New Label Alert

It's no shocker that labels around the globe are going to feel some heat with the recent closures of Amato Distribution in England as well as Unique and Syntax both recently joining Watts Music in Chapter 11 here in the States. The vinyl business almost effectively over. I spoke with UK house label Toolroom Records publicist Sian Blake recently and she was quite worried that she might be losing her job over the Amato closure. Toolroom's a big label across the pond so you know some of your favorite micro-imprints are going to be closing their doors or cutting staff very soon. One need look no further than private equity firm Terra Firma's decision to cut 2,000 jobs at EMI this week to know that the business model as we have known it is withering to dust.

The good news is that Toolroom has not only survived but is launching a new sub-label, LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL. Singles are in the post as they would say over in England. This according to the label's latest press release. I know a lot of folks weren't down with the Dubfire singles that came out this summer including "Ribcage" on Toolroom, dismissing them as "booty minimal" and worse. Personally I got the feeling his heart was really in the right place and hey I live in a podunk college town so what's wrong with the occasional foray into some booty? That's called being a DJ and knowing your crowd. The latest from the John Dahlback's alias Kaliber tore it up when I spun last weekend, I know the drunken masses here love booty minimal. The Mark Knight remix on that single actually spanned the more booty tendencies with some deeper underground sounds fairly well. I am hoping that this new sub-label will continue favoring this trend. We wish them well in these troubling times....