Aztec Records

Aztec Records is an independent British record label. It specialises in electronic and pop music, in the subgenres of Synthpop, Synthwave and Retrowave, following the music and pop culture of the 80s. It was founded in 2010 by Laura Fares and Ariel Amejeiras.^[1]

Label Development

The record company has developed and released acts such as: Bright Light Bright Light,^[2] NINA,^[3] LAU,^[4] Zenith Volt,^[5] Sunglasses Kid,^[6] Owlle,^[7] Gryff,^[8] Thought Beings,^[9] Primo the Alien,^[10] Oblique,^[11] Eutropic,^[12] Power Rob,^[13] Surrender,^[14] Wyve,^[15] Mickey Cupid,^[16] Traverse Town,^[17] Maighread^[18] and many others.^[19]

Bright Light Bright Light is Welsh composer/producer and DJ Rod Thomas. His album "Make Me Believe In Hope",^[20] was recorded during two years with different collaborators: Andy Chatterley (Kylie / Nerina Pallot), Boom Bip (Neon Neon) and The Invisible Men (Jessie J).

Laura Fares discovered and developed NINA in 2010, a German singer-songwriter based in Berlin, with whom she formed a band until 2019. Aztec Records released NINA’s first single "Take Me Away", a pop dance song, in 2011.^[21] The label has also produced and released NINA’s first two albums ‘Sleepwalking’ (2018) and ‘Synthian’ (2020), with producers like Richard X, Oscillian, Ricky Wilde and Sunglasses Kid.

In 2012, Aztec Records teamed up with EQ Music Blog to organize the first Poptronik Festival in Sitges, Spain, featuring Andy Bell of Erasure, Monarchy, Simon Curtis, Markus Riva, superstar producer Fernando Garibay and other international artists, and a compilation was released for that event.^[22]

The label has more than 25 international artists on their roster and releases new music weekly. The label also releases different compilations regularly, like “Pure Synthwave” which was curated by NINA herself,^[23] “Pure Darkwave”, “Pure Retrowave”, “Pure Synthpop” and more recently “Pure Latin Synth”, that inspired Ariel and Laura to start a Latin American branch, based in Argentina.

In 2020 Aztec Records launched their Spanish speaking sub-label called Aztec Latin, which specialises in pop and electronic music purely in Spanish. Artists include: Ignacia,^[24][25] Jaz Oil,^[26] Locker, Verona, Caseti, Mandy Barrón, Kush Mama, The Broken Flowers Project and others.

Aztec Music Publishing is the publishing branch of Aztec Records. It began in 2014 with the idea of expanding its catalog and managing it properly to place it in films, television, games and commercials. Placements include brands such as: Adidas, Hugo Boss, Mercedes Benz,^[27] Uniqlo, Victoria's Secret^[28] and some others.

Discography

References

1. ^ forgedinneon (2020-08-20). "LAU - Simply 'Stunning' | An Interview". Forged In Neon. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
2. ^ Subscribe. "Bright Light Bright Light: ‘I Want To Make Credible Pop Music’". diymag.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
3. ^ Vehling, Aaron (2020-05-28). "PREMIERE: Anthemic New NINA Song "Runaway (ft. LAU)" • Vehlinggo". Vehlinggo. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
4. ^ "LAU Unveils New Music Video Ahead Of Debut Album, ‘BELIEVER’ « American Songwriter". American Songwriter. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
5. ^ "Video Premiere: Zenith Volt Shares "Heartbeat" And Dishes What Comes Next – Ghettoblaster Magazine". Retrieved 2021-01-19.
6. ^ "Mixcloud". Mixcloud. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
7. ^ "Sunglasses Kid - Chill". www.traxsource.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
8. ^ forgedinneon (2020-11-07). "'Waiting up' with GRYFF | An Interview". Forged In Neon. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
9. ^ "Unsigned Spotlight: Thought Beings". Kill The Music. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
10. ^ "Sunglasses Kid & Primo The Alien – Fixing Me With Love – …". Retrieved 2021-01-19.
11. ^ "Oblique publicarán "Black Heart" en el sello británico Aztec Records" (in Spanish). MondoSonoro. 2020-05-25. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
12. ^ Wilkinson, Kane (2020-12-04). "PREMIERE: Swiss Synth-Wave Trio Eutropic Share New Video For "Awake"". Dusty Organ. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
13. ^ forgedinneon (2020-10-18). "MEGATRONIX - The 'Notorious' men of Powerwave | An Interview". Forged In Neon. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
14. ^ Punknews.org. "Surrender - Surrender". www.punknews.org. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
15. ^ "Wyve : Interview du groupe sélectionné dans la Catégorie Electro / Funk / Hip Hop du GPL 2020 (Musique)" (in fr-FR). MaXoE. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
16. ^ Sensitive, Wonky (2013-04-09). "Wonky Sensitive: Mickey Cupid - Mickey Cupid (EP)". Wonky Sensitive. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
17. ^ "Traverse Town, "More Of Me"". IMPOSE Magazine. 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
18. ^ admin (2011-07-21). "Maighread to play Bump Festival". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
19. ^ Vehling, Aaron (2020-05-24). "5 Synthwave Releases You Need to Check Out Right Now • Vehlinggo". Vehlinggo. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
20. ^ "‘Waiting’ For The ’90s". www.popservations.com. Archived 2020-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
21. ^ "NINA - Take Me Away by Aztec Records". rickyleepotts. 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
22. ^ Rudolph, Raj (2012-04-16). ""This Beat Is Poptronik - Volume One" Compilation by EQ Music and Aztec Records is OUT Now!". EQ Music Blog. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
23. ^ "Aztec Records' recording artist NINA curates compilation". www.brutalresonance.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
24. ^ "Ignacia lanza su nuevo single "Cuando Sea" – QEPD.news" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-01-19.
25. ^ ""Cuando sea": lo nuevo de Ignacia |" (in Spanish). 2020-10-13. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
26. ^ ""Fundamental": Jaz Oil lanza su carrera solista |" (in Spanish). 2020-09-30. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
27. ^ "Mercedes-Benz C-Class – All I Ever Did – TV Advert Songs". Retrieved 2021-01-19.
28. ^ "Victoria's Secret So Obsessed Commercial - Pop Culture Cross-References and Connections on @POPisms", retrieved 2021-01-19

External links

• Official Web Site