URBAN TORQUE TEAM: Jason Moore (Founder & Owner), Leigh Morgan (A&R / Label Manager), Neil Quigley (A&R), Paul Cleary (Design), Tim Hirst (Press), Arielle Fischer (Online PR & Events)
“Like a deadpan Talk Talk with a chord sequences by Johnny Marr” Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl, Buzzin' Fly)
August 3rd 2009 marks the release of pristine electro refrain Your Tiny Mind, the debut single proper from Southend duo Andrew Leary and Oliver Keech aka Relation.
Following a few underground 12”s which won fans in the likes of Laurent Garnier and the BBC, Your Tiny Mind marks Relation’s bid to take over the world at large, appealing to fans of dance, electro/synth pop, quality songwriting and indie alike.
Your Tiny Mind combines elements of classic 80s (and 90s) electro pop with a crisp, modern production sensibility and a white island, sun kissed glow. Remixes come courtesy of Lifelike who takes the clean, bright sound of the original at a starting point for a Balearic and dreamy interpretation.
Lazerdisco achieve the feat of combining 90s breakbeat, LFO, a bit of dubstep and the subtle anthemic quality of the original. Also present and correct is a reggae version from the Diogenes and Eat More Cake’s version, recorded with a live band.
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Relation: ‘Fear of Night’
Debut Album
Urban Torque
August 31st 2009
On August 31st Urban Torque proudly present Fear of Night, the debut album from Southend duo Relation. The stylish Fear of Night combines elements of classic 80s electro pop with crisp modern production. Fear Of Night is filled with songs that on the surface appear simple but on closer inspection reveal lyrical and sonic depths.
Relation have created an album filled with quality songwriting that focuses on themes ranging from the political to the metaphysical. The thought-provoking lyrics are matched by inventive melodies that work together to create evocative soundscapes. Stand-out tracks include the album’s first single Your Tiny Mind, a warning message about the power of the media and Lowest Common Denominator, a critique of free speech under the current government. Fear of Night is filled with provocative songs which will surely cement their place alongside fellow Essex electro alumni.
Andrew Leary and Oliver Keech aka Relation met as children in Essex. Though they both played in bands throughout school and university, the discovery of dance music heroes Orbital and Jeff Mills plus a shared love for the electronic pop giants of the 80s, was the catalyst for the duo to create Superenlightened. This underground, limited run debut single was released to great acclaim from DJs like Pete Tong, Sasha and Laurent Garnier. Superenlightened was also voted the BBC’s Dance Single of the Week.
2009 looks set to be a stellar year for Relation as they play Glastonbury in June and on September 28th release Optimistic, the second single from the outstanding Fear of Night.
Fuelled by the success of the club night of the same name, Urban Torque the label was established in 2002. DJ and promoter Jason Moore set up the label and invited Leigh Morgan, whom he had worked with whilst running Urban Torque club nights at Heaven, London, to join him in his venture. Together they set out to develop a label that would mirror their shared love of deep melodious electronic music and their passion for integrity in the industry. They wanted to share the music they loved, and they wanted to support the artists they believed in without bowing to passing fads and trends.
Leigh and Jason’s escapades with the label began with an inspirational trip to the Miami Winter Music Conference in 2002. Armed with a scorching sampler and a fetching sun-hat for Leigh, the boys won early plaudits from DJs as diverse as Deep Dish, Charles Webster, Sasha, Roger Sanchez, and James Zabiela. Things took off quickly from there, and the label soon gained a reputation for consistency and quality.
Urban Torque's early deep house sensibilities slowly morphed into a more electronic take on the deep; beautiful, emotive music that also impacts heavily on the dance-floor. Things were ticking along nicely, and then came a certain track from a confused Scot posing as a Frenchman.
Francois DuBois's seminal ‘Blood’ and the follow-up ‘I Try’ elevated the label’s status and invigorated Leigh and Jason with a greater confidence and determination to follow through with their vision for Urban Torque. The two of them have invested heavily in artist development and the over-seeing of album projects, and Urban Torque continues to turn-over untouched stones and discover and nurture talented new artists.
Leigh and Jason continue to be in it for the long haul, staying true to their colours and patiently but tenaciously working towards their goals. It’s because of this that Urban Torque has become a benchmark for quality and a reliable source of memorable and enduring electronic music.
Thanks for the support.. Awesome tunes on your player...great vibe coming from your Label. Hope u take the time to listen to our music too. Best wishes from London!!