2024 Round Up and 2025 Preview....
Hey Everyone,
It has been a long time since I did a blog post! And the truth is, it has been quite hard to write one, because events have progressed at such a rapid pace that by the time I am ready to write about any single thing, that thing had flown past and I am left behind the curve, thinking "oh, well, better write about the other things" which then also arrive double time and fly past!
So with this one, I am going to touch on a whole bunch of things in a sort of random manner as I think of them, from events of 2024, to plans for 2025, to new releases and all sorts.
Let's jump right in with a belated thank you to everyone who supported us in 2024, and really, to everyone who has supported us since we started, but especially in the last few years where things have gone...well...mental lol. It's only when I step back and look at everything that I realise how amazing the growth of the label has been.
Most of the long term Kniteforce fans will know this, but we moved back to the UK from the USA at end of 2020 / January 2021.At that time, we rented a house, and had a single garage which we split in two, half for my studio, half for stock of the label. We had taken on a few other labels for pressing and were just finding our feet after moving the label and our lives back to the UK. We decided to go all in on the record label, to see if we could make it work as a real, full time job. It was scary, a big gamble, because being self employed always is, especially in an industry as volatile as the music industy.
And unbeknownst to us, it was about to get much more difficult than usual....Covid was already doing its thing, and the knock on effect would be that pressing vinyl was about to be really difficult and hit with huge delays...there were a lot of challenges, basically.
Despite the difficulties, since 2021, the business doubled in size roughly every 6 months, with me running behind it going "ah! AGGH! Ahhh!" and making other amusing panicked noises lol.
Aside from the loyalty and support of the customers - the bedrock upon which everything rested, and will always rest - the insane growth of the business was largely due to the amazing support of the people around me. Artists such as Ray Keith, Nookie, Acen, The House Crew, and many, many others honouring me with their trust when it came to represses, alongside all the many loyal Kniteforce artists making incredible music and being available for remix work and artwork and promotion - basically helping in every aspect of the business. Combining that with my close friends in the Kniteforce Council, things progressed at a ridiculous pace.
My wife, Cindy, joined the business in 2021, and immediately streamlined all the postage systems and various other things that I was...well...a bit crap at, honestly. We all have our talents, and "online systems and organisation" is not one of mine. I am, after all, a 51 year old man that has never successfully managed to set up gmail, lol.
Likewise, other aspects of the business such as the KF radio and social media, and all the inhouse artwork and videos, were taken on by Glyn and Paul respectively. Meanwhile, John Zero worked and improved the website and merchandise...basically, everyone involved rose to the challenges brilliantly and I couldn't be more grateful.
Things moved fast after that...In 2022, we moved home again as we needed more space, to a place with a double garage and a loft for the studio. The double garage quickly filled with records, and Cindy and I spent a large amount of time packing orders and managing stock while also managing all the other aspects of the business, and of course, our home life and our children. It was...a lot. Even with all the help from our friends, it was a lot.
To add the the mania, we moved to that house one week before our first ever event: Knite Club 1, which we did at Scala in London in 2022. This was, of course, an idiotic idea - no one does their first event at a club the size of Scala. But idiotic ideas have always been my forte lol, so we did it, and against even my own expectations, it was an epic success.
By early 2023, we got the news that our much loved distributor, Unearthed, was closing doors. This was disappointing, but at this point, we were pressing so many labels that we figured we might as well do our own distribution. And it was a vry small step to decide that, in that case, we might as well do it for other people as well.
Once again, we were blessed in this frankly ridiculous venture with the support of some of the best in the industry - AKO Beatz, Infrared, Deep Jungle, Straight Up Breakbeat, Blueskin Badger, Good 2 Go and others trusted us to take on the new roll, and we went for it with the same blind enthusiasm we always bring to such things! And so far, its been brilliant!
We followed Knite Club 1 with Knite Club 2 in September of 2023, and again it was a fantasic event, if I say so myself, which I do lol.
And by mid 2024, our house and garage and spare room were all filled with records form our label and others, and we were also renting another garage space for overflow...and it had gotten a bit much, to be honest. It was time to find a premises. And what do you know, the one we found had a shop front! Hooray, we can have a shop...but...we also need help - it was too much for Cindy and I to do it. So we needed to bring on staff....well, more stadff actually, once you included Glyn and Paul and John.
So here we are, starting 2025, with a large (ish) warehouse, an actual brick and mortar shop, Knite Club 4 for later in the year, and a huge range of new releases planned and in process....and somehow the business now has EIGHT people working for it, including those already mentioned, but also Adam who is now working in the warehouse and packing orders amongst other jobs, Jamie who has started work in the shop, and Nigel who handles all our American orders.
Quite often, as I open up each day at the store and warehouse, I look up and the KF sign and I think "what the fuck? this is so weird and awesome" lol...Then I go in, greet Adam and Cindy, and get to work hassling John, Glyn, and Paul for things while planning upcoming stuff.
Which brings me neatly to the bit you were probably only here for lol - We finally get to talk about what is coming...I think the best way is if I do a heading, then I will write a bit, then post a bunch of artwork...
THESE THINGS ARE DEFINITELY HAPPENING (AND HAVE AN ETA):
After reaching a deal with our old pressing plant, we have received most of our metalwork back, allowing us to do represses of our old catalogue. Some of those you will have seen have gone on sale already. But we are expecting a further 15 titles to arrive in January, including represses from The House Crew, Sublove, Neuromancer, Pete Cannon, and more.
30th Of January we have a HUGE release from Micky Finn and Vital Elements - a triple pack album with a specially made and totally unique plastic sleeve and a USB. This is a huge deal and I cannot wait for you to see and hear this one!
Not only that, we are celebrating this release with a party at our store, with discounts, exclusive releases, represses, and Djs and all around good vibes.
Plus, it will be the place to get this wicked album first, and we have 25 copies available in color vinyl, that come with a slipmat, USB, and signed certificate....all at the shop on the 25th January:
We have limited space, so if you are thinking about coming, I advise you grab a ticket. IUts free, but it reserves you a place:
WAREHOUSE DAYS TICKETS
Also in January we have:
New releases scheduled on Guidance from Mshcode, and some much sought after represses of some early Bay B Kane EP, including the Bay B Kane EP and The Return of Bay B Kane EP
Some of the Messiah 12" EPs will be made available (very limited numbers)
Two new EPs On Remix Records, from Dwarde and Ben Venom
The Bad Onion and Jimmy J & Cru-l-t remixes of Bang! - Shooting Star
THESE THINGS ARE DEFINITELY HAPPENING (AND WE DONT KNOW WHEN BUT SOONISH, LIKELY FEBRUARY):
A new 10" from Jimmy J & Cru-l-t
A new double album from Swankout (which should be available for the party on the 25th Jan)
A new double album from Stu Keating, plus USB and CD (which should be available for the party on the 25th Jan)
The release of the rest of the Messiah Singles (very limited numbers)
February 15th we are going to be at Black Gold in Bristol, which will also be when we release a repress of 2-X-Treme - The Xtremity EP. This has been remastered and is all 4 tracks!
We will also be expecting these epic releases, and hope to have them for Black Gold as well...The first two Automation EPs, which are part of an overall deal to repress all their back catalogue, with new remixes coming as well, and A brand new N4 EP from Pete Cannon, alongside represses of the first three.
New NTN Eps from Wislov and Dj Patience
New KFW album from Sub Fundation
New EP from XBass on Ruff Guidance
Direct remastered represses of the four Jimmy J & Cru-l-t singles on Remix Records, alongside an EP of rebuilds of Take Me Away, Six Days, and Runaway. Available in a limited edition set, or as singles...
THESE THINGS ARE LIKELY END OF FEBRUARY OR IN MARCH
New EPs from Birchy, Alex Jungle, Dj Koncept, Dj Stephano, NickyNutz and more from Out of Romford, Bad Onion, and so on....frankly, there is so much that I am bound to miss out some people...
THESE THINGS ARE DEFINITELY HAPPENING (WAITING TO BE CUT BUT STILL CONFIRMED):
And AMAZING gatefold double album, and new singles from The Criminal Minds - absolutely mindblowing stuff!
New music from Acen
Represses on the whole back catalogue, plus new remixes, from the absolute legend that is Nicky Blackmarket. This is a deal I am super excited about, but have kept quiet about it....until now! Whoop!
New music, and special edition represses from Hyper On Experience, including the entire catalogue, and a few much sought after other classics to be recut (or cut) for the first time.
The first few EPs in the Move-E Series Volume 2, and you are gonna be like "WHAT!!!!???" haha....
Represses on the older KF "remixes" series - parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, again, available as singles, or as a set.
There are also a huge number of other exciting deals in the works, where I am just waiting to get contracts sorted out before I can really start hyping them.
Now, a few of you may read this and be like "thats WAY too much" and yes, it is...but I will schedule all of this so that its not impossible for either you guys to buy, or for me to press haha! All the release dates (other than the the Micky Finn & Vital Elements, and 2-X-Treme releases) are "this is a guess". I have nop idea of exactly what will arrive when....
And thats my blog for today. I had no idea how it was going to come out, or what I was going to write about...but I think it serves pretty well as a "this is where we were, where we are, and what to expect in 2025.
And I didn't even mention the idea we have for revolutionising the way people buy vinyl and overcoming the issues with international postage since Brexit....yeah....busy busy....
In the end, the bottom line is, the label has grown, but the attitude remains the same: We want to do exciting, innovative and awesome things, and we will stride into 2025 with plans to do exactly that!
Big ups to everyone who has read this, and everyone who has supported us so far - I think it's going to be a very exciting and interesting year!
Nice one,
Chris