Grizzly

Starting a record label has always been an ambition of mine since way back, ever since I first started picking up records and taking note of what music was released on what label. I’ve always been a bit of a completist like that – I used to break my savings account just to afford records and when I was studying and working 9 to 5 jobs before music, i’d go hungry to buy wax. This kind of avid collectorship to finally being able to print records and sign artists is the stuff of dreams really. Thats the foundation of the label and sharing some really talented producers with you over the course of the year. A lot of them are debutants too. The first release is out now and it features myself teaming up with SBTRKT who has really burst onto the scene this year. Its funny that we’ve actually known each other over 5 years (except he wasn’t called SBTRKT then). I actually remember us DJing together back in those days and getting ripped off by a promoter – I suppose we can laugh about it now! Its fitting that this should be the first release on the label then after losing touch over the years. We decided to collaborate together after I supported the very early SBTRKT releases (we met through myspace!) The first release Midnight Marauder and Kind Of Familiar is very much an A side and a B side thing because i miss releases with definitive A sides and B sides. I think thats why this collab has been so successful, each track has found fans from across the board – a real meeting of our sounds. We’re already talking about a follow up at the end of the year! As far as music policies go, those went out the window a long way back! I can only say that the common ground between each release is a shared enthusiasm. If I get excited about it, it’s a Grizzly record. I’ve never been one to get bogged down in genres, the best stuff is always the grey area tracks that don’t fall anywhere. I was playing forthcoming Grizzly release ‘Arnold Classics’ by Brodinski in Philly the other week when somebody approached the DJ area and asked ‘what music is this’? I just wish I had a smart response. A producer friend summed it up very concisely the other week ‘its just quality and fun bass music’. Thats it!!!! All-embracing, fun, disparate and twisted up www.onmygrizzly.tv