Soul Heaven Records has never really gone away, owner Fleur Woolford will tell you, but 2013 is, she concedes, a huge year for the label. Back in the supportive arms of Defected, where it once was, Soul Heaven is preparing to evolve its world famous soul-house agenda with a dazzling array of new releases and assured revisits of former classics. Here, Defected’s Ben Lovett speaks to Woolford to ask “what now?”…
The Soul Heaven brand owes its roots to a chance club conversation (shouted, predictably, over loud music) in 2001 between ‘Little’ Louie Vega and original owner Oli White. Both discussed the merits of delivering soulful house music to major event audiences around the world; a concept that hadn’t been fully explored before. White, who was closely aligned to Bobby & Steve and synonymous with promotional DJ agency Zoo Management, approached friends at Ministry Of Sound, prompting the launch of a Soul Heaven night there featuring Bobby & Steve as resident spinners and for a time co owners of the brand.
Soul Heaven’s high-profile stage had been set. Memorable parties would follow, of course, everywhere from America to Australia via Korea, Thailand and even China, and, in 2006, off the back of impressive global dancefloor momentum, an associated label. When Soul Heaven Records did finally arrive, Woolford had been with the brand for three years. Prior to Soul Heaven, she trawled the soul-house circuit as a “dedicated Nineties clubber” before moving into events and launching eclectic club label Hush Hush with husband Kenny Mac and musical partner Craig Smith .
“It was an amazing experience for me,” Woolford describes, “watching this thing grow so positively and so quickly. It was absolutely fantastic. And as I got more involved with the brand, and eventually became owner, it was great to have so many amazing mentors. People like Louie [Vega] and Kenny [‘Dope’ Gonzalez], and then Spen, Kerri Chandler, Terry Hunter, Kevin Hedge [former Blaze man]; these were people I’d originally followed as a club fan, and they had...still have...so much experience.”
Woolford became owner of Zoo Management (and the Soul Heaven events arms) in 2006, and of Soul Heaven Records in 2007, when White decided to pursue other sporting and entertainment interests. The former operation was subsequently renamed SWEntertainments (a nod to one of Louie Vega’s earliest aliases ‘Small Wonders’) and has, Woolford believes, more than fuelled the label’s long sustained success.
“I’m in a fairly unique position, as a promoter, an agent and label owner” she explains. “The events and bookings really tie back into the label. It’s important to see what is working with people so that you keep on the right track. At the same time, if you look at this summer...it’s been amazing. Our Soul Heaven events in Ibiza at Ocean Beach [on the outskirts of San Antonio] and Blue Marlin [on the southern Cala Jondal beach] have been so well received, allowing us to introduce the people we’re working with on the label and that we’re hoping to work with. Beautiful music, beautiful surroundings, it’s been a perfect warm-up for the next few months.”
So what exactly is happening over the next few months? In essence, Soul Heaven Records has moved itself back within Defected’s nurturing sphere of input and influence with a view to massively expanding output and reach – a relaunch of sorts. According to Woolford, house lovers can expect a wave of releases from promising new talents, as well as relevant, stylish re-examination of a back catalogue that includes golden releases from Kerri Chandler, Liquid People and Beaten Soul. The label will look to build a solid, long-term schedule of releases and artist development after last year’s rather drastic deceleration.
“Personally speaking, I never really wanted to leave Defected,” Woolford says. “We were associated for a number of years, even prior to the label launching, and the relationship drove a lot of great music. There were reasons why we did agree to part ways but it’s great to be back. There are a lot of interesting developments happening within house music right now which compliment what we want to achieve, so I think the new set-up makes perfect sense.”
Soul Heaven’s first comeback release will arrive via homegrown soul singer-songwriter Terri Walker, before EP outings by talented up-and-comers Sonny Fodera (Melbourne’s deep, jackin’ finest) and Pablo Fierro (the fast-rising Tenerife DJ-producer). Further material is under consideration from a host of other hot new music-makers, as well as several established favourites. How exactly will the A&R process work this time round?
“Much as it did before” Woolford urges. “We’re like an extended team...a family. I’m totally aware that Defected is a larger operation, one of the biggest independent labels in the UK. They have real credibility musically, but then they’re also renowned for their discipline with marketing and building a brand, and these things are important in today’s industry. When I ran Hush Hush I’ll admit that whilst I thought I had fantastic taste in music, that music didn’t always translate to sales and commercial sense. We were so underground that people didn’t always notice us. Defected have a good sense of things, and they’ll help Soul Heaven make its mark in the future, whilst allowing me personally to make mine, and give my views and direction. I’m looking forward to working with them again.”
A cynic might argue that to some Soul Heaven represents nothing more than old-fashioned house music, treading the same tired chords whilst repeating the same dive refrains of ‘hands in the air’. What is Woolford’s take? Is the label’s revival really doomed to failure in a club climate suited increasingly to experimentation and hybridization?
“I don’t buy that at all, look at what the label has actually released to date” she firmly responds. “By the time I had joined Soul Heaven, the traditional notions of soulful house had already moved on. And there were other big club scenes. We still did really well and had a great following. We ignored what anyone else said because we knew our sound incorporated deep, electronic, soul.... I never understood all of that talk. Yes, I like a diva vocal but more than that I’ve always been drawn to the leftfield, as Hush Hush proves. That’ll still be the case moving forwards.”
She continues: “You also have to look at house today. It is really interesting. Artists and audiences are proving receptive to vocal records again, and melodies and that soulful, uplifting feeling. The scene is making something of a return to those values, and younger crowds are adding their own interesting take. Deeper house is also very important today, but then I’ve always been influenced by that. We’re seeing these younger producers influenced by all of those golden house sounds from 20 years ago and re-interpreting them in often eclectic ways. It reminds me of when I first got into dance music. It’s an exciting, interesting time that will suit Soul Heaven.”
Woolford is very much about evolving what has gone for the label before. What does she think she’s learned from her first Soul Heaven stint as she approaches the brand’s big relaunch? “I’ve learned that the music industry is always going to be wild, political and unpredictable; you have to be continually prepared” she suggests. “The industry has moved from vinyl to digital, which represents a big new challenge in terms of how you best communicate your music and business. Releases have also become marketing tools; no-one tells you about this stuff but you have to be aware of it - there is the music, yes, but also the brand. At the same time, the fact that Daft Punk have released their new album on vinyl and sparked a surge in vinyl sales says everything about our industry...so many twists and turns. These are really exciting times to be doing what we’re doing.”
Working with fresh talent will be absolute priority in Soul Heaven’s brave new world. “Look at Sonny Fodera; he played probably my favourite set in Ibiza this summer” Woolford remarks. “He’s a great young DJ; and he was playing with all these fresh, self-customised edits. He’ll transfer really well to the label. There won’t be any bandwagons or pigeon holes. We’ll be looking for new angles with everything we do.”
And the plan is to keep running and running. Soul Heaven is very much in it for the long haul, patiently building meaningful growth. “There are trends within dance music where it switches between hard and soft, but I’ve always seen clubbers coming back to soulful music; more so when things are harder,” Woolford highlights. “At the end of the day I think we’re all non-stop disco dancers. The emotion of soulful dance music – and that can be any number of things – pulls you in and makes you want to dance. It’s not even soulful dance; it’s soul.”
In addition to the label’s plans, Soul Heaven is already planning several new, compatible events. The first is scheduled for the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) on October 18, featuring club legends Terry Hunter, Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez and Ultra Nate alongside Londoner Sy Sez and flying Dutchmen Marly Mar and Risk Soundsystem; the latter, Soul Heaven’s forward-thinking international residents.
“I’ve had some great Soul Heaven memories over the years. It really is difficult to single one release or party out” Woolford concludes. “But it’s time now to move forwards and bring new angles to the soulful house sound. We won’t just pander to our existing audience... we need to be open-minded if we’re going to get anywhere. I’m hoping our family can grow, and that we can build great tracks, build talk-of-the-town events...build our name over a long and successful period of time. That’d be awesome.”
Heaven-ly in fact...
Words: Ben Lovett
Soul Heaven releases ‘He Loves Me EP’ 30th September
