Label focus – Steel City Dance Discs

We glimpse into the world of Steel City Dance Discs, run by four best friends from Newcastle, Australia…

Steel City Dance Discs has picked up an international following a genre-fluid aesthetic that, in their own words, takes them “from house to gabber” and back again.

Their current release, ‘Room Full of Rothko’ is their 20th to date and sees Mall Grab return to the fray having kicked off the label with its very first release. Out on December 18, it’s uplifting house in its most euphoric form – simple but effective piano chords, subtle filtering and the kind of chunky beats that you’ll find very, very hard to resist. We asked the group to give us a little glimpse into their world….

WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LABEL, AND WHO RUNS IT?
Steel City Dance Discs, run by four best friends from Newcastle, Australia.

WHEN & WHY DID THE LABEL START?
The label formed in 2016 around the impatience of wanting to release our own music and that of others we had heard and thought that needed to be on a record. The inability to keep still also played a big part in starting it. We connected through skateboarding – before S.C.D.D. it was skate videos and clothing labels. We’ve always had that itch for making things.

GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’VE RELEASED SINCE THEN….
From house to gabber, there’s no bracket for our racket. We’ve had records and remixes from Mall Grab, Nite Fleit, Loods, object blue, Mesmé, Maruwa, Skin On Skin, X-Coast, LB aka LABAT, Viers, StacEmp, Dagga, DJ Haus, Jasper James, Gerd Janson, JP Sunshine, Aloka, Salary Boy, Jun Kamoda, Deejay Astral, Philco, Suicide Apparatus, B.Catt and our own S.C.D.D. Hazmat Team.

WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE MUSIC YOU RELEASE?
Energy.

WHAT KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY DOES THE LABEL HAVE (ARTWORK, VIDEOS ETC)?
Rough n’ ready. We play it loud and make it loud.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SELLING RELEASE TO DATE? TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHY YOU THINK IT WAS SO POPULAR.
Our most popular releases have been Skin On Skin, Loods and Maruwa – and rightly so. They’re beautiful people who make exceptional music with a lot of love for their craft.

NAME ONE RELEASE THAT YOU THINK DESERVED TO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN IT DID
Jun Kamoda’s Volume 5 disc is one of our most overlooked, but also one of our personal favourites. It’s such a happy and playful release.

IF YOU COULD SIGN ANY ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Spi Derman from Manchester – his stuff has always had us bouncing off the walls.

WHICH OTHER LABELS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?
Bloody Fist Records – One of a kind. A label from our hometown that did it very well. The whole catalogue is sick, both sound and graphic-wise.
Headstrong – the soundtracks to our household.
Stay On Sight – Skin On Skin’s fresh label.
Planet Euphorique – proof from D. Tiffany that another advanced lifeform exists out there.
Hooversound Recordings – High-energy essentials from Sherelle and Naina.
Pure Space – Andy Garvey’s ear for the weird and wonderful.
Recreational Sounds – S.C.D.D. family member Loods’ new do! Very excited to see more on this front.
Looking For Trouble – Jordy’s lovechild. An outlet for his own projects under the monikers of both Mall Grab and Jordon Alexander.