in German). Retrieved 2010-07-13.〕 and a long-term cooperation was decided on with Markus Stock and his recording studio Klangschmiede Studio E to ensure a continuous high standard for Prophecy's music productions. In the same year, Prophecy put out ''Hallavedet'', the first official release by progressive Folk band Tenhi. The Finnish group quickly became one of the most popular artists on Prophecy and is currently (as of December 2014) still signed to the label. In 1999, Prophecy announced contracts with the established and renowned bands In the Woods... and Bethlehem. Those were two A&R-coups which put significantly more attention on the label and heightened its status. The next groundbreaking signing was that of Dornenreich in 2000, whose label-debut ''Her von welken Nächten'' (2001) ranks amongst the most successful releases in Prophecy's history.〔The album has been awarded with an Impala Silver Award in 2012, see vut.de: (Impala Sales Award-Preisträger 2012 ) (in German). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 Likewise, Dornenreich have stayed loyal ever since and belong to the label's figureheads. The year 2002 saw Prophecy emerge as a book publisher as well, the first release being the German translation of the book ''Lords of Chaos'' by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind. In 2005, they released the book ''Looking for Europe'', a history of apocalyptic folk by Andreas Diesel and Dieter Gerten. In the meantime, Index Verlag continues the book-publishing business. In 2003, The Vision Bleak were signed, who have played a major role in the label's history. For their debut ''The Deathship Has a New Captain'', Prophecy succeeded in convincing renowned German actor and voice actor Otto Mellies of a collaboration. The band's second album ''Carpathia - A Dramatic Poem'' became one of the biggest sellers for the label.〔 With their third record ''The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey'', the group entered German Media Control charts for the first time.〔musicline.de: (Chart trace The Vision Bleak ) (in German). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 The following albums Set Sail to Mystery and ''Witching Hour'' did this as well. In 2007, Alcest were signed, who developed into Prophecy's most successful band as years went by. Alcest's ambitious fourth album Shelter was recorded on Iceland with Sigur Rós' producer Birgir Jón Birgisson and features Neil Halstead, leader of Shoegazing-veterans Slowdive, as guest musician. ''Shelter'' marks the so-far highest chart entry of a Prophecy-artist (as of Dezember 2014).〔musicline.de: (Chart trace Alcest ) (in German). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 Amongst multiple entries in Germany, USA, Finland and Norway,〔en.prophecy.de: (Chart successes of Prophecy releases ). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 Alcest are the only band on the label who not only tour Europe and North America, but also South America, Asia and Australia. Alcest belong to the most prominent representers of Shoegaze metal. Due to their ongoing work with Alcest and groups such as Les Discrets or Lantlôs, Prophecy play a crucial role in this scene. 2010 saw the release of the compilation ''Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings'' on Prophecy's sublabel Auerbach Tonträger as a double album putting together many established and new artists from the field of nature-related Folk music with exclusive songs. This sampler also announced the reunion of Empyrium, who were on temporary hiatus, in the shape of the track ''The Days Before the Fall''. Eventually, Empyrium put Prophecy into public awareness for the first time due to the label's economic success: In 2011, it was awarded with the so-called Silver Award by European independent label association IMPALA for the first three Empyrium-albums, meaning that they have sold 20.000 copies within Europe each.〔impalamusic.org: (IMPALA announces Europe's best selling independent artists ). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 One year later, Prophecy also received Impala Silver Awards for albums by Dornenreich, The Vision Bleak, Alcest and Sol Invictus.〔vut.de: (Impala Sales Award-Preisträger 2012 ) (in German). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 2014 was the first time Prophecy were featured with two releases simultaneously in the Media Control charts: Empyrium's ''The Turn of the Tides'' and ''1994 - 2014'', a vinyl boxset.〔en.prophecy.de: (Empyrium: Double chart entry for "The Turn Of The Tides" and "1994 – 2014" in Germany ). Retrieved 2014-12-05.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Prophecy Productions」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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