Label Profile: Offset Music (UK)

Sounds Good - Offset Music label Profile

Ever notice how vinyl albums sound quiet and not as bright as their 12” single brethren? Simply put, this is because the more music that is crammed on to a plate, the lower the overall sound quality will invariably be. An innocuous piece of audio trivia it may be to some, but one label has turned this into one of the central facets of their philosophy – Offset Music.

“We want to everything to as high a standard as possible, so very release only has two tracks,” says Matt Caske, co-founder of Offset, “There are too many labels putting out sub-standard material in terms of sound quality”. Under the attentive ear of Chris Alexander at the mastering desk, this stubborn dedication to clean, crisp sound has set the label apart. Inspired by labels such as Tango, Drop Music and Doubledown as a means to release their own music, George Andrews and Matt Caske nurtured the idea of the label for three years and from their base in Maidstone, England, they began to meet people in the industry with similar outlooks and complimentary skills to their own. When at last all the pieces fitted snugly into place, Offset’s first release, “”Nitelife Original” by Numatik Soul finally hit the shelves and immediately gained support from names such as The Inland Knights, Mark Farina and Chris Lum. They have since broadened their musical spectrum to include a further three releases and are plotting to establish club nights in London and San Francisco, not to mention an ambitious yet forward-thinking venture into the MP3 market that’s already under way.

For more info, check out www.offsetmusic.com

Current Release:

Numatik Soul - Things Happen EP (OSM004)
A-side “Things Happen Original Mix "
B-side “Pulse Of Life Original Mix"

Upcoming Releases:

OSM005 - Artist: Infectious Audio
A-side: Jacobs Groove
B-side: Fresh & Low Remix

OSM006 - Part 1 - Artist: Deep House Souldiers
A-side: Far Away
B-side: Chris Lum Remix

OSM006 - Part 2 - Artist: Deep House Souldiers
A-side: Collecting My Groove
B-side: Offset Remix

OSM007 - Artist: Ross Crouch
A-side: Feel It Original Mix
B-side: Desmet & Diesel Remix

Offset Label Artists -

Numatik Soul (Steve Andrews)

A 12 year veteran of the music scene, Steve has gone from playing raves across South East England to owning his own production company. He continues DJing at warmer venues these days, such as China White and The Scala in London, and overseas in Toronto, San Francisco and Adelaide, Australia. As Numatik Soul, Steve draws from the deeper, more soulful aspects of house music, also producing under a number of guises for different genres. This flexibility as a producer has seen his output featured on some big-selling compilations such as Global Underground, Ministry Of Sound and American DJ.

Andrews (George Andrews)

Consistently fusing a cauldron of techno and house sounds, Andrews has been putting out tracks and remixes on labels such as Moody, Difference, Product and City Lights for the past four years. Now with Offset Music, he is focusing on deeper, funkier house, yet maintaining his signature techy twist. He has seen the music industry from all angles in the past decade, as a producer, promoter, distributor and manager with UK s Plastic Surgery Records. Throw in an ongoing DJ career that has seen his individual melding of hip-hop, electro, techno and house that has gained widespread acknowledgement in the UK and beyond, and you’ve got one accomplished music man.

Deep House Souldiers

Kentucky duo Matthew Brady and Joel J formed Deep House Souldiers after meeting in 2000, and have since honed their style to become one of America’s most individual live acts and production teams. Their percussive rhythms, weaved with live instruments and funky basslines have graced clubs, events and festivals across the US, alongside dance luminaries such as Mark Farina, Richie Hawtin and Joeski. Their debut release on their own Limestone Recordings, “This Is Why We Dance” has been making DJ charts with ease.

The Atwater Syndicate

Based in fames ex-Beastie boys studio Grand Royal, Atwater Syndicate comprises of Jessie Brooks, Todd Resnick and famed keyboardist Sen-Sei. A featured artist on H-Foundations’ “Elements” album, Sen-Sei is a regular guest on West Coast house tracks, including Halo’s “Bluem #1”. Atwater Syndicate have released a double-pack on a Deep Dish’s Yoshitoshi label last October, as well as featuring on the Global Underground “Toronto” CD. Their Offset release “Only For You” has been hammered by the likes of Phil Weeks and DJ Ali.

Ross Crouch

Already taking weekly classical / Spanish guitar lessons by his 8th birthday, as Glasgow’s Ross Crouch reached his teenage years, he began to discover dance music and hasn t looked back. Since then, has been steadily forging a reputation as one of the UK s most exciting up-and-coming producers. His productions first came to light on the Bellboy and Panther labels, where his brand of dancefloor techno and melodic tech house gained immediate support from the likes of Laurent Garnier and Seb Fontaine. Currently pushing a more house-based sound, Ross is drawing from deeper and funkier styles whilst still retaining the drive and energy of his techno productions. This has led to releases on a series of highly regarded labels such as Blaktrax, Kinky Vinyl and Red Melon. With an insatiable appetite for producing quality dance music and an ability to switch effortlessly between numerous genres, it s safe to say that you ll be hearing a lot more from this guy in the future.

Infectious Audio

Initially comprising of brothers Matt & Mike Caske, Infectious Audio has added friends Nathan Doe & Sam McLaren to give the output a deeper collective output. Now, with their production skills carefully honed, the boys are looking forward to their first release on Offset, and lining up releases on other labels also.

Ken Rooney with Aine G