IMPRINTS: XVI Records

Name: XVI Records
Vibe: Soulful Electronic Music
Founded: January 2012
Location: London / Vancouver
Number of Releases: 8
Artists-to-watch: Henry Wu, Liston, My Panda Shall Fly, Mau’lin

For XVI Records, the dancing doesn’t stop when the party ends. Though dance music is far from their sole focus, this Canadian-English complex will have you vibin’ and swervin’ with a well-curated mix of productions from new and up-and-coming producers around the globe. We spoke to one of the label’s two managers, Joshua Byrne, to find out more about the label’s history, its goals and the path they’re taking towards the sun.

THUMP: What’s the Deal?
Joshua: We set up XVI about two years ago in London with the intention of doing something different from other projects we were involved in at the time. Since then we’ve put out eight eclectic releases with some truly incredible artists. We aim to deliver beautiful, melodic, spaced out music for the great journey.

Explain the name:
XVI was the name handed down to us by the Easter Island head depicted in our logo—our deity and spiritual leader. It stands for ‘Ten Against One’.

How would you describe your sound? 
Sonically we’ve released a very broad spectrum of music, so it can be difficult to define… But I’d say as long as it’s deep, spaced out, soulful, and evokes some kind of emotion in the listener then it’s something we’d put out. I try not to let the label be too genre defined.

Tell us about the scene in your hometown?
I grew up in Chester (North West UK), which actually had a pretty vibrant scene for local bands when we were younger. But it then died off massively for a long time and turned into a bit of a cultural wasteland. There’s been a huge turnaround in recent years with lots of really talented producers and passionate DIY promoters helping build the scene again, which is awesome to see. Shout outs to The Mango Club!

What’s your favourite label that isn’t your own?
Too many to name just one! I’m really feeling Eglo Records, IZWID, Sleeping Bag Records, Stones Throw, Studio Rockers and Five Easy Pieces at the moment. Most labels that concentrate on doing things a little differently and thinking outside the box I’m generally into.

What makes your label different?
I wouldn’t claim to be reinventing the wheel with XVI. We’re just focused on working with a small group of artists, creating great music and continuing our voyage to shores unknown.

Which release would you recommend to introduce a new listener to your label?
I’d recommend giving Yumi & The Weather‘s EP a spin. It’s a pretty blissful listen and probably has the most easily translated aspects. Most radio friendly you might say.

Which are your favuorite tracks?
I love them all! But, I’m a real sucker for any warm, cosmic sounding pieces, so my personal top picks would be:

How do you choose the artists that you work with?
Initially I was just working with artists that I had known for a little while. In fact, many of our artists are originally from my hometown (Decyfer, Real, ækouo, John Paton). Others like Henry Wu, My Panda Shall Fly, and Liston were people I had met through working on various music projects over the years. We’ve been getting a lot more demo submissions recently though, and the vast majority of them have been really awesome. It’s nice to hear that people are understanding the label’s vibe and ethos and are thinking of us whilst trying to find a home for their music.

What’s the next release on the label? How far ahead do you plan your releases?
Well we just released Munro‘s debut release SIBWIR / BYOG (Crown Heights) on the 21st of August which was our first in a few months (I was a bit preoccupied with moving to Canada for a bit). But we’ve got some really mesmerizing material on the way: The first release from Frankie Knight which is going to be really special— beautifully crafted, dreamy electronic pop tracks—another single from Decyfer (which is definitely going to turn some heads), as well as projects from John Paton, Liston and some others which are in still in the very early stages at the moment.

You can follow Nick on Twitter: @theoldny

More IMPRINTS for your knowledge:

IMPRINTS: Rare Beef Records

IMPRINTS: Beat X Changers

IMPRINTS: 1080p