Translation Recordings is a drum & bass label based out of Washington, DC and they're about to release Without Borders, their first ever compilation album featuring music from Solar Empire, ASC, Mindmapper, DBR (UK), Marginal, Dub Phizix, Edward Oberon, Grimm & Nusense, Stranjah, Theory, Resound, Thought and Slider & Expose. We spoke to label manager Brian Rogue State to find out more...

Tell us more about your Translation Recordings label...

Translation Recordings is going on its sixth birthday this year and was started in 2004 by myself and Will Griffin. The label was our way of staying involved and contributing back to the scene by showcasing music from new talent and seasoned veterans alike.

In 2008, Will's day job at ESL Music led him to focus more on the DC lounge scene and Steph Ms Disdain stepped in to help manage things. Since then, it's been the two of us, and a small but expanding family of artists that form the creative core of Translation.

Tell us more about your new compilation...

When we conceived the idea for the Without Borders LP, we really wanted to tell a story by showcasing the full spectrum of drum & bass and to expand what folks typically imagine to be the borders of the genre by delivering something that can be listened to at a club, in a car, or on a home stereo.  

This is definitely our most ambitious effort yet and, oddly, the whole thing came together almost naturally, as if the tunes we got perfectly matched the vision. We had a blast working with all the artists who contributed to the overall vibe of the LP and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out!

Why have you decided now is the right time to do a comp?

Because Translation turned six earlier this year and we really felt like the time was right to do something a little more ambitious and personal; to celebrate where we've been and where we are now in the evolution of the Translation Sound.  

How did you go about choosing the artists that appear on the album?

We started from within, and then branched out accordingly. In putting together the compilation, we really wanted to strike a balance between supporting the artists who had previously released music with us, and bringing new artists onto the Translation roster that we've been building relationships with over time.

When is it being released and on what formats?

It will be available on CD for direct sale at the Translation Recordings store on July 19th with a free bonus track download, and it will be followed by a full release in late-August at the usual retail and digital download outlets.  More details on that to follow...

What else do you have coming out soon?

In addition to the album prologue 12" we released on July 5th featuring Denile by Grimm & Nusense and A Chain of Red by Resound, we're really looking forward to the epilogue; a 12" featuring Handmade by Dub Phizix, backed with a Survival remix of Hooked by Slider & Expose coming out later this fall.  

There are a few other high profile remixes lined up for wax, but it's still early days.  We've also got a killer digital line-up including a forthcoming release from LM1, DBR, Flatliners, and Alien Pimp (half of Marginal); an EP featuring Translation veteran Theory and more to come later this year.

What's the next challenge for you?

Continuing to ensure that we put out a physical product at a period in time where more and more people are choosing to download their music.  On the one hand, this trend is making it harder and harder to justify the investment to press a 12" or make a CD. But, on the other, we really believe that you should get something for your money. The whole phenomenon really helps us focus on showcasing an artist's best work, the tunes that we feel will stand the test of time.

Anything else you want to tell us about?

We're proud to be a part of the ever-growing Bassdrive family and we broadcast our show, Translation Sound, live every Monday from 7-8pm (EST) and midnight-1am (GMT). We also put the archives up each week as a podcast that can be subscribed to from our webpage.  

In addition to the weekly sets, we've started a Translation Sessions studio mix series to showcase our artists and friends. We've had mixes from Nusense and Mindmapper so far and our next one is on the way.  The first two were also bundled with free tunes to sweeten the deal, so expect more of this sort of thing in the future... keep it locked!

Without Borders LP (available on CD July 19th) by translationrecordings

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