This week sees the issue of 'Universal Grooves', the latest release from Washington, DC label Translation. Available on vinyl, CD and digital, the album features of whole host of 2012's hottest names in bass music. We spoke to Brian from the label about the album and what else is in store for the Translation camp.

 

 

Hey Brian, how are you? What’s the background of the label and what’s been its history so far?
Great and many thanks for the opportunity to talk about our new album. Translation Recordings is based out of Washington, D.C. and is in its eighth year of releases. We have nine vinyl releases, 14 digital releases, and two CDs under our belt.

 

We took a break in the first half of 2012 to redesign our logo and website (by 1910 Design & Communication, Sweden), catch our breath, and map out our plans for the future catalogue. We've got a lot of fun projects in the pipeline!

 

 

Tell us more about the forthcoming album. Who’s featured on it?
Universal Grooves is Translation's second album, and it will be hitting shops on vinyl (bundled with CD album), CD, and digital formats on August 27th, 2012. The album features a diverse set of music from LM1, DLVRY, Mortem, Nuage, Furi Anga, DBR (UK), Theory, Loxy, Mindmapper, Flatliners, Resound, Anile, and ASC.

 

We really wanted to do something unique to showcase the album, so we cut the 12" on transparent blue vinyl to complement the stunning artwork. The bonus for all the vinyl junkies out there is that the CD album is bundled with the 12". You can also get the album on CD or digitally, exclusively on Translation's Bandcamp store until September 10th, when it hits all major digital download outlets (Beatport, iTunes, Juno Download, etc).

 

http://translationrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/universal-grooves-lp-trnslcd002-trnsl009

 

 

How representative would you say the album is of the label?
Our intent with Universal Grooves, as it is with Translation, is to cover a range of styles. We've always focused on bridging audiences by releasing music that can be appreciated by club-goers and home listeners alike. In the future, we'll be pushing into other styles and focusing on putting out quality music regardless of BPM. We'll always stay on the pulse of drum & bass, but there's so much untapped talent!

 

Many of our artists have been spreading their wings into other styles of music including Nuage with his 130 BPM track "Before I Breathe" (featured on the album). DBR (UK) is dipping into hip hop, and Morphy's transformed into the Dubmonger with his new experimental dub project. As with our artists, our musical tastes are growing and evolving.

 

 

What other releases have you guys got planned?
After Universal Grooves, we have a digital release featuring Switzerland-based artists Codeshaper and Dayni, and we've got a special project from the Dubmonger slated for the end of the year. Our next vinyl release is also in the works, and Nuage is working on a solo album for 2013.

 

 

Let us know about the guest mix – who has prepared it and what can we look out for on the mix?
Translation's guest mix is by Nuage, whom we've been working closely with. He's been focusing a lot on bass music lately so naturally, his mix crosses between genres and is representative of what you might hear from one of his live sets. You'll also get to hear samples from the Universal Grooves LP. Our many thanks to him for putting together such a diverse mix!

 

Download the mix below:

 

 

 

Related Links:

• Nuage Guest Mix
• Translation Recordings: Without Borders LP
• Bulb Guest Mix
• Pursuit Grooves Gets Frantically Hopeful
• Zardonic Releases Rare Grooves 3

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