From our viewpoint...

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(http://twitter.com/therealbasscat)

This year has been a phenomenal year for us. Really. 

We've completed the '12x12', conceptualised (and realised) 'Manchester : Remixed', two projects we're immensely proud to have done, off our own back. We've remixed fourteen (from memory) tracks, for both major labels, and indies, put out three free bootlegs, completed a debut three week Australia and New Zealand tour, worked with BBC 2 on the Stargazing project, continued to build and grow with our friends at Gio Goi, seen the support we receive from BBC 1Xtra and BBC Introducing reach an amazing point, begun a weekly Saturday night radio show (started in February on Unity FM in Manchester) which has gone from strength to strength, plus somehow around our studio schedule, we managed to squeeze in a couple of UK festival gigs, and appear on a couple of industry panels... I'm sure there's more, but it seems sensible just to mention the events that come to mind easily. Phew.

It's very easy to think all this has happened because of the amount of graft that we put in in the studio every day of every week, and in many ways, it has, but it's very important for us to recognise the people around us who aid us in achieving our best, creatively and artistically, but also those who really help get our music out there. In particular, we'd like to thank Andi Durrant, Andy Booth, Aniff Akinola, Anton Powers, Chris Long, Dom Keegan, Kevin Grainger, Melissa MacTavish, Mike Toner, Nick Bright, Neil Briggs, Stretch Armstrong, Stefan Kazassoglou, Stevie Mac, Tim Medcraft, Tom Howell, Zed Bias... and of course, Mike Kelly, for once again ensuring we maximise our potential as artists and individuals, on time, and with a smile on our faces.

A big thanks to all the artists, managers, radio people and labels who were involved in the '12x12' and the 'Manchester : Remixed' project for allowing us to work with you. You were all amazing and we are very grateful for your involvement. It was good to get some really wholesome, unique Manchester music back on the map in 2011 in the form of a remix project! A big shout to our other 2011 collaborators, Nate James and Nick Thayer, too. As always, a huge shout to the DJs who support our music in clubs and on the radio airwaves across the world, as well as the respected radio producers/teams... there really are a lot of you who deserve a mention! Big up all the promoters who we've had the pleasure to play for across Europe, Australia and New Zealand too, and thank you to those labels we've been fortunate enough to work with this year. 

Ultimately this leads us to thank those of you reading this, who purchase our music, shout about what we do, and support what we're in the process of steadily achieving here. Your support is unbelievably appreciated, and without it, we couldn't keep doing what we do. So, without further ado, roll up 2012, lets get into this!

M&J

Filed under  //   12x12   2011   HeavyFeet   Manchester Remixed  
Posted December 31, 2011 by HeavyFeet 
 

Stamp! Beats: The beginning...

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Happy New Year!

Every week for the next three months we will be blogging bite size excerpts of the story of Stamp! Beats and the last twelve months of our music making. We hope you find this insightful and inspirational. If anything we mention here over the next twelve weeks encourages one single person to get up and go do something new with their time/life, then this will make us very happy indeed. We are going to split up each blog post into two sections, the month by month logistics and runnings of the label, and the numbered monthly release. Happy reading!

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Reasoning and Preparation:

After two years of operating under the HeavyFeet guise and working with third party record labels of all sizes along the way, we had reached a decision: it was time to set up our own self-managed channel for releasing our music, otherwise known, as a record label. Over the early years of HeavyFeet we had increasingly begun to crave control over our music, both creatively and financially. Having grown tired of working with labels, many of whom had sub-standard communication procedures (a pet hate of ours), the foundations of Stamp! Beats were slowly and methodically pieced together between Autumn 2009 and Spring 2010.

There was a need for self-control over our release schedule, the finances, the image and PR, and the many other bits and pieces/release additions that go with releasing music, such as guest remixes. Being aware that there was zero point in becoming just another digital label flogging another set of club tracks to a relatively small audience, artistically we decided to break the HeavyFeet mould and output the more album orientated side of our productions. We were at a point artistically where we needed a new project, to refocus our sound and image, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Musically we were tired of creating only one genre (house) and we needed to expand our creativity as producers. With this plan in our heads, we came up with the concept of releasing 12 singles over 12 months, with 12 vocalists and 12 guest remixers. We began sculpting skeleton tracks that were centred in genres that were previously thought to be out of our comfort zone and discussing our options with a range of vocalists. It was also decided that we would complete a HeavyFeet Club Mix of each single, to allow a version of each single to fit into the music collections of our pre-exisiting followers. We begun to adapt to the challenges of making new music, and the fun returned to the creative process through experimentation.
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STMP001:

HeavyFeet vs. Virus Syndicate - I Spy...
Stamp! Beats
Release Date: 05.04.10

The instrumental to what became I Spy… was the first of our musical musings and experiments we turned into a full and proper track which we deemed worthy of shaping into something further. Also, it was one of those ideas that came together in an afternoon - the simplest and quickest are usually the best! The track went off to Virus Syndicate under the premise that it would definitely differ to their expectations, however, we felt the bold statement of Virus’ brutal lyrical style and content on a HeavyFeet track would be perfect to begin shaking the mould in which we had previously worked.

 

Vocals were returned to us and once edited we began working out how we wanted the whole release to sound. We were in the process of putting the finishing touches to our remix of Zinc’s Killa Sound, and were chuffed with the result to the point where we took a vaguely similar approach to the club mix of I Spy… Also, in providing a main room-type track for our remix it meant we could skimp on vocal and provide something for those who maybe wouldn’t favour fully vocal-led club tunes. As for the guest remix, we had a couple of favours owed to us in the lead up to the label's launch, but our old friend AC Slater seemed the most appropriate artist to get on board for the first release, giving it that extra 'oomph' that is always a welcome bonus on the debut single from a new label. We knew he’d be able to provide something more upbeat and bass-heavy than we had done on our mix, but also wanted to make sure he had free reign on direction, seeing as we'd experimented on the original, we wanted those involved on guest remix duties to also be able to follow suit. As it turned out, a grime-tinged dubstep of sorts remix fitted well with the strings and vocal hook of the original perfectly and rounded off a very pleasing first release package.

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Check in with us next Monday for instalment two of twelve...

 

M&J

Filed under  //   2011   HeavyFeet   Stamp! Beats  
Posted January 3, 2011 by HeavyFeet