As part of our Meet The Promoter series, we take time to shine light on the people building our scene from the ground up. This week we sat down with the Right Angle Records crew. Over the last few years they have been hard at work touring the UK. Manchester, Leeds, Darlington and London have all hosted the teams out of the box creativity, deep records collections and loyal following so we thought what better time than now to sit them down and meet the promoters.
What is the ethos behind Right Angle Records? Where did the inspiration come from and how has the brand grown since its inception?
TOM: I started Right Angle Records around four years ago now, initially Right Angle Records was made as a platform for promoting my own productions as well as the music of friends & like minded people. Once the brand was established it then moved into more of an events focus, hosting parties around the country which has been really wild with a growing following.
Right Angle Records originally started in Darlington before doing showcases in Manchester and London. What was your reasoning for choosing these cities?
TOM: Right Angle Records was born in Darlington is where 2/3 of the label hierarchy are from, there is a good following in Darlington & the scene is bigger than you might expect! We threw a Right Angle Records party in Manchester, which was a follow on from the Boxed events we used to host there. The first E.P coincided with the RAR party in manchester, which acted as a launch party for the release. London is now our home & the home of the label, the scene down here is so diverse & competitive but it’s where we feel we need to be as it’s such a hub for electronic music.
What is the most difficult part of being a Promoter or Record label in the scene today? Is there an issue that you keep facing?
Reece: As you know, getting the heads through the door isn’t always as easy as it might seem, for instance staying integral to your musical tastes over booking who might seem a safe option despite the outcome.
Tom: One of the most difficult things we’ve found is there’s not enough hours in the day! When you’re spinning multiple plates; producing, running the label, organising events, DJ’ing & a full time job it’s difficult to get everything done!
George: It’s a test to try and gain momentum solely from your music, branding and the people you meet along the way. We play the online game a little but most of our attendees are from word of mouth; friends and friends of friends etc. We like it this way but we’ve gotta put the work in socially for this.
If you could go back to any dance floor in the world which would you choose and why?
Tom: For me Amnesia terrace for Cocoon back in 2013 has to be the one. Special night with about around 20 friends from home, Sven & Luciano played two of the best sets I’ve ever heard too… special night.
Reece: Personally for me, id have to go with watergate in Berlin. The whole outlook to raving over there is on another level. in terms of the club itself, what could beat that moment when they pull up the blinds and you are overlooking the river Speen, the joy on the faces in the crowd says it all really.
George: The first ever Paradise at DC10 was a pretty special night. It was clear we were witnessing something new.
What do you think distinguishes Right Angle Records from other brands currently in the scene?
Tom: What distinguishes us is the people involved in the label. We’ve felt strongly about creating a tight knit community of friends, all talented up & coming producers with a very similar sound and love for the underground – although sound is to some extent varied, and this is a good thing. Likewise with a lot of DJs in the scene, everything began on the White Isle. Most of us met at some point or another partying in Ibiza.
Reece: As Tom mentioned the White Isle holds such a feeling of community within it’s workers, so to bring that feeling back to the UK with us and get our mates putting their music out just makes it all worth while.
George: A dedication to the sound over the other nonsense! We’re definitely not the only ones doing this, but that’s how we’re trying to distinguish ourselves from a lot of the other stuff out there at the moment.
How do you view collaboration? Some people believe it has a host of benefits others prefer working on their own. Is collaborations something Right Angle Records utilise?
Tom: As a brand Right Angle Records have collaborated a great deal in the past, I think it’s a fantastic way of bringing people together & it sometimes has results especially if their musical sound is slightly different.
George: Collaboration certainly gifts unpredictable results which you’d never achieve working alone. But then again, there’s a beauty in solo work too. A combination between the two is the winner in our eyes. Tom, Reece & myself all strongly push both individual and collaborative projects, namely as Original Sauce but also with the wider community here in London and beyond. Between us we know a lot of like-minded people so there’s always one of us trying something new.
What are your plans for the future in terms of releases, events and bookings?
Tom: As we now have the lads involved Reece (Regan) & George (Elliott) have just recently joined the label as A&R & Events Managers. As well as recently signing a load of new talent to the label. We’ve got a completely fresh look for the label on the way too which is exciting.
On the release side of things, Our first release of the year is going to be a VA at the end of April (26th) with the likes of; Original Sauce, Josh Newsham, Connor Healy, Liam Hughes & Myself. Following on from that I’m going to be releasing a three track EP at the end of May with a special guest remixer which is definitely one to keep an eye out for. Then we’ve got EP’s on the way from everyone on the VA, so a busy few months from that perspective.
Reece: For now, we will be keeping bookings as rare occasions…one-offs shall we say. The idea is that the residents will be the main focus when it comes to events, as well as those releasing on the label.
George: Lots in the pipeline! The others have covered the bulk of it but we’re keeping busy and you’ll definitely be hearing more from us.
