Starting life as a club night in London’s West End, Barely Breaking Even made the transition to label when the owner, Peter Adarkwah’s local corner shop decided to sell up and asked his friend if he’d like to use some of the proceeds to “put out a few records”. “Work is love made visible.” - Kahlil Gibran During probably the strangest and most uncertain period the modern music industry has ever faced, the label has weathered crippling storms, enjoyed success beyond reckoning and watched countless contemporaries burn out and fade away. Grown from London’s fertile and eclectic nightlife scene during the late 80’s and early 90s, BBE has been quietly going about the business of fostering and curating soulful music of all shades for two decades now.
