Label Focus: Rekids

After a year and a half away, it was hard to say if UK-based label Rekids would ever return. Facing financial difficulty, it had ceased releasing music in 2014. Thankfully, founder Matt Edwards felt he had invested too much into the label to let it dissipate. With nearly 400 titles to its name, including releases from Toby Tobias, Luke Solomon and his own Radio Slave moniker, there was a history there he felt a responsibility to protect. Founded in 2006, Rekids gained attention after the release of the Dubfire remix of Radio Slave’s ‘Grindhouse’ in 2008. However, Rekids was never intended to be a label just about Radio Slave, and has given rise to an abundance of success stories over its 10 years. With its focus on music with a timeless quality, the label gave an early leg-up to Nina Kraviz and recently helped introduce Mr. G to a whole new generation of house music heads. A decade in, Rekids’ rebirth continues as a new batch of artists like Peggy Gou (pictured) and Markus Suckut continue pushing the innovative dance music the label is known for.

How did the label begin?

I was looking at the European labels like Kompakt and Get Physical that were dominating the UK at the time, and everyone was looking to Germany with regard to modern electronic music. There weren’t that many independent UK labels around. So I thought it was time to start something with all the connections I’d built up over the years.

What were you doing before the label started?

I was touring a lot. I was doing a lot of remixes for artists like Paul McCartney and Elton John, all sorts of strange remixes. I was meeting so many like-minded people on my travels, getting a lot of demos and playing a lot of unreleased music, so it made sense to start Rekids.

Are the success stories of artists like Mr G a big reason why you started the label?

I’d always loved guys like Phil Asher and Mr G – UK artists who I always thought deserved more props. That’s been a theme with the label, connecting them with younger audiences. It was great to find some of these people and put them back on the map.

Rekids’ sub-label Pyramids Of Mars is named after a Doctor Who episode. Is sci-fi a big influence?

Growing up in the 70s, science fiction was part of everyday TV culture – especially with shows like Doctor Who or Battlestar Galactica. There was a lot of science fiction in the 70s and I think that heavily influenced techno.

Do you feel as though there’s a core group of artists on Rekids?

I’ve never wanted to see Rekids as a gang. I love the fact that all the artists have their own unique sound, which gives them their identity. I love that Nina’s music is constantly evolving and changing. It’s the same with all our artists – we’ve got a common love of good quality music.