Bleak Netlabel
Founded in 2007 by Bernhard Hansbauer of Laxenburg, Austria, Bleak is an independent label dedicated to music beyond the mainstream, releasing digital and physical editions, documenting underground culture through its Journal, curating themed special editions and operating Bleak Radio, a 24/7 streaming station.
Bleak is interested in atmosphere, originality and artistic integrity. The catalogue ranges from industrial, darkwave and experimental electronics to ambient, post-industrial and other forms of alternative music that deserve to remain accessible beyond trends and algorithms.
Alongside new releases, Bleak preserves a growing archive of out-of-print recordings, free downloads and historical material. The label also supports concerts, live events and collaborations within the international underground scene.
Bleak released as downloads CA's This Is Not Your Shape (and also a limited-edition CD of the album), Bad Meditation, Still Hungry (originally released by VOD Records as a vinyl EP),
Ring The Hungry Bell, Agile Business Practices, Laments, and Super Whippy. Bleak was thus responsible for the release of all CA's collections of post-1998 material up to 2017. Bleak's aims and profile made the label a very suitable outlet for CA, though there is a problem with the promotion of digital-only releases.
Bleak largely paused in 2017, after 10 years of operation, due to what Bernhard felt was a significantly changed musical landscape that demanded thought with regard to Bleak’s aims as a label, and the pause turned into a lengthy break. But he is now in the process (September 2026) of reactivating the label, with an artistic remit that will extend beyond music. In July of 2026 he wrote in his Journal entry, “The Return of Bleak”: “It was never about genres, trends or commercial success. It was about releasing music that deserved to exist. Music that challenged expectations, crossed boundaries or simply refused to fit into neat categories. ... We think: every release has a story, every artist belongs to a wider cultural landscape. Every recording is part of an ongoing conversation that stretches across decades of experimental music. That conversation deserves a place.”