zondag 2 januari 2011

HOTSOUND RECORDS

A common misunderstanding within the media is the one of recordlabel DJAX being called the first Dutch recordlabel to release numerous rap acts on lp/cd. Fact is that four years before DJAX released the 24K album in 1990, another Dutch owned recorldlabel called "Hip Hop Records" already started out releasing rap 12"s. As it seems "Hip Hop Records" was a sublabel of "Hotsound Records", a small indy techno/house label from Rotterdam. Owner of "Hotsound Records" was a guy called Erik van Vliet who also owned one of the most respected recordstores in Rotterdam, located at the Pleinweg.

Hotsound recordshop Rotterdam (1986)

Erik van Vliet was also known for his involvement in the synth/italo group LASER DANCE who's 1984 "Lazer Dance" 12" is highly respected within the genre.

"LASER DANCE" in the studio (Erik van Vliet on the right)

In 1986 Van Vliet decided to start releasing rap music because he knew this new music would eventually blow up in The Netherlands. As far as I can tell the following titles got released from 1986 untill 1990:

Extince - Rap around the clock (1986)

I think this was a 7" release only. The recordlabel says "W.M.R." but I'm pretty sure it was released throughout "Hotsound Records".

Mr. Holiday feat. MC Miker G - L.A. against N.Y. (1986)

The best electrofunk track ever to come out of The Netherlands. I'm guessing "Mr. Holiday" is Michiel van de Kuy (the other half of "LASER DANCE") and the dope vocoder rapping is done by MC MIKER G.

Extince feat. Mr. Donald - The milkshake rap (1987)

A very Mantronix sounding track produced by the infamous Peter Slaghuis a.k.a. HITHOUSE (r.i.p.). The track contained some illegal sampling of a Mc Donalds advertising tune.

Extince - The milkshake rap remix (1987)

Due to the illegal sampling the record got remixed and re-released.

Born Free MC - Struggle for jive (1987)

First time on wax for rapper RUDEBOY REMMINGTON. I don't know if RUDEBOY was already in URBAN DANCE SQUAD at this time. The graffiti lettering on the cover is done by DJ ALIEN of Rotterdam rapgroup MOONRUNNERS.

Extince - The girlie girlie prince (1988)

Another Peter Slaghuis production done for EXTINCE

Greyhouse feat. Mellow MC's - Skip to this (1989)

The "Skip to this" track is a wierd combination of hiphouse and ska (!?) but the real winner imo is the track "Down with it" on the b-side, wich is a straightforward hardcore rap track by the MELLOW MC's (CRUSH MC & MIGHTY B) out of Utrecht.

T-Ram - Jump to it (1990)

A hiphouse production. Rapper T-Ram is a total mystery to me.

Funky Rhythms - Gipsy swing (1991)

A 6 track e.p. with mostly hiphouse productions. Rapping by T-Ram and Funky-J.







A few years ago I tracked down Erik van Vliet in Rotterdam because I was after some records from his old catalogue. He was selling science fiction action figures from some backstreet shop....completely out of the music industry as far as I could tell. Cool stories though....one was about Erik witnessing Man Parrish actually making "Hip hop bee bop" in a studio, during a trip he made to NY in 1983. Daaaaamn....the man saw the birth of electrofunk live! Too good of a story not to believe right?


5 opmerkingen:

  1. erik still rules the world of music greating ritchie& donald duck

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    1. Erik van Vliet. Oh yes look at my Stealth Records Catalog more the 160 records after Hip Hop Records, also on Hotsound Records before Hip Hop Records a did like 70 releases, then my label FOOD FOR WOOFERS had 26 cd's releases(so far) then i have some Techno and other weird labels like Haunted House Records, DOR Records and pobally a few more i forgot now ;)

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  2. All this is true, i also threw the first HIP HOP gravity party in Arena on the Kruiskade in Rotterdam, this building became later the Club "NIGHT TOWN" with D.j. Ronald Molendijk who also worked for Erik van Vliet in his most famous Record Store for some years as he later took over the Streetsounds Store at the Nieuwe Binnenweg from Erik, Streetsounds store was a cult hip hop and new wave recordstore at that time, the front outside was one big Gravity show, very unique for that time and most people didn't understand it, many early dance sounds besides Hip Hop came from Erik's brains like the Synth sounds group Laserdance with was noted at Midem festival many times before the millenium as "the first TRANCE sounds ever!" alos Erik's lable STEALTH RECORDS with many early bird sounds never heard before was extreemly unique.

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  3. During my study in Rotterdam (1983 - 1987) I visit your store on the pleinweg to buy special records, I miss that time when I was a young man.

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  4. Yes i was visiting N.Y. USA many times at the New Music Senemar, an Worldwide Music Confention set up by Owner of Tommy Boy Records Tom Silverman how i knew personally, i saw the most crazy things at the convention and the N.Y. Club scene in the '80's! i trying to write a book about it as my live so far is a road off ups and downs, see some succes stories more in the Book released in 2015 Rotterdam in the House, where i got some nice credits about my work i did(finally) also read about my old school days doing Bootleg mix LP releases from 1978 up to 1983 also rare and succesfull, i got them played from example at Studio 54 when my friend Leroy Whashington was D.Jing there in the early '80's, p.s. we're still around releasing soon a NEW Laserdance album and coming also Sisley Ferre album, ofcouse we're doing still ok with our backcatalog like STEALTH Records, Food for Woofers and other labels. thanks for your suport! Erik van Vliet formula_hot@hotmail.com

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