"Label Spotlight" featuring GOOSENECK RECORDS

Next up is a new monthly section for The Project blog, where we feature some of our favourite record labels from around the world.  We speak to the label owner and get them to answer a few questions, as well as shine a light on some of their latest and best releases…  And we kick things off in March with the excellent and exciting – GOOSENECK RECORDS!

The label was started with the intention of unearthing the latest hidden and undetected talent in the underground house music scene.  It was started back in 2011 by Alistair Gillespie as one of Proton Radio's sub-labels, Gooseneck’s sound falls in the deep to tech house category.

With releases featuring established, as well as new artists (East Project friends Clouded Judgement, Rob Made, Vanilla Ace, Trav & Volta and Alistair himself), if you don’t know about this label already, then you should!

GOOSENECK RECORDS' latest release is by Dharfunkh aka Steve Ricketts – UK producer and recent collaborator with Vanilla Ace on a remix for KMS records.  It's a 3 track EP, with our personal favourite being "Hustler".

It is out now to buy and well worth your support!!

And here are a couple more of their recent releases that are definitely worth your attention and your pennies...

From London boys, "Tainted Souls" featuring Dennis Wonder - Let Urself Go...  With Rob Made on remix duties:

James Stewart – Power:

Interview

So Alistair, tell us a bit about the label and what is planned for the next 12 months?

I started the label when I used to live in Los Angeles, as a hobby, was fresh out of college and realized that I had a ton of music of producer friends I´d collected over the years from djing in South America.  So I said why not try to launch a label with that material... that´s how it all started, just a few tracks from friends...

Originally it was all focused on Chicago house and some Detroit influenced sounds as you can see from the first couple releases, around late 2010.  I believe it was the LA influence that then took the label onto a more "trendier" sound over the next year and a half, releasing Nu Disco and Deep House.  The label is actually now on a new stage, first of all, I am currently based out of São Paulo, and aiming to take the music back onto its original direction which was a more Chicago and old school oriented house.

With new releases in the pipeline, we are also looking to make the most of the upcoming DEMF, with a potential VA Sampler.  In addition, I have started a recent production collaboration with good friend and Gooseneck regular, Thomas De Lorenzo.  We are going under the moniker "Lorenzo & Gillespie", and will be putting out mainly the Gooseneck sound and shopping out a more grimmier tech house to other labels.

Label showcases are also in mind, although would need a bit more time to get that in place properly... hopefully get some international label artists here into Sao Paulo as well as promoting some local talent we already have on board.

What's been your most successful track to date?

"Remember My Name" by Thomas De Lorenzo:

Where did the name Gooseneck come from?

It actually just came up randomly one day while I was still in college and it was all just an idea... further on, noticing it was actually related to the scene (flexible lighting used mostly back in the day to light mixers) I decided to go forward with it... pretty simple actually.

Brazil seems to be making a big statement in the deep/Nu Disco genre. Why is this and who is leading the game?

The scene in Brazil has definitely changed and grown a lot in the past few years.  Personally, I have only been here for the past year and a half, but have noticed how things have changed a lot from when I used to come visit over the years.  Electronic Music in general has become a real trend in Brazil, reaching mainstream recognition (as in many parts of the world as well).  Brazil has seen lots and lots of mega clubs open up around the country, not only in main cities such as São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, but you will also see huge venues in regions that may be considered a bit more "random" to the general tourist.  I believe that shows the impact and consumer power that the country has... in many other places you will only see these 'megaclubs' in a nation's main city. So having such a 'massive' scene as to say, makes way for genres such as deep/nu disco to work, they are considered 'trendy' and work well for both semi underground venues or even mainstream... also, tracks with vocals work very well here, and well... it is a genre that has a lot of that.

Also, another main reason is that there are so many producers focusing on that style here in Brazil...of course, would have to mention HNQO as the go to guy when referring to the deep house scene in Brazil... not only has he made a name for himself locally but when you combine that with support from a label such as Hot Creations, then the result is exactly what is happening in Brazil right now...local audience will have even more interest to their talent after such worldwide recognition.

Who would be your dream producer to release or remix on the label?

May sound cliché, but I prefer all the artists we have on the label...although if I could get Kerry Chandler to remix I wouldn´t complain ;-)

For any producers out there looking to sign their next track, what would be your advice for them sending them into Gooseneck?

Simple e-mail me directly, alistair@gooseneckrecords.com 

Final Question... What is your musical guilty pleasure?

Hmmm tough one..maybe nowadays it could be seen as a guilty pleasure... Kris Kross

Thank you for your time!.

EPx

Gooseneck Records' links below:

Facebook

Resident Advisor

Soundcloud

Beatport