We have covered a lot of talent coming out of the North East of England over the last few months and it is fair to say the scene is thriving. One of the brands at the forefront of a musical revolution is Release. A promoter crew born on the banks of The River Tees. After putting on a run of sell out parties under their ‘Day Release’ brand and inviting heavy hitters, Optimo to Boro the crew is heading to Leeds and broadening their reach. A head of their debut event at Wire Leeds with Rex The Dog, we sat down with Release members Dom, Harry and Sam and found out about what makes them tick.

How did Release come about? Who is involved and what is everyone’s background?

Dom: When I went to my first event, aged 17 I realised dance music meant more to me than the average person. There is no better feeling than being immersed in a DJ’s trance. It was then I knew I wanted to create something I could call my own. I was studying for my final year at University on a course I had very little passion for and I had this desire to create what is now known as Release.

The idea gained traction when I was watching Sam play out some ridiculous techno tracks in his parents garage. I said then, “we need to create our own night in Boro, there’s nothing like this at all.”

We then embarked on the journey of creating the brand, finding the venue and curating the launch night. It was a crazy ‘bring your own booze’ party inside a forgotten function room above a local pub. This crazy launch superseded anything we could have ever imagined and the monster 10 hour pre, main and post event antics were silly to say the least.

Over time we have slowly tried to adapt our style of music, taking it to various bars and clubs around the town. This is where Harry got involved. Harry played a bar event we held in the town and it was pretty apparent to Sam and I how passionate he was about music. We asked him if he liked to get involved and to our luck he accepted and we have progressed hugely with his input.  

What events, artists and labels have inspired Release?

Dom: For me I haven’t experienced anything quite like the grandeur of the Gashouder under the control of awakenings. Techno music literally floods your soul! However for me the ideal event would be a small dark room, orchestrated by a master DJ who can transition between across genres. A event that really stands out was at World Headquarters in Newcastle under the helm of Ben UFO.

Tiesto and trance was my early introduction to dance music. This then evolved into what is now known as EDM, and as I have matured and attended events I am much more focused on the journey and not just praying for big drops.

Dixon and the whole Innervisions crew are big inspirations. Solomon and his Diynamic label and Maceo Plex/Ellum as well. Ben UFO, Four Tet and Burial also make music that resonates with me on another level.

Sam: At the moment the stand out label for me has got to be The Trilogy Tapes. The label is consistent in releasing solid productions and the archive it has built over the last ten years is immense. I find a lot of inspiration from artists like Martyn, Dr. Rubinstein, Jane Fitz and Pional – one thing they all have in common is that they aren’t tied to one genre and they can seamlessly crossover to keep the crowd enthralled. I recently went to see Courtesy at Mick’s Garage and DJ Python and Lyzza at De School both events really stood out for me. These are the sort of parties we are looking to reciprocate at Release.

Harry: My favourite label is Innervisions. They not only put out top quality releases on a consistent basis but are always staying ahead of the game. The parties they throw themselves set a standard for everyone else in dance music.

As a group though we all have similar tastes producer wise, I think all 3 of us will agree that Four Tet is our favourite producer. As far as DJ’s go Ben UFO, Helena Hauff, Job Jobse. Im really open minded and like all genres from Electro to House to Garage. At the moment I’ve really been enjoying the Italo sound, it can be played almost any time of the night and be an effective tool!

Is there something that defines your parties?

Harry: I’d say one of the defining philosophies of our parties is booking DJ’s who we love. They haven’t necessarily played in the area before and we know they will create an impact. Not only that, I’m a firm believer in allowing DJ’s to be treated like artists. If you have booked them to play, let them invest all of their emotions into producing an unforgettable night. Allow freedom on the dance floor and behind the booth and everything else will flow naturally. We don’t do this to be rich and famous. We do this for the true love of electronic music. Ultimately we want to give people in our area the opportunity to share our love of dance music and experience it for themselves.

The North East has a thriving scene at the moment, is there a community approach to bookings, promotion and events or do people run solo?

It seems like there is a huge sense of community with in the local scene. Us personally we have teamed up with local promoters Rendezvous. There is a shared vision to bring the best talent to our beautiful (but somewhat difficult) town. Middlesbrough is only small but the people are like no other. Events have a family feel to them which creates an atmosphere which at times is unrivalled.

We love to see homegrown talent flourish and are proud to have hosted some of the finest DJ’s at our parties. We all play at each others events and are of the belief that if all events are doing well this will only grow the local scene and benefit us all.

What have you got planned for the brand in the future?

We are looking to expand across the North of England and share our sound and vision with the rest of the dance music community. Of course this will run alongside us bringing the biggest, baddest and the best DJ’s to our beautiful hometown. With the success of last years ‘Day Release’ Parties, we are planning on rolling with these at a new venue with a larger capacity along with inviting some extra special guests to take control of the decks.

Our growth has been organic, with every party getting bigger and better every time. We are going to continue growing, building and learning while creating memories for our audiences that will last a lifetime. We aspire to create a Release family who is every bit as important as the people in charge of the music.

How do you see dance music changing in the next 20 years?

Clubbing has taken a huge hit over the past 20 years with clubs closing left, right and centre. It appears the ideal Saturday night has become more cosmopolitan which is probably thanks to the recent birth of instagram influencers and filtered faces galore.

I do have genuine hope for its revival. The consumption bubble is growing, DJ’s are requesting ever expanding fee’s and the local scenes seem to be thinning. Fans now have to travel miles to clubs to see their favourite DJ’s or wait it out until festival season comes back around.

Never the less it’s only a matter of time until this bubble bursts. As people search for real connection and authentic human interaction (amidst the LED screen addicted generation we live in) there is no better place to find it than on the dance floor. Friendships created for a lifetime. As for just a few hours there are no agendas, no rules and no barriers. There isn’t feeling like this. It can’t be artificially created. Just true spirit and collective consciousness. This is why the scene will never die.

If you could travel back in time to any dance floor in the world which one would you choose and why?

Dom: There is so many places and times across Europe I would love to go back to but to keep it local I would have loved to experience tall trees in the 90’s. I attended an under 18 party there and just being in the club felt special. It’s immense three floors curved around a central dance floor which reminded me of a colosseum. Combine that with the crazy Teessiders I imagine a night like no other!  

Sam: Sounds an obvious one but for myself it would have to be Ibiza around the late 80s early 90s. I look back on photos and videos of people at the likes of Space, Amnesia, Pikes and DC10 and it’s clear to see that people were there for all the right reasons.

Harry: Would have to agree with Sam about Ibiza but also thinking I missed an amazing era with Sugarshack in Boro. They were booking amazing artists on a weekly basis at The Empire, sometimes I wish was older so I could have experienced those parties.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a Promoter?

Dom: The biggest challenge for Release is keeping it fresh and trying to stay ahead of the game at all times. We want to bring the biggest names to our town but with prices inflating at exponential rates, margins become thinner and the risk of hosting such parties at a loss becomes a scary reality. We aren’t letting this run our event though and will always operate with true integrity.

What do you think the North East needs more of?

Harry: Not so much the North East but specifically Middlesbrough, different venues and clubs. There are some great promoters around here doing great things however there is definitely a lack of venues to host underground parties at.

Sam: I Second. But, If we’re speaking further about the wider North East, it is the lack of underground electronic festivals. The North East has a vast amount of countryside which could and should be taken advantage of. This is happening a lot in other regions around the country where you have Gottwood, Houghton, Lost Village and Farr hosting immersive festivals. They combine music and art to ensure people can become completely absorbed, not only the music but there surroundings.

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