Nation Records

Nation Records

Nation Records is a record label set up by Kath Canoville and Aki Nawaz in 1988.

Contents

History

The label was set up after major labels declined to release their fusion of world music and dance music, an album called Fuse (1989).[1] Featuring the earliest appearance by Talvin Singh as Mahatma T, the label went on to feature the early releases of Asian Dub Foundation, Transglobal Underground, Fun-Da-Mental, Loop Guru, Hustlers HC, Natacha Atlas, Joi, Swami, TJ Rehmi and Charged.[1] Most of the UK alternative Asian music scene has passed through Nation's offices in some capacity or another. The catalogue is rich with many ground breaking sounds and remixes by people such as Adrian Sherwood, Youth, Bochet and Scarper, and endless amounts of people who became names in their own merit. John Peel also made it one of his favourite labels of the year. The label also created the global alternative world music scene and gave the world music scene a "new look" with its anarchic and all encompassing attitude "There is no boarder controls at Nation". Jah Wobble also contributed to the label's identity and creative flair, and released records on the label as part of Pulse 8. It is linked to the Beggars Banquet group of companies.

The label also signed a number of UK hip hop groups, including the Birmingham-based Urban South (MC Mayhem, Guvna G and Embryo), who supported such acts as Ice T, Hijack, Rebel MC and Onyx. The group held legendary jams in south Birmingham called Brick House - and you can still see the tags left behind by Sticky Fingaz and Fredro Starr in Balsall Heath. Prophets of Da City, a South African hip hop crew also signed to the label and released numerous records including an album.

An of-shoot label by the name of Flo records - also produced some anarchic electronic hi powered sounds.

Canoville left in 2001 to pursue other creative paths.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (1999) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0252-6, p. 233-4

External links


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