It’s not often to see a record label grow from a small promotional platform to one of the biggest, most exciting imprints in dance music in half a decade. Since its inception in 2010, Black Butter Records has defied all odds, cementing its legacy as one of the UK’s finest labels. While Black Butter Records was started to promote its founders’ artist’s tracks, and to take a stand against “genre-specific” requirements of many other popular labels at the time, the iconic imprint has grown to become one of the most respected record labels in dance music. The UK imprint first made waves in 2010 with the release of RackNRuin’s Soundclash EP with Jessie Ware, but it wasn’t until the release of ‘Feel the Love’ featuring John Newman by Rudimental in 2012, that Black Butter Records shed its doubters and became a premier home for dance music. In celebration of their upcoming Black Butter showcase and official Movement afterparty in Detroit, we’ve highlighted the historic label’s rise to prominence and some of the imprint’s finest artists that will be playing on Memorial Day.
In its five year history, Black Butter Records has been responsible for introducing some of dance music’s finest acts to the world in Gorgon City, Rudimental, Kidnap Kid, and Jess Glynne, in addition to putting out the music of the UK-based, Grammy-winning quartet, Clean Bandit. The imprint emphasizes quality over quantity, only signing very particular acts to their roster, and as a result, Black Butter Records has quickly risen to the top.
With an ear towards the best underground music in dance music, as well as electronic-infused pop music, Black Butter Records has developed a loyal following in the UK and abroad, and in the United States, Black Butter Records seems to strengthen their grip on the hearts of the dance music community with each release they put out, and each party they throw.
During Miami Music Week, Black Butter Records took over the legendary Treehouse nightclub for their first party in America, this festival season. Just a week later, the label ventured north to New York, where they partnered with MATTE to throw an unforgettable party at the Bowery Bank Building. With Detroit’s historic Movement Music Festival on the horizon, Black Butter Records is returning stateside to the Motor City on Memorial Day, where they are throwing the official Movement afterparty, featuring Gorgon City, Kidnap Kid, and a special back-to-back set by MK and Lee Foss.
Considered by many to be Black Butter Records’ crown jewel, Gorgon City has grown from an unknown underground act into superstars in their own right. The release of their debut album, Sirens, buoyed the UK garage duo into superstardom, as their single, ‘Ready for Your Love’, featuring MNEK, dominated the UK charts and was certified Gold. Since the release of Sirens, Gorgon City has embarked on a massive tour, which included stops at Coachella and Creamfields, designed to showcase a brand new, live stage setup.
If Gorgon City is Black Butter Records’ crown jewel, then Kidnap Kid is the UK’s label’s favorite son. After making his Black Butter debut with his 2012 track, ‘Vehl’, which was awarded US iTunes’ “Best Electronic Song of 2012,” Kidnap Kid has made a name for himself with a string of extremely successful singles. Armed with a groovy brand of house music, Kidnap Kid has been a staple at Black Butter events since their inception, and you can be sure that he will not disappoint in Detroit.
While most Black Butter showcases are typically a celebration of their own artists, the official Movement afterparty will be hosting two special guests – the legendary MK and Hot Natured’s Lee Foss, who will be spinning an uncommon b2b set together. MK, who hails from Detroit, is a dance music veteran in nearly every sense of the word. With over 25 years of experience in production, MK has not only made a name for himself in dance music, but has also produced for the likes of Will Smith. Lee Foss, on the other hand, founded the Hot Creations record label alongside Jamie Jones, and produced alongside MK and Anabel Englund on Kinchen’s Electricity EP. This b2b set is sure to impress, and perfectly rounds out the rest of the Black Butter showcase.
Tickets to Black Butter Records’ Detroit Showcase are still available, and you can get them here.
