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Music News: Armada Music Relaunches Legendary King Street Sounds & introduces remixes series King Street: Beat Match
The New York-based dance music label ushers in a new era following BEAT’s 2023 acquisition
Armada Music, the biggest independent dance music label in the world today announced the relaunch of King Street Sounds, one of the oldest and most respected independent house music labels in New York City. The label was acquired by the first-ever dance music investment fund, Armada Music’s BEAT Music Fund in 2023. The relaunch encompasses a visual rebrand, the introduction of a remix series titled: ‘King Street: Beat Match’, new frontline releases and a collaborative content partnership with Beatport to tell the story of the label’s rich history through the lens of legacy and contemporary artists.
Following its acquisition of King Street Sounds in June 2023, BEAT and Armada Music have sought to honor the legacy of the label that was founded over thirty years ago, born out of Paradise Garage in New York City, the legendary nightclub that gave rise to the soulful house music movement. Through the continued work of label founder Hisa Ishioka and a dedicated team of dance music experts at Armada Music, a new wave of activity pumps the beating heart of this legendary label, weaving the existing catalog into the modern ecosystem to educate and entertain both new ears and existing fans. The remix series kicks off with Kasango, Demi Riquísimo and Demuja issuing diverse takes on tracks from Dennis Ferrer, Barbara Tucker and Mood II Swing, ranging from Afro house to garage. Remixes land on Friday, April 12, 2024.
London-based Demi Riquísimo, celebrated for his distinctive acid and Italo house influences, brings his signature touch to Barbara Tucker's 'One Desire' featuring Tuccillo. Meanwhile, DJ and producer Kasango offers a vibrant Afro house rendition of Dennis Ferrer and Danil Wright’s gospel house classic ‘Church Lady’. Rounding off the EP, Demuja infuses a garage vibe into Mood II Swing's timeless track 'Closer', featuring Carole Sylvan, adding his own flair to the classic. Find on Beatport HERE
"It’s an honor to be trusted with a track from a house music legend like Barbara Tucker,” said Demi Riquísimo. “I wanted to bring contemporary house elements to the track and a fresh energy into the mix. It's all about bridging the past with the present without losing the essence of the original. I hope people love it!"“House music is my first love, so saying yes to the offer of remixing a track by the legendary Dennis Ferrer wasn’t something I had to think twice about,” added Kasango. It’s an honor and a pleasure to put my stamp on ‘Church Lady’. It’s amazing to see King Street having another moment.”Demuja said: "Putting my spin on a track for such a legendary house act was truly a pleasure; Mood II Swing's music has been a part of my life since I was very young. With numerous versions of 'Closer' already out there, I aimed to offer a unique twist, which ultimately led to the creation of this UK garage interpretation."
The visual rebrand comprises a fresh logo and motion assets, updated artworks for tracks in the label’s catalog, and dynamic new artwork for forthcoming music, all centered on the context and heritage of New York street culture during the 1990s. The redesigned logo maintains the classic "stamp" format, adopting a more minimalist, timeless approach, with subtle incorporation of the iconic crown. Utilizing archive imagery of New York with a low-resolution grainy aesthetic forms the basis of the artwork for new music and motion assets fit for digital platforms, complemented by iconic typography inspired by the city's subway system, reaffirming King Street Sounds' connection to its New York roots. Additionally, existing tracks in the label's catalog receive updated digital artwork that integrates the new branding and typography onto a CD motif, nodding to an era when physical consumption was at its peak.
"Relaunching King Street Sounds signifies a big step for Armada Music and BEAT as we strive to bolster and honor dance music’s existing footprint,” said Maykel Piron, CEO of Armada Music and BEAT Music Fund. “We are incredibly excited to continue to work alongside Hisa to preserve the legacy King Street Sounds holds in dance music while working toward new opportunities as the label evolves.”
“For decades, King Street Sounds has been dedicated to bringing people together with the best of house music,” said Ed Hill, SVP, The Beatport Group. “Collaborating with Armada Music to tell the story of King Street in exciting ways that celebrate this journey has been rewarding. We’re looking forward to highlighting how the label has paved a path for underrepresented artists – and made incredible music along the way."
“We are thrilled to celebrate the rich history of King Street Sounds and breathe new life into the extraordinary music that started it all,” said Hisa Ishioka, label founder of King Street Sounds. “We couldn’t ask for better partners than Armada Music and Beatport to help us usher in this new era, and we can’t wait to see how this collaboration further empowers the label, our creators, and the dance music genre in today’s landscape.”
Elsewhere, BEAT and Armada Music will be running dedicated writing camps, with the first taking place this month to further support and unleash contemporary artists to make their mark on the label.
About BEAT Music Fund
BEAT Music Fund is the world’s first dance music investment company. BEAT stands for Best Ever Acquired Tracks, which seamlessly connects with the company’s mission to acquire and exploit the very best of recording and music publishing catalogs from a range of dance-related genres. Its portfolio includes the master recordings catalog of KMS Records, founded by house and techno legend Kevin Saunderson, as well as ARTY. BEAT’s financial partner is Pinnacle Financial Partners, whose global holdings include music, sports and entertainment ventures. For more information visit us at beatmusicfund.com.
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.
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.
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