Label Focus – Rekids
From Joe Clausell to Robert Hood, the Rekids are alright
WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LABEL, AND WHO RUNS IT?
The main label is Rekids, and Leon Oakey and I release music here and on our techno offshoot, RSPX.
WHEN & WHY DID THE LABEL START?
I started the label in the summer of 2006.
I’d already established myself as a remixer and producer, having released singles on Classic and an album on Soul Jazz so it seemed like the next step.
I’ve always been a total fanboy of electronic music, so getting to sign music from my heroes has always been a dream. By the mid-2000s, I was getting to meet many of these artists when I started touring, so it all came together nicely.
GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’VE RELEASED SINCE THEN….
The aim is/was to release quality dancefloor club music and within a few years of launching we had some big records like Dubfire’s remix of ‘Grindhouse’ (by Radio Slave). From there we signed Nina Kraviz and released her debut LP. Over the last ten years, we’ve had albums from Joe Claussell to Robert Hood, and right now, I feel that Rekids is having a great run of brilliant releases.
WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE MUSIC YOU RELEASE?
Ultimately I want to sign music that would work in my sets and this can be incredibly broad as I play everything from disco to techno.
I also look for artists that have a unique sound and that are also doing this for the right reasons.
I’ve made some terrible decisions in the past with the label but I don’t let these things happen anymore and I only want to work with good people.
WHAT KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY DOES THE LABEL HAVE (ARTWORK, VIDEOS ETC) ?
My background is in graphic design and fine art, and my late father was a typographer, so I’ve always been very hands-on with the label’s look.
In fact I found the font we use for the Rekids logo in an old type book from Chicago that dad had at home and so many of the ideas and references are definitely from my childhood.
We also work very closely with the designer Paul Jeffrey, who is a joy to work with as he definitely understands my vision for the label.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SELLING RELEASE TO DATE? TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHY YOU THINK IT WAS SO POPULAR.
The biggest selling record has probably been ‘Grindhouse’ but now, with streaming, it’s hard to tell as Rekids has such an extensive back catalogue and some of the older artists we work with stream incredibly well.
When we released Ali’s (Shirazinia – Dubfire) remix of ‘Grindhouse’ I think we sold well over 20,000 copies on vinyl. It was still in those days when you would have a track from the Miami Winter Music Conference that would blow up or the record of the summer from Ibiza.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen today, but older music is always available, so sometimes an older track can blow up.
NAME ONE RELEASE THAT YOU THINK DESERVED TO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN IT DID
That’s a great question, as it all deserves more attention. We’re constantly bombarded with noise and told what’s hot and what’s not.
I really feel that for anyone trying to sell music, Leon and I are constantly working on new ways to help promote the artists and releases.
We also work very closely with Dean Muhsin at Dispersion PR, and having a good team is paramount in making sure your music gets heard. It is times like this when electronic music is ultimately so commercial that I want to fight back and shout as loud as I can about what’s actually worth listening to.
IF YOU COULD SIGN ANY ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
There’s still so many artists I’d love to sign to Rekids. Some of these are young and some are veterans and this has always been the ethos of Rekids: having the right balance between the new wave and the older artists who deserve to be heard.
I was so lucky to release an EP from the late great Phil Asher.
He was a friend who really took me under his wing when I was in my late 20s. He’d often stay at my house in Brighton and to me, he’s the unsung hero of UK house music and was an incredible beat maker.
WHICH OTHER LABELS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?
There’s so many but for club tracks I’m really digging the French label Bunkaball and Lady Tazz’s Mind Medizin and for more leftfield sounds I’ve always admired Apron Records.
Steven Julien’s label is so good, and it’s great to see and hear an artist build and forge his own identity with a label. It’s what having a label should be all about.
WHAT CAN WE LOOK TO FROM YOUR LABEL NEXT?
At the moment I’m receiving so many cool demos from some great new and unknown young artists, so there’s loads of good music coming.
To buy your copy pf Hilit Kolet’s ’Snap Talk’ on Rekids, click here