Pitchfork

In his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, Bill Moss will be remembered as a radio personality, school board member, mayoral candidate and civil rights activist. To rare-groove fans, Moss, who died last Tuesday at the age of 69, will always be known as the founder of the short-lived but well-loved independent soul music label Capsoul. During its brief existence in the early 1970s, Capsoul released only a dozen 45s and a single LP, all by local Columbus artists like Marion Black, the Four Mints, and Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr. Despite promising talent and a few regional hits, Moss quickly found himself at odds with an industry he viewed as exploitative and corrupt. After the label folded, Moss lost the master tapes to a flood and brought the remaining stock to a recycling plant to be destroyed.

The Capsoul story would have ended there, had it not been for the thirsty ears of avid collectors and DJs attracted to its releases' raw, quirky sound. (You might recognize Marion Black's "Who Knows" as the backbone of RjD2's "Smoke and Mirrors" on his debut album Deadringer.) The label's discography became highly prized over the years, and in 2004, the Chicago-based reissue imprint Numero Group released a stellar compilation of remastered Capsoul sides entitled Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label. At last, Moss's work would receive the attention (and distribution) it deserved

In a statement issued last week, the Numero Group's founders described Moss as "a remarkably strong and centered man deeply rooted in faith and family, [whose] work as a producer and record entrepreneur stands toe to toe with the finest soul and R&B; of his era...We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend, advisor and source of inspiration. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wonderful family and the community he served and loved so well."