Classic Music Company, founded by Luke Solomon and Derrick Carter, has revealed plans for its 30th anniversary celebrations - a tribute to 30 years of club culture, records, and an evolving roster of artists. The label will release a special coffee table book and a three-part vinyl box set, and will host a party to mark the milestone anniversary.
Designed as much for your coffee table as your record shelves, this book is an oral history of three decades of the label, highlighting its sleeve designs and artwork that have possibly secured its place in vinyl collections over the last 30 years. Assembled by David Windmill, one of Classic’s original in-house designers, the book offers an extensive and personal look at the label’s evolution, featuring an introduction by journalist Claire Hughes, foreword by Honey Dijon, and a reflective afterword by Classic co-founder Luke Solomon.
Contributors include the artists who helped shape the sound of the imprint, such as Rob Mełło, Justin Harris, Roy Davis Jr., Isoleè, Pepe Bradock, Doc Martin, Tiefschwarz, Brett Johnson, James Curd, Chez Damier, Home & Garden, and Radio Slave. Additionally, newer members of the Classic family, like Girls Of The Internet, Folamour, Alinka, Floorplan, Sophie Lloyd, Dave + Sam, JT Donaldson, and Seven Davis Jr., also add their voices to the memoir.
Luke Solomon: “Classic means family to me - it’s a collective of like-minded sonic travellers that aren’t willing to conform to mainstream thought. A band of misfits at odds with what is conceived as normality. I’m not one for big celebratory moments, but 30 years felt like a significant milestone, and there’s always been a desire to capture what we’ve done in picture form - creating this book was an opportunity to do just that. The vinyl series that accompanies provides a soundtrack for this trip down memory lane.”
Spanning three decades, the anniversary vinyl series is divided into three parts. Across six records, the collection highlights the past, present, and future of Classic Music Company, from deep house and quirky club experiments to contemporary tracks and collaborations. Each volume is housed in a raw reverse board sleeve, a tribute to Classic’s earliest VA series Seasons, with vibrant and colourful GMUND card stock inner sleeves, embossed and crafted to celebrate the tactile, physical joy of vinyl collecting.
Born from the friendship between Luke Solomon and Derrick Carter, Classic is possibly regarded as one of London’s key house labels. Now, it is Duke Brooks, Classic’s new generation A&R, who has curated the 30th anniversary celebrations. As a DJ, he has had the opportunity to explore the archives under Luke’s guidance and mentorship to share this important piece of dance music history with his peers and lifelong fans.
Duke Brooks: “Classic has been a huge influence on me; it’s shaped my taste in dance music in so many ways. Watching Luke, Honey, and Derrick DJ over the years has been transformative. It’s taught me to take risks and trust in quality music. What began as a tongue-in-cheek name has truly lived up to it, with a catalogue, artists, and artwork that set a standard I hope to carry forward. Classic is most definitely Classic!"
The anniversary will also be celebrated with a special three-room takeover in one of London’s most established clubs (to be announced soon) on Friday, 5 December.
© justaweemusicblog.com
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