Slowly, a sort of defining aesthetic has emerged: Failure is more interesting than success. If history is written by the winners, Numero tells the stories of the beautiful losers. In doing so, the label has sketched an alternate historical narrative. At the very least, a stroll through the Numero catalog is confirmation that cream does not always rise to the top. Bad business decisions, fickle audiences, polarizing personalities, and shitty luck trump talent nearly every time. Numero’s work stands as a corrective to the callousness of pop-music history: Maybe they couldn’t turn Capsoul into Motown, but they could ensure it wouldn’t be forgotten forever.
David Peisner about the wonderful reissue-label “Numero” (Spin 9/27/2012)
