Citinite
Encyclopedia
Citinite is a record label
launched in 2006 which specialises in electrofunk. Its artist roster is a mix of new artists, such as Her Bad Habit, Gosub
and Sweat.X, and older artists who helped pioneer the electrofunk genre, such as John Davis and Egyptian Lover
.
The first release on the label, Cazelica, was by Robert O'Dell from Detroit. O'Dell was an occasional collaborator of techno pioneer Juan Atkins
in the 90s and has worked with George Clinton
.
Flashcan, a collection of electrofunk tracks from 1984 by John Davis, was the label’s second release. Davis found infamy in the 90s as one of the real voices behind the pop group Milli-Vanilli and has also worked with Terry Lewis
of The Time
and Babyface.
Gosub's album for the label, Watchers from the Black Universe, was described by DJ Magazine's reviewer Richard Brophy as the electro album of the year, 2007.
Her Bad Habit is an alias of Jimmy Edgar
and his debut release, I Don’t Know (What You’re Doing To Me), featured more live instrumentation than he was previously known for.
Sweat.X are a South African group consisting of Markus Wormstorm
and Spoek Mathambo and their two releases on the label, Ebonyivorytron and I'm That Alley, met with critical success.
The label's retro-futurist ethos is epitomised by 2011's Give It To Me Hot recordings, which invited contemporary musicians to rework songs by the 80s funk group, Sexual Harrassment.
The label is also notable for releasing for the first time on vinyl, “Modernaire” by Dez Dickerson
, a track produced by Prince
which featured in the film Purple Rain
. The track was released on limited edition red vinyl and featured remixes by electro artists such as Egyptian Lover and DMX Krew
.
In 2008, Citinite also began co-hosting occasional special events, the first of which, held in London on 8 August 2008, was a celebration of the Roland TR-808
drum machine and featured 808 State
, Arthur Baker
, DMX Krew and I-f
. The following year, Citinite gained further exposure with their second event, a collaboration with Glasgow's LuckyMe music and arts collective.
Citinite is based in London and New York and run by Manny Zambrano.
Citinite has a sister company called Optigram, specialising in artwork for other record labels, such as Hyperdub
, Warp (record label) and Planet Mu
.
Citinite launched a monthly radio show in 2011 called Nitetrax, broadcast from the London-based internet radio station, NTS.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
launched in 2006 which specialises in electrofunk. Its artist roster is a mix of new artists, such as Her Bad Habit, Gosub
GOSUB
GOSUB is a command in many versions of the BASIC computer programming language. A GOSUB statement jumps to a line elsewhere in the program. That line and the following lines up to a RETURN are used as a simple kind of a subroutine without parameters or local variables.The GOSUB command may be used...
and Sweat.X, and older artists who helped pioneer the electrofunk genre, such as John Davis and Egyptian Lover
Egyptian Lover
Greg Broussard , better known by his stage name Egyptian Lover is an American musician, vocalist, producer and DJ, and was an important part of the L.A. dance music and rap scene in the early 1980s....
.
The first release on the label, Cazelica, was by Robert O'Dell from Detroit. O'Dell was an occasional collaborator of techno pioneer Juan Atkins
Juan Atkins
Juan Atkins is an American musician. He is widely credited as the originator of techno music, specifically Detroit techno along with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson...
in the 90s and has worked with George Clinton
George Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
.
Flashcan, a collection of electrofunk tracks from 1984 by John Davis, was the label’s second release. Davis found infamy in the 90s as one of the real voices behind the pop group Milli-Vanilli and has also worked with Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
of The Time
The Time (band)
The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...
and Babyface.
Gosub's album for the label, Watchers from the Black Universe, was described by DJ Magazine's reviewer Richard Brophy as the electro album of the year, 2007.
Her Bad Habit is an alias of Jimmy Edgar
Jimmy Edgar
Jimmy Edgar is a Detroit-based electronic music artist, signed to K7 Records. Influenced mostly by Jazz, funk, street beat and r&b in these early years, he began his musical pursuit by playing the drums in experimental bands and by making tape recordings...
and his debut release, I Don’t Know (What You’re Doing To Me), featured more live instrumentation than he was previously known for.
Sweat.X are a South African group consisting of Markus Wormstorm
Markus Wormstorm
Markus Wormstorm, is a South African electronic musician.Smit moved to Cape Town at the age of 19 , where he has risen to be among the city's leading electronic musicians....
and Spoek Mathambo and their two releases on the label, Ebonyivorytron and I'm That Alley, met with critical success.
The label's retro-futurist ethos is epitomised by 2011's Give It To Me Hot recordings, which invited contemporary musicians to rework songs by the 80s funk group, Sexual Harrassment.
The label is also notable for releasing for the first time on vinyl, “Modernaire” by Dez Dickerson
Dez Dickerson
Dez Dickerson is an American guitarist and singer who was a member of Prince's former band, The Revolution.-Biography:...
, a track produced by Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
which featured in the film Purple Rain
Purple Rain (film)
Purple Rain is a 1984 film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. Prince makes his film debut in this movie, which was developed to showcase his particular talents, hence, the film contains several extended concert sequences. The film grossed more than US$80 million at...
. The track was released on limited edition red vinyl and featured remixes by electro artists such as Egyptian Lover and DMX Krew
DMX Krew
DMX Krew is the recording name of Ed Upton. He has released 6 full albums on Aphex Twin's label Rephlex Records and numerous singles/EPs for both Rephlex and his own Breakin' Records. DMX Krew's sound spans several electronic music genres but had mostly been rooted in early electro-pop/breakdance...
.
In 2008, Citinite also began co-hosting occasional special events, the first of which, held in London on 8 August 2008, was a celebration of the Roland TR-808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
drum machine and featured 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
, Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker (musician)
Arthur Baker is an American record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and the British group New Order.-Early career:...
, DMX Krew and I-f
I-F
I-f is the stage name of Ferenc E. van der Sluijs, a Dutch producer and DJ based in The Hague. He is a former member of the Dutch electro-pioneers Unit Moebius....
. The following year, Citinite gained further exposure with their second event, a collaboration with Glasgow's LuckyMe music and arts collective.
Citinite is based in London and New York and run by Manny Zambrano.
Roster
- Robert O’Dell
- John Davis
- Gosub
- Her Bad Habit
- Sweat.X
- Dez Dickerson
- AD Bourke
- Drive Me Home
Additional featured artists
- Amalia
- Lil’ Kenny
- G.rizo
- Olivier Daysoul
- Spoek Mathambo
- Riky Rick
Miscellaneous
Most Citinite releases are designed by Manuel Sepulveda.Citinite has a sister company called Optigram, specialising in artwork for other record labels, such as Hyperdub
Hyperdub
Hyperdub is a London-based record label, founded and run by Steve Goodman, aka Kode9.Artists who have released on Hyperdub include label owner Kode9 Hyperdub is a London-based record label, founded and run by Steve Goodman, aka Kode9.Artists who have released on Hyperdub include label owner Kode9...
, Warp (record label) and Planet Mu
Planet Mu
Planet Mu is an electronic music record label run by Mike Paradinas . It was based in Worcester until March 2007, then moved to London and has recently relocated to Broadstairs, Kent...
.
Citinite launched a monthly radio show in 2011 called Nitetrax, broadcast from the London-based internet radio station, NTS.
Discography
| Cat # | Artist | Title | Production | Remixes | Format | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NITE-1 | Robert O’Dell | Cazelica | Robert O’Dell | EP & MP3 | 24 Jul 2006 | |
| NITE-2 | John Davis | Flashcan | John Davis | LP & MP3 | 24 Jul 2006 | |
| NITE-3 | Gosub | Watchers from the Black Universe | Shad T Scott | LP & MP3 | 28 May 2007 | |
| NITE-4 | Her Bad Habit | I Don’t Know (What You’re Doing To Me) | Jimmy Edgar | EP & MP3 | 7 Apr 2008 | |
| NITE-5 | Robert O’Dell | The Elite | Robert O’Dell | MP3 | 20 Nov 2006 | |
| NITE-8 | Sweat.X | Ebonyivorytron | Markus Wormstorm | EP & MP3 | 29 Oct 2007 | |
| NITE-9 | Gosub | The Last Time... | Shad T Scott | EP & MP3 | 6 Apr 2010 | |
| NITE-10 | Dez Dickerson | Modernaire | Prince, Complexxion, Egyptian Lover | Hot Persuasion, DMX Krew, Faceless Mind | EP & MP3 | 8 Sep 2008 |
| NITE-12 | Private Stock | Modernaire | Private Stock | MP3 | 10 Nov 2008 | |
| NITE-13 | Sweat.X | I'm That Alley | Markus Wormstorm | Mike Slott | EP & MP3 | 24 Aug 2009 |
| NITE-14 | AD Bourke | Mirage | Adam Bourke | Ulysses82 | EP & MP3 | 22 Nov 2010 |
| NITE-16 | Sexual Harrassment | Give It To Me Hot | Dâm-Funk, Markus Wormstorm, Jimmy Edgar, Robert O'Dell | EP & MP3 | 11 Apr 2011 | |
| NITE-18 | Drive Me Home | Fast Life | Dominik Binegger | Machinedrum, Computer Jay | EP & MP3 | 31 Oct 2011 |