To celebrate the relaunch of one of New York City’s most significant house music labels, King Street Sounds, Armada Music and Beatport, will next month unveil a brand-new documentary: House Music Royalty: The Story of King Street Sounds. The film explores the label’s rich history and lasting influence as it begins a new era under the leadership of Armada Music.
Founded by Hisa Ishioka in 1993, King Street Sounds emerged as a transformative force in the global house music scene, rooted in the vibrant underground cultures of NYC and Hisa’s home country of Japan. This compelling 35-minute documentary, filmed across New York, London, Manchester and Ibiza and soundtracked by some of the label's most iconic and influential records from artists such as Kerri Chandler, Dennis Ferrer and Mood II Swing, chronicles the label's evolution from its foundations in NYC's underground house music scene to its worldwide influence. Featuring insights from iconic figures such as Blaze, Barbara Tucker, David Morales, and Ultra Naté, along with contemporary voices like Kasango and House Gospel Choir’s Natalie Maddix, the film journeys through the label’s formative days at the Paradise Garage—the legendary nightclub that gave rise to the soulful house music movement—whilst also looking ahead to its future under the guidance of Armada Music.
"We are so excited to unveil this special documentary that we hope resonates with longtime fans, and introduces new audiences to King Street Sounds’ huge influence,” said Maykel Piron, CEO of Armada Music and BEAT Music Fund. "At this pivotal time for the label, it felt crucial to reflect on the label’s journey and tell its story, and we couldn't have found a better partner than Beatport to bring this vision to life."
“It’s an honor to work with Armada Music to tell the story of King Street Sounds, a label that has been a defining force in house music for decades,” said David Browne, Head of Live at The Beatport Group. “Until now, the story of King Street has only been shared in fragments. With this documentary, our aim is to share a more complete history—one that celebrates not only the label, but also the spirit and cultural roots of house music itself. At Beatport, we’re committed to preserving these cultural legacies while also connecting them to the future of the genre. With our global platform, we’re helping bring this documentary to life by ensuring King Street’s influence continues to inspire and resonate with viewers around the world.”
The documentary is part of the recent relaunch of King Street Sounds by Armada Music, following the label being acquired by Armada Music’s investment arm, BEAT Music Fund, back in June 2023. In addition to the documentary, the relaunch encompasses a fresh visual rebrand and exciting new initiatives such as a remix series 'King Street: Beat Match' featuring innovative reinterpretations of classic tracks; new frontline releases; and catalog vinyl repressings. Elsewhere, BEAT and Armada Music will run dedicated writing camps.
During the 2024 edition of Amsterdam Dance Event, the documentary premiered exclusively at EYE Filmmuseum to artists, media, and individuals connected to the label, both past and present.
House Music Royalty: The Story of King Street Sounds will be available via YouTube on November 14, 2024. Watch the trailer here.
About King Street Sounds
The story of King Street Sounds starts at the Paradise Garage in New York City, the iconic nightclub that birthed the soulful house music movement. Once home to the late DJ Larry Levan, the Paradise Garage has had a major influence on the career choice and artistic style of house royalty such as David Morales, Louie Vega and Junior Vasquez, and was a keystone for the region's LGBT culture, particularly for Black and Latin American men. This spirit, along with the iconic music the Garage cultivated, inspired the foundation of King Street Sounds in 1993.
Japanese founder Hisa Ishioka continues to spearhead the label’s output, maintaining King Street Sounds’ position at the forefront of dance culture. Predominantly focusing on its roots in house music whilst also pushing the sonic boundaries of the label to include Afro, Latin, jazz and tech-infused records, King Street Sounds has a global repertoire with a worldwide following. Household names such as Blaze, Barbara Tucker and Ultra Nate released exceedingly successful records such as ‘Most Precious Love’ and ‘Party Girl’ on the label, while house legends Kerri Chandler and Dennis Ferrer signed their seminal albums ‘Trionisphere’ and ‘The World As I See It’ to King Street Sounds.
Fast forward to today, King Street Sounds continues to honor the legacy of the past thirty years, weaving its music into the modern ecosystem to educate and entertain new ears and existing fans. Through the continued work of label founder Hisa and a dedicated team of dance music experts, a new wave of talent pumps the beating heart of this legendary label.
About The Beatport Group
The Beatport Group is the worldwide home of music for DJs, producers, and their fans. Founded in 2004, The Beatport Group's family of companies includes Beatport, the preeminent store for electronic music DJs, Beatsource for the open-format DJ community, Loopcloud and Plugin Boutique for music producers, ampsuite and LabelRadar for streamlining label management and demo submissions, and Beatport Media Group for brands and fans of DJ culture. The Beatport Group’s portfolio of products includes an array of high-quality audio solutions to choose from, including full song downloads, exclusive content from leading labels, a streaming music service seamlessly integrated into DJ software and hardware (Streaming), and exclusive sound packs and plugins. All of the content is expertly curated on a weekly basis by a global team that helps define DJ culture. With headquarters in LA and London, The Beatport Group’s teams reflect the culture they serve. A passionate collective of music professionals and technologists who serve the DJ and producer communities with pride. Follow Beatport on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 40,000 tracks, built up across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Loud Luxury, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tensnake, THEMBA and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. The label also takes great pride in major achievements such as Armin van Buuren’s GRAMMY nomination for ‘This Is What It Feels Like’, Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ surpassing one billion streams on Spotify and breaking artists such as Lost Frequencies into global stardom.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a truly global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
In 2023, Armada Music launched BEAT Music Fund, the world’s first dance music investment company, that acquires catalogs with the mission of honoring, representing and reinvigorating them. BEAT’s portfolio will continue to grow; in the first six months following its launch, BEAT acquired the catalogs of, among others, electronic music star ARTY, house and techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Records, legendary NYC-based house label King Street Sounds and chart-topping producers Chocolate Puma.