I know it sounds completely obvious and all that but it really does feel like a bit of a landmark to be putting out the 10th Holding Hands record. What started as an outlet to release my own music has become so much more already, namely small family of artists who I believe are writing some of the music exciting dance @loor slammers in the world. Almost everyone on the label is a long time friend of mine, often reaching back 10-15 years and it is a real privilege to be able to put out this amazing music and to watch it get such a great reaction from all you legends out there!
The 10th release comes from two of my best mates, Gallegos who I have known since he came up for a weekend of ridiculousness in my second year at Leeds to stay at another close friend Conor's house. He is one of the best story tellers I have ever met and if you ever get to know him then you can look forward to many a riveting tale. He is also a criminally under appreciated producer and I hope that this release will do something to help get his name onto many more people's lips.
He somehow manages to get the perfect and very difficult to achieve balance of melancholy, ferocity and banging-ness into his music. I find myself playing it when I'm driving home late at night after a show and getting totally transported to places far and wide. One minute you're crying and hugging your best friend along to SHOULDACOULDAWOULDA and the next second you @ind yourself pulling shapes and faces you didn't know you could whilst Blue Mountain or B45 slam you straight in the face.
Baby Rollen is another close friend from Leeds who I have shared a residency with for 8 years at Flux. We have appeared a couple of times together as collab artists, once on Holding Hands for I C Jangle, on Nick Hoppner's Touch From A Distance for Glixen and on Futureboogie for the Beta Burner EP. He is a total genius on the buttons and one of the slickest DJs I know. On top of that he is total joy to write tunes with in the studio (See pouring sparkling water and flicking his finger in his cheek on I C Jangles for further proof) His mix downs are as toit as a tiger and sound reedonkulous in the club. Just check out B45 and Underwater Excursions and see what I am talking about.
These ones are face melters of the highest temperature so please wear the appropriate goggles and masks when listening.