MN2S Label Services are thrilled to welcome UNI:FI Records to the roster. We spoke with label head Sy Sez, who runs the imprint alongside Jeremy Sylvester and Lord Byron, about their plans for the label’s future.
How long has your label been in operation?
Our label has just launched in May off the back of the event we run in Birmingham.
What inspired you to set up the label in the first place?
It was a conversation between myself Sy Sez, garage legend Jeremy Sylvester and broken beat don Lord Byron. We all play different styles; house, garage, broken beat and afro and we wanted to create an event and a label that encompassed all these different sounds and vibes…
How would you describe your musical philosophy and creative vision?
It’s a mix and blend of all the different sounds we love and represent – house, garage, broken beat, and afro. As we aim to unify all these sounds as one, both on the dance floor at our club night and through our labels releases and artists. We love everything in these genres from the songs to the sample based stuff – as long as the vibe is right, we’re on it!
Tell us about your first release – what was special about that one?
It’s a track by DJ MJ featuring Kayleigh Gibson on vocals entitled Love The Way You Love Me. It’s really special to us because it’s produced by a female and there’s not a lot of female producers out there so it’s great to see and hear. Also MJ is someone who’s played at our parties since they started last summer as she is a fantastic DJ who is so passionate about the music she plays and makes. It’s great to have her on the label. Also on this release it epitomises what we are about as there is different mixes – house, garage and broken beat- Including a remix from garage legend Danny J Lewis.
We’re told that the label is tied into an event series you’re putting on. Can you tell us any more about that?
Our label also has an event which we started in the summer of 2022 at one of the coolest places in Birmingham called ARTUM. This is a record store and art cafe during the day and then an event space in the night time. There is a fantastic energy inside this space. It’s only small and intimate and has a fantastic wooden floor, which the dancers that attend our event love as they can really flex their dance moves!! Sy Sez, Jeremy Sylvester and Lord Byron are the main residents and we then host some diverse and talented DJs, some of which will be appearing on the label with their releases.
What’s been the highlight of your journey so far as a label head?
Well we’re just about to have our launch release, which I talked about above, but some of the music and artists that we have in the pipeline on our forthcoming releases are so exciting. We are starting to really see our vision come together and starting to really feel the unification of all the sounds we love!
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of setting up their own imprint?
Be original. That way you will stand out and not blend into the millions of labels out there. Also, never be afraid to push the boundaries and introduce new sounds and artists to your audience. Lastly, stay consistent and get a solid release schedule in place and don’t do too many releases – let the music breathe.
What lies ahead for your label in 2023 and beyond?
We have some fantastic releases in the pipeline representing all the different sounds we love. We are also going to combine a lot of the producers into the events that we run and start showcasing our releases in the live form at our club nights; so really putting the singers and the producers in the spotlight too with live performances etc. Keep an eye and ear out for us! 😉