Really long blog about everything we are doing now and planning for the next 6 months or so....
Hello Everyone,
A brief warning, this blog post is basically a book lol. There is a lot to say, so…get a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable!
There has been so much happening that a lot of the smaller but equally exciting things I have wanted to tell you about have gone somewhat under the radar. So this blog post is to bring all those things to the front and let you know of all the upcoming ecites! Some of these are extra details on what you already know, some are things you havent heard about yet! The tough part is how to lay the order of this out? Lets start with Merchandise, then new labels, then some specifics about upcoming releases…
1. Merchandise - Kniteforce, JAL, Hectic, and Acen too…
So yes, it has been a LONG time since we had any real merchandise to hand, other than the few slipmats we had recently. But all that is about to change! We will soon have Tshirts, Hoodies, Record Bags, Slipmats, Mugs, and as its 2020, face masks. You will be able to get all of these with Kniteforce, Remix Records, Just Another Label and Hectic logos.
A few other important things to note: The first is, I have always resisted farming out my merchandise to one of those sites that makes things one at a time, as they are ordered. I like to keep things firmly under my control because in the past I have had issues when letting people outside the label do that stuff. But as it happens, our genius web designer was already running a merchandise business that does exactly that - merchandise to order! So we are going to go through him, which means through us lol...meaning none of the merchandise should ever run out. Things will be made to order and sent to order rather than held in stock, so once the merchandise side of the store opens, it will be a permanent part of our site rather than there being a limited amount of any one item.
The second important thing to note: One of the things that is massively difficult is packing merchandise to send to people. There is simply no good way to calculate the shipping on some combinations, and then also no good way to actually pack, say, a record bag and a t shirt and a record. Or a mug and a slipmat. Or any odd combination.
So while you WILL be able to order records and merchandise in the same order, they WILL NOT come from the same place or be sent in the same package as the records. In other words, if you bought 3 records and a t shirt, the t shirt will be packed and sent from somewhere different to the records, and will arrive at a different time, most likely earlier than the records (with the way the pressing plants are right now ha ha!)\
So yeah, thats quite a big update for the site and the label, so we are going to do our best to have it ready for November 16th, to coincide with the Acen Box Set release and to allow for exclusive Acen merchandise, but no promises because websites will be websites!!!
2. New Labels and Label Updates!
PLEASE NOTE - MOSTLY, THIS IS TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS FROM NOW UNTIL MARCH 2021 AND BEYOND. DO NOT PANIC. THESE ARENT ALL COMING OUT AT ONCE, MANY HAVENT EVEN BEEN SENT TO THE CUT YET!
Infuential:
As we mentioned before, we have some new (err old) labels launching (err relaunching). The first is Influential Records. This is our older jump up d’n’b label, but we are repurposing it for old skool jungle and d’n’b. It will cover styles such as the early Reinforced / X Project / Jungle Techno era, up to the early Ram Records and Helicopter Tune / Omni Trio styled stuff. So….1993-1998 ish - a wide variety in other words. You actually should have been holding the first release in your hands as I write this, but the first set of tps were ruined by an unnoticed fault in the cutting machine that day, making the tunes go from “awesome jungle” to “I can hear bees”. We got it recut, and those second test presses? They got lost. They should have been with us 1st October, but only arrived today haha! So this will come out, I dont know…eventually? But well worth the wait cos this EP is stunning!
Kniteforce Prime:
After the very enthusiastic response to the idea of a proper 1990-1992 styled old skool label, we are preparing some releases on our new sub label Kniteforce Prime. This will be for the slower bpm (125-145) era of old skool. Think early Rising High, Njoi, Shades of Rhythm, Frank De Wulf, R&S Records, Belgium techno, bleeps and breaks, pianos and dark. All that good stuff. We have a few EPs lined up and this will go to cut as soon as we are ready….the below artwork is a placeholder / finished logo dependoing on my mood haha!
Malice:
Malice is FINALLY coming back. We are about to cut Malice 9 to vinyl, which features two new Psycangle tracks, and the two remastered tracks that were always meant to see vinyl on Malice back in the day, but did not. We also have a double CD of remasteres and a mix of the old stuff to go with the first vinyl. Its gonna be epic!!! Malice was always about the gabber and will remain so, keeping to its old skool sound, but we will see how that progresses. Dj Saiyan is managing Malice, so if you have demos or questions, he is the man to talk to!
Knitebreed:
KB has a new Sunny & Deck Hussy EP on the horizon, to follow the superb Worldwide Epidemik EP that is due in Decmeber. Then there is a “remixes” series about to go to the cut, featuring some big names remixing some of the best recent KB releases, all on spectacular colored vinyl.
Paul Bradley is now managing Knitebreed, so if you have demos or questions, he is the man to talk to!
Remix Records:
As well as the forthcoming Jimmy J Red Balloons remaster, we have a whole bunch of amazing plans and EPs, from Stu Chapman, Al Storm and Diakronik, Sanxion and Shoreman. The Lowercase is now managing Remix Records, so if you have demos or questions, he is the man to talk to!
Kniteforce White:
Upcoming we have a new EP from Dj Beeno, his strongest yet, and newcomer Amaretto, and both EPs are heavy as hell, proper underground business. The future holds new EPs from Hannibal Selector, DS1, Sub Fundation and The Pulse.
KFA:
On deck for the next KFA CD/digital release is KFA108, a new EP from Sunny and Deck Hussy featuring their absolutely stellar modern 4/4 hardcore remix of their signature tune, Hayley's Comet. Scartat has also turned in his next EP, and Audio X, Paul Bradley x DJ Deluxe, and the next True Skool EP are waiting in the wings. The next KFA vinyl release, "The Arbitrary Remixes EP" is imminent, featuring four modern updates of some of the biggest Kniteforce family classics. What you may NOT know, unless you've been following Saiyan's Twitch streams, is that the EP also includes four additional, unannounced remixes as digital bonuses. More details on those will be revealed in the weeks leading up to release. On the CD album front, Digital Is Forever is finally, FINALLY, landing in the next couple of months, and Doughboy is hard at work finishing up his debut artist album, under the working title flourXwater, which is absolutely stellar so far. KFA is also, as always, seeking submissions from both new, up and coming producers and more established names, so get in touch with Saiyan to submit your tracks!
Kniteforce
Obviously all eyes are currently on the forthcoming Acen - Trip To The Moon Box Set. Here are some details for you on that. The box set is “officially” 5 vinyls, but there is a bonus 6th vinyl containing the rarites, which is colour and will be part of the package, along with an Acen slipmat and a CD containing extra remixes. The vinyls contain ALL the original mixes and bsides, as well as numerous remixes from some of the best in the business…but its getting close now, so lets not be shy eh? The vinyl has remixes from Danny Byrd, NRG, Phuture Assassins, Scott Brown, D-Bridge (Bad Company), Pete Cannon, Coco Bryce, Luna-C, as well as the four new “2092” Acen versions and tracks, AND the long sought after “dubplate” remix of Trip To The Moon part 2, AND the Omar Santana Remix (sometimes known as Trip To The Moon Part 4). The CD contains even more bonus mixes.
Basically, its 20 tracks on the vinyl and there is another 11 on the CD. Many have asked about how much it will cost and we have done all we can to keep it under £100. I think it is likely to be around £90 (cheaper for KF VIPs of course). People have also asked if the records will be sold individually and the answer to that is we are not sure. Probably not, but it is possible. If so, it will not be for a while. And it would only be one or two of the vinyls, and definitely not the rarities colored vinyl. Another question is will it be available as a digital only? The answer to that is no. We may do a small selection of the tracks as digital in 2021, but again, not the rare stuff, and likely only the remasters of the originals. We are focussed mainly on the box set and making sure we have enough of them for those who do the pre sale! We will decide if we want to do anything other than the box set next year.
Other projects upcoming: We have a new excellent EP from Dj Ham, and a frankly stunning new EP from Phuture Assassins that sounds like a follow up to Roots ’n’ Future. We have a new Legends (Volume 4) which is New Decade Vs Dj Ham. Isotoniks new EP is on its way, as is Coco Bryces and NRGs massive “Inside” . We have had the much sought after Liquid Crystal “Youre No Good” EP (the one that was on Ruff On Wax and changes hands for ALL THE MONEY on discogs) as well as new music from Ian K, IOTB and Sunny & Deck Hussy. Remixes 14 and 15 of course…those are pure mania. And thats just me skimming the surface - plenty I have not even mentioned!
Likewise, we are starting work on a Box Set for NRG - remasters, represses and remixes. And yes, there will also be an Acen Windows In The Sky and Close Your Eyes package in 2021.
JAL and Boombastic Plastic:
KJAL01 - Sunshine Productions - Take Me To The Top / Just A Melody recut has been done and the EP has been ordered, so we are waiting on that! Likewise, KJAL05 and KJAL07 are the originals and Vibes & Wishdokta remixes of Sunshine Production - Above The Clouds / Symphony in September, all lovingly remastered! And of course, we have unreleased material from A-Sides coming on Boombastic Plastic.
Hectic Records:
We have such a lot of exciting stuff happening here. We have some truly epic remixes of The Journey, Crowd Control, Gotta Believe and Sunshine. We have a limited edition “free” Hectic vinyl for the KF VIPs on the store. And of course, we are going to be cutting the remastered Hectic04 and 05 next - 05 being Mystic & Fire, a particularly desired slice of vinyl!!!
Out Of Romford:
KOOR05 test presses have landed, and its the superb Dj Infinity and Back 2 Basics “Return To Paradise / People Of Paradise” EP. Not to mention, KOOR06 is Statue Of Gold, and I got to do a remix as Cru-l-t on that. I love the original, and am real excited for you to hear this one!
Legend Records:
A complex and interesting deal is working out here. And thats all I can say right now, but I hope to have more to tell you very soon.
And thats it! Did you fall asleep? :)
Nice one,
Chris