We spoke to Double Cheese Records head Luyo about running the label, and to pick a mini-playlist of tunes to introduce new fans.

Italy-based label Double Cheese Records showcases different styles of house music, from soulful to deep to afro.

Founded in 2012 and run with love by house artist Luyo, the label hosts established legends like DJ Spen, Opolopo, Kerri Chandler, Ashley Beedle, Boddhi Satva and helps launch groundbreaking young artists too.

We asked label head and DJ-producer Luyo about running the label, and to put together a small selection of tracks from Double Cheese Records that he thinks showcases what the label is all about, and act as a great way for new listeners to get to know it. Here is the interview, followed by the five tracks, and a few words from Luyo about what they mean to him.

MN2S: Why did you start Double Cheese Records? What was your inspiration?

LUYO: After eight years as a resident DJ in the Caribbean, I came back to Europe and was working as a consultant at Tony Records while producing and DJing mainly soulful house. In 2012 these experiences naturally evolved into the desire to create a new reality that would be expression of my values and vision of music and give me the chance to expand my ideas… so Double Cheese was born.

How would you sum up Double Cheese Records’ sound?

For me House music is a language that can express many different feelings. The beauty of a language is in its richness, therefore I’m always interested in embracing and spreading out through the label all the different shades of house music out there, including contaminations with other music genres, which for me makes it even more interesting.

Lately I’m working on a new sound using my soulful roots and bringing them into a more dancefloor friendly deep and afro house world. As the label manager the only thing I require from artists submitting their music is not to stick to any niche sub-genre as I’m open to any influences, and of course high quality productions.

What is the high point of your label-running career so far? Where do you hope to go in the future?

We are currently celebrating 5 years and the 100th release since the launch of the label, and to celebrate this key step we launched a compilation selected and mixed by DJ Spen which is getting major response! I’m in love with every release as they are faith steps you never know where they’re going to get you at… and that thrill wakes me up every morning, super excited for what that day might bring. I’m working hard to build a solid catalogue so that more and more DJs and music lovers can look at Double Cheese Records as a major player. These days the catalogue is so rich I can play a DJ set entirely of music I release through the label, and I’m looking to bring these music selections to all the label’s fans worldwide!

Introducing… Double Cheese Records: The Mini Playlist

1. Jodadji – 7 Mile Soul (DJ Spen & Soulfuledge Remix)

To celebrate our 100th release and 5th year in the business, we asked our mentor DJ Spen to select and mix his favourite cuts from the label’s catalogue. On top of that, the man himself alongside Soulfuledge delivered a huge mix of Jodadj’s ‘7 Mile Soul’.

2. Luyo & Mike ‘Agent X’ Clark – Ancestral (Original Mix)

Now enjoy a completely different slice of the label. The track was our biggest success in 2016, stayed at the top of the Traxsource Afro House chart for more than two months and is also a personal key step in my artistic exploration. Enjoy this 11-minute shamanic journey!

3. Kyle Kim – Heartache No. 9 Feat Gordon Chambers (Ashley Beedle Vocal Mix)

This is our latest release and it just hit #1 on Traxsource Soul/Funk/Disco sales chart… it’s exciting as it’s actually the first record of this genre that we’ve released, but when our artist and good friend Kyle Kim sent this cover of the Disco classic “Heartache No.9”, we knew it was a winner! To have a legend like Ashley Beedle remixing it was just the cherry on top.

4. Djazz Set – Take Five (Luyo ‘Roald & Umberto Tribute Mix)

Another modern classic from the label’s catalogue I’m proud to introduce you. It’s a cover of classic jazz standard “Take Five”. The main difficulty here was to render something written in 5/4 in House music’s four to the floor groove. I guess it definitely worked!

5. Suges – We Belong To The Night (Cee ElAssaad Voodoo Mix)

We approached Suges to license his classic “We Belong To The Night” and when I had to choose the remixers I challenged my brother in Casablanca, Cee ElAssaad. What I didn’t know yet was that he would have delivered such a monster and an Afro House genre-defying remix. Essential.

Find Double Cheese Records on Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud.

For information on MN2S Label Services, including digital music distribution, get in touch today.