Tectonic, the bass-led imprint run by UK producer Pinch, aka Rob Ellis (pictured), marks its 20th anniversary this year with the release of Tectonic Sound – a 24-track compilation of brand-new tracks.
As well as label debuts from artists including Beatrice M., Yushh, re:ni, and Flora Yin Wong, and established Tectonic veterans like Peverelist, Om Unit, Appleblim, Kahn & Neek, Shed, and Coki, the compilation represents a look to the future, rather than a nostalgic look at the label’s past – in keeping with its ethos since day one.
“I love to watch and help artists grow, and I’ve always wanted to champion music that should be taken seriously – those are the two main things I love about Tectonic,” Pinch said of the label. “It’s about the importance of the feelings that come from hearing music and sound that gives you something of significance.
“People talk about ‘heads’ in a scene – but it’s led by hearts really. I’ve always tried to follow my heart when it comes to music, and all the releases that come out on Tectonic are from people I trust to do something worth communicating to the world. It feels like Tectonic has been a part of many communities over the years now, and that there is something that binds all the releases together, something that speaks for itself in a way that goes beyond words, something that’s instinctive and immediate that makes you think ‘Tectonic’.”
Pinch himself contributes the opening track, Tectonic Sound, with the producer adding that the current release following on from the Tectonic Plates series of compilations, which tracked the development of the dubstep and bass scenes from their UK origins to a global landscape.
“They were a great set of compilations and I thought about reviving the series, but I realised they’ve had their time. I also thought about just doing a ‘20 Years of Tectonic’ comp, but something about that felt like it was facing back in time,” he said.
“I decided to call the comp Tectonic Sound and bring in a new era of the label. All the tracks here are brand new amazing pieces, and almost all of them were written specifically with Tectonic’s sound in mind, with the exception of 2562’s track [Overcome], which is one of the last tracks he wrote as 2562, over 10 years ago.”
To mark the milestone, a run of Tectonic live events is under way, with showcases set for Manchester and Leeds (in collaboration with Metalheadz), and more dates to come.
Tectonic Sound lands 18 July on download, stream, CD, and a limited edition vinyl box set. More information can be found here.
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