Latest Essential signings! Labels by Steve Lawler and Doorly plus more...
Cult dance labels by Steve Lawler and Doorly among latest signings to Essential
- Lawler’s VIVa and Doorly’s Pigeonhole This! top list of new signings
- Decon, Rhymesayers, Workhouse and Dirtybird complete the list
- Pusha T ft. 50 Cent, Pharrell Williams and Tyler The Creator plus Ryan Leslie releases coming via Decon
12th May 2011, London:- With massive residencies by DJs Steve Lawler and Doorly soon to be kicking off the Ibiza clubbing season, Essential Music & Marketing is somewhat thrilled to be announcing the signings of their respective labels, Pigeonhole This! and VIVa to its roster of clients. Also newly announced are deals with Decon, Rhymesayers, Workhouse and Dirtybird.The London-based label services, sales and marketing company has signed a worldwide deal with Steve Lawler’s VIVa Music ahead of the release of the double mix Lights Out Decade at the end of May: the much anticipated next chapter in his Lights Out… series. The album is set to be a return to his darker roots, and will provide fans with a truly original experience, mixing, editing and re-editing previously unheard tracks to create an absolutely original dance floor hit. Hidden in one special copy of the CD release will be a “golden ticket”, with the prize of an exclusive live set by Lawler in their home going to whoever buys the lucky album.Also setting his sights on the White Isle is the widely acclaimed house DJ, Doorly. Essential has signed a worldwide distribution deal with his label, Pigeonhole This!, in time for the release of their debut sampler EP, available now. Doorly is currently on tour showcasing his uniquely analogue approach to DJing, and is rarely seen without enough equipment around him to launch a man into orbit. He can be seen in his element on any one of his 23 North American tour dates with Rusko or at one of his upcoming Ibiza dates including a massive 14 appearances at both Ibiza Rocks and Majorca Rocks.Ahead of the release of Atmosphere’s new album Family Sign, grassroots hip-hop label Rhymesayers Entertainment are moving to Essential through an existing deal with Traffic Entertainment. The release is set to push the group’s collective album sales over the 1.6 million mark, and they will be seeing a greatly raised profile in the UK with Essential on board.Rhymesayers are celebrating their fifteenth year in the business a sold out ‘Family Vacation Tour’ in the US and will be bringing it to the UK and Europe in the autumn of this year. It’s likely to feature artists with significant 2011 album releases: Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Evidence (of Dilated Peoples) and Grieves.Joining them is New York’s Decon. A fast-growing indie powerhouse, responsible for 2010’s breakout hit for Jay Electronica, ‘Exhibit C’, as well as classic records from the likes of Jurassic 5 and RJD2. Decon is expanding in 2011 with the debut solo release from Pusha T (of The Clipse) featuring 50 Cent, Pharrell and Tyler The Creator, and they’ve also announced the first independent artist album from Grammy-nominated producer Ryan Leslie, the man behind hits for Cassie, Britney Spears, The Game and many more.Also coming from the States is the Dirtybird label, signing for a European distribution deal with Essential, who’ll be handling all priority releases and associated singles from the upcoming Claude Vonstroke Makeovers album this summer plus Justin Martin’s debut LP, due out in autumn this year.Based a little closer to home is Workhouse Records, setting up in a deal with Essential to distribute the latest album from the label’s founder Mark Hill, the main man behind Artful Dodger and the key producer and writer for Craig David.The newly established imprint is set to recapture all that made Artful Dodger so genre-defining at the end of the last century. His mix of some of the best production values in the business and the best vocal talents from the likes of Ed Sheeran, means Workhouse is set to become a major jewel in Essential’s crown.Steve Crane, Product Manager at Essential said, “It’s great to add more quality imprints to my existing dance and urban labels over here at Essential Music. All of my new additions have great release schedules lined up for 2011 and beyond. There are some very exciting and innovative campaigns in the pipeline too so I can’t wait to get things rolling.”