When your favorite artist puts out a new single or a project, very rarely are you aware of which label the music is put out on, let alone care. But in reality, without the machines behind the artists a lot of our favorite music wouldn't exist or be lost in someone's attic, or worse--internet obscurity. So we decided to give credit where it's due and shine a light on some of the major players in music today from the label side with our new series.
First up is the dynamic label Slow Roast Records. Started in 2009 by two artists who deserve praise in their own rights, DJ Craze and Kill The Noise, Slow Roast is all about the time you put in before you enjoy the fruits of your labor. With just under 30 releases, the independent label started out as a fun project between the two DJs and then with the right artists and right releases, they were catching people's attention as a formidable force for discovering new sounds.
Their first release, Kill The Noise's Roots EP, was well received by fans as it traveled across various genre lines, even within individual songs. It set the tone that Slow Roast wasn't necessarily trying to find a certain artist to conveniently put in a box. They were down to embrace anything that was forward thinking and new. The label reflected the personal tastes of its founders, which were as diverse as they come. And they've stuck to their guns if you take a look at their current roster:
- Ape Drums
- Astronomar
- Brillz
- Codes
- Craze
- JRabbit
- Kill The Noise
- Klever
- Señor Stereo
- SuddenBeatz
Aside from their signed artists, they also release music from other artists as one-offs like Durkin and Stand Tall Fists Up. They used to have their music distributed by other notable independent label Fool's Gold, which was co-founded by Craze's friend and DMC teammate, A-Trak. With the label's rapid growth and continual demanding schedules for Craze and KTN, they handed over the reins to Slow Roast to Louie Arson who is now the label manager and occasional DJ.
Slow Roast has also made a name for itself with its free monthly parties they throw at Garret at Grand Central in Miami. With no cover and an all star lineup of guest DJs each month, the parties quickly picked up momentum from 2013 and became a favorite for locals during the workweek. Since then, they've been working with other labels and artists to make sure that they host some of the sickest parties that people will be talking about for years to come.
With Ludwig Von Pig aka The Boss Hog aka Louie as their mascot, Slow Roast Records is at the helm of good times and even better music. They're doing the most with their Hogcast (iTunes podcast) hosted by Craze and KTN, producing remixes for other artists, and slow roasting their original tracks. As Klever once said to Craze:
"I don't play that fast food music. My tunes are slow roasted."
Keep up with Slow Roast Records on its Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, website, and Twitter.