If you don’t know Azuli, then you don’t know house, or so the saying goes. Azuli Records is the UK’s longest running house label and seemingly indefatigable. Even back in 2009 when recession looked finally to have checked its steady, irresistible progress, the London label found new support, new impetus and a way forward.
That forward momentum has been given something of a nitro-boost as Azuli release the 11th instalment of its impactful Global Guide compilation series - as well as a relaunch of their website - and officially kick-start what is planned as a fairly seismic relaunch for the brand in 2011. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves; where did Azuli, this hugely influential clubland force, come from all those years ago?
A young Huddersfield-raised DJ called Dave Piccioni is the answer. Piccioni would relocate to New York in 1986, visiting iconic house haunts Better Days and Paradise Garage whilst developing his own DJ profile at clubs such as WORLD – here alongside Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan and David Morales he provided the weekend’s entertainment for thousands of captivated night owls.
Dave Piccioni
Piccioni returned home to London in 1990, educated, enlivened and determined to share his revolutionary American experiences. Acid house was exploding across Britain but, equally, the sounds of Detroit, New York and Chicago were growing louder there and Piccioni could ‘hear’ a golden opportunity.
He quickly progressed from flogging import ‘twelves’ in the back of a van to taking over Soho record store Blackmarket (now an iconic name in its own right) and then, in 1991, using the store as a base for his own record label plans. Azuli was born….
Azuli’s debut release was Chocolate Fudge single In a Fantasy, a 12” designed and shrink-wrap packaged just like the US dance vinyl flying into the store. Both looking and sounding American, the track took off in a big way. As did the next seven or eight cuts – the hype and PR around those early house tunes might have preceded the sales but Azuli’s international, quality reputation was building and it wasn’t long before Piccioni’s beloved operation was fully motoring.
And motoring in several different house directions…. Azuli’s founding principle might have been soulful American house but, clearly, there was room for manoeuvre, longer-term label strategy allowing for a winning mix of house styles; all underpinned by quality production, rock-solid remixes and current clubland mood.
Hence early 90s soul-house and disco-edged standards such as Jasper Street Co.’s A Feeling, Andrea Mendez’s Bring Me Love and those classic Disco Elements EPs would rub shoulders with deeper moments from Romanthony, peppy beats via Farley & Haller and even ‘speed garage’ grooves courtesy of Indo (R U Sleeping) and Bump & Flex.
The platform was being provided for even bigger and better things towards the end of the decade. Azuli, continually widening its reach, had firmly established itself as a key component in the rise and ongoing development of house and garage music in the UK. But now it was in a position to influence the farthest flung corners of clubland.
Azuli had gained global attention before, but a sweep of late 90s crossover hits including The Face’s Needin’ U (David Morales’ famous 1998 alter-ego,) Eclipse’s Makes Me Love You (1999,) and Afro Medusa’s Latin-piano banger Pasilda (2000) would truly cement its super-international status. All would top mainstream charts around the world and secure Azuli’s reputation as an indie club label to be reckoned with.
Since then, Azuli’s musical tastes have broadened considerably. Several highly-rated compilation series launched by the label – in particular, Choice and the afterhours-vibed Late Night Tales – have embraced everything from hip-hop and ambient to jazz, lo-fi guitar thrash and spoken word. The list of music-makers involved is also impressive – Louie Vega, Derrick Carter, The Flaming Lips, Four Tet, Rae & Christian, Nightmares On Wax, Jeff Mills and John Digweed to name but a few.
A run of tougher, tribal-angled house productions and remixes (by the likes of Deux, Haji & Emanuel and Steve Angello) in Azuli’s most recent years, has complimented further, open-minded compilation outings tied into the label’s extensive international events programme – parties in Ibiza, Mykonos, Miami and Italy - not to mention its growing support of contemporary, boundary-breaking electronic dance music; the latter under the Club Azuli banner.
Club Azuli has, of course, doubled as a marketing rallying point for many of Azuli’s infamous parties, home and abroad, over the years - its bi-monthly shindig at The Cross in North London (clubbers still fondly recall 2007’s closing party with Danny Rampling, Jimpster, Italy’s Ricky Montanari and, naturally Mr Piccioni,) those frequent tours of everywhere from Singapore to Switzerland, and perhaps most memorably, that decadent White Isle residency at El Divino.
Azuli made its Ibiza debut in 2005 and impressed enough to be given El Divino’s prestigious Wednesday night slot. Overseen by Piccioni, and attracting Joe T Vannelli and label signings Pasta Boys among guests, the electro-edged night quickly became Balearic legend and eventually prompted Space to ‘acquire’ Azuli for their Terraza on Fridays.
On top of all that came the fabled secret ‘Beach Azuli’ parties, taking place in all manner of awe-inspiring coastal Ibiza locations and, in 2009, earning qualification from Mixmag as one of the top five beach bashes in the world. The annual parties continue to fuel Azuli’s reputation.
And so back to 2011 and what should prove to be a very big year for the label. Piccioni is still head honcho but Dutch DJ and producer Ricky Rivaro arrives under him as new A&R. Azuli has been given a brand new look and promises a brand new set of album projects, single releases and clubbing events but both Rivaro and Piccioni promise to honour Azuli’s original, game-changing philosophy of releasing quality underground dance music from a refreshing range of producers and remixers.
Azuli presents Global Guide '11 is out now
