Local label Harbour Records is celebrating a decade of indie

It wouldn't be too much of an overstatement to say local independent music label Harbour Records is a legend in Hong Kong. Here's some evidence to back that up: one of its founders belonged to an influential underground band in the 1990s, it helped launch the city's most successful indie outfit, and the label is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The main acts on Harbour's roster include My Little Airport, False Alarm and 22Cats.

While the label's expertise covers music production, design, filmmaking and promotion, it operates more like a commune. Everyone is treated as an equal and everybody pitches in when albums are released or live shows are being organised.

After more than 20 releases and countless shows over the past decade, Harbour has achieved something quite unique in Hong Kong. Kwan King-chung, one of its founders and a former member of indie pop band AMK, says the main lesson he has learned from the experience is not to treat making music as running a business.

He describes the spirit of Harbour Records as a group of friends "playing while working, and working while playing". He compares the experience to hiking, an activity that brings the entire label together every year.

"The longer you go, the more you realise what you can achieve and the deeper you know each other," he says. "And we don't forget why we started the label in the first place."

While the label's first release was All the Good People Will Shine from 22Cats, the defining moment at Harbour Records came with the release of twee pop duo My Little Airport's debut album, The OK Thing to do on a Sunday Afternoon is to Toddle in the Zoo, in the summer of 2004.