Following the London label party at Koko in February at which the artists, staff and some 1500 fans welcomed the label’s 15th Birthday year in explosive style, the Tru Thoughts 15th Anniversary celebrations are now in full swing, with TT15 festival takeovers (including Glastonbury, Shambala, Boomtown and Bestival) building up to the Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set and double CD compilation release on 20th October. The roof will also be raised at a special anniversary show in LA (home of the Brighton based label’s US office) at the Skirball Cultural Center on 24th October.
Boasting three 12” slabs of coloured vinyl cut to a pentadecagon (15 sided) shape, along with two CDs and a 12” 20 page glossy booklet of exclusive interviews and photographs – all in a hand-numbered box emblazoned with a custom creation by revered graffiti artist Aroe - the Box Set is a seriously covetable item. And that is before you even consider the music, a selection picked by co-owner and A&R Robert Luis from the past, present and future of his thriving label’s eclectic catalogue. This celebration of independent artistic talent encompasses the early leftfield electronica of Bonobo and Quantic’s trailblazing world explorations, Alice Russell’s powerhouse soul and New Orleans’ iconic Hot 8 Brass Band; UK dons like Rodney P and Zed Bias, through to the stars of tomorrow, with Harleighblu’s vocal prowess and cutting edge production from Lost Midas, Titeknots and Werkha. While the vinyl focuses on in-demand fan favourites both new and old (including The Quantic Soul Orchestra’s timeless “Pushin’ On”, currently gracing the Radio 1 A-List in sample form on Oliver $ and Jimi Jules’ hit “Pushing On”), the double CD sneaks in some exclusives, including the Wickaman D&B remix of Wrongtom Meets Deemas J’s “Jump+Move+Rock” and a new rework by Paul SG of Bonobo’s classic “Terrapin”. See full CD and Vinyl tracklistings overleaf.
The ‘Tru Thoughts Fifteenth Anniversary’ Box Set is well on its way to selling out on pre-order already, having been announced with much fanfare alongside a merch and memorabilia extravaganza on direct-to-fan platform PledgeMusic. (Early media coverage includes CMU Daily, Record Collector and a Record of the Day feature interview with Robert Luis.) The family spirit that has always characterised Tru Thoughts was reflected in the relish with which the artists devised an array of treats to offer on PledgeMusic. From a personalised London Posse dubplate to Youngblood Brass Band’s bass drum, signed Hidden Orchestra memorabilia to bespoke Harleighblu a cappella recordings, a visit to Lost Midas’ LA studio to a Titeknots Remix, signed Quantic test pressings to an originalNostalgia 77 album master reel – to name just a few – the fans and collectors have been spoiled for choice. There are still some offers available to buy; see the full gamut alongside the Box Set at www.pledgemusic.com/projects/tt15.
Launched in 1999 by Luis and co-owner Paul Jonas, Tru Thoughts quickly carved out a niche among discerning fans, winning Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Award for Best Label in the early years; evolving with the times, while staying true to its artists and ideals, the label has cemented a loyal fanbase and increasing mainstream recognition across the globe. “Our 15th Anniversary is a chance for us to celebrate how far we’ve come, but also to look to the future with excitement”, says Robert Luis; “so it feels fitting to be really going to town on this box set, as well as doing something new with Pledge and offering our fans something unique that they can treasure… It was hard whittling down the music for the release, but the end result is a real celebration of every facet of the label and everything we love about music.”
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