User:Rfiction123

SONIC GROOVE RECORDS
Sonic Groove Records label founder Adam “X” Mitchell  in 1995.

Sonic Groove Records is an independent record label founded in 1995 in Brooklyn, New York.

Sonic Groove, the record shop, was owned by techno DJ trio Adam X, Heather Heart, and Frankie Bones. Based in Manhattan, It was an iconic electronic music store focusing on techno and its various incarnations. It was founded in 1995 and the shop closed its doors in 2004.

Background / Groove Records:

After experiencing international success during 1988’s summer of love in the UK, underground house and techno DJ Frankie “Bones” Mitchell decided to bring rave culture back home, across the Atlantic to New York. The best method for achieving the goal was to open a record store that could provide local access to the burgeoning international movement. Now, techno and house music from all over the world had its first dedicated outlet on Avenue U in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Younger brother, and fellow DJ and producer, Adam “X” Mitchell, quickly joined his brother running the shop, and as Frankie explains, “We used the record store as a place where we could break the scene open by giving mixtapes away for free, selling records and not selling CDs," (1)  The shop quickly became a go-to for DJs affiliated with the fledgling sound and provided many DJs who would later become legends with ‘sonic’ weapons for their arsenals.

Sonic Groove Record Store:

As the music scene and rave culture grew exponentially across America, it was time for the next step. The brothers, alongside DJ and writer of Under One Sky fanzine, Heather “Heart” Lotruglio, decided to partner together, and invest in the infiltration of  Manhattan, moving across the Brooklyn bridge; and ending with a vastly upgraded record store based at 41 Carmine St, in its West Village. This was no accident, as the street already possessed status as the home base of Charlie Grappone’s legendary Vinylmania record store, which, at one time in the 80s had even operated  3 separate stores on the block. Adam added “Sonic” to the Groove name, and now complete with a fantastic awning with mysterious verbiage “Futuristic Underground Electronic Experiments” beneath, plus a simple illustration of a beckoning stick figure descending into the unknown, adorning the facade, thus, the beginning of Sonic Groove was successfully launched.

The Sonic Groove philosophy was and still is always based upon the close-knit structure of family. Meaning, many of the same critical principles that the brothers portrayed in their plethora of underground events; such as Storm Rave, 4077, Mental, etc. would be, repeatedly, and without thought, thoroughly exemplified. The customer experience was essential and regularly touted high above all else. The store strove to understand its customers, their specific musical tastes and was uniquely able to cater to those exact preferences. The store was also one of the first to provide a competent mail order experience, at the time, rivaled by none, envied by all. To achieve these means; Heather, Bones and Adam carefully selected their employees, which included: DJ Carlos Tera, an underground acid techno DJ and local favourite from Bay Ridge, DJ/producer Reade Truth who left promotion positions at Mute Records and Antler-Subway Records in order to join and serve as manager. Austrian Mike Reiserer, affectionately known as “Mookie” worked as mail order rep, until Connecticutian Jon Turi took over the role permanently. Dietrich Schoenemann, of Prototype 909 fame, would handle SG Distribution which started in 1998, and other notables, including artists: Casey Hogan, Dinky, J.C, Brennan Green, and latecomer DJ/producer Dan Physics, who stayed with the shop until its final moment.

Sonic Groove Record Store:  Where?House Data-bass

One of the major achievements of the record store was its online database, arguably the first of its kind. Adam X and Reade Truth, both admittedly being catalog freaks, made an interesting decision to upload unavailable records into the online ordering system. They realized there was no opportunity for fans of the music to discover a label in its entirety as once a record sold out, it became unknown and represses were rare. Truth kept handwritten records of all techno releases ever-released by both the label and the country, and once this information was integrated into the ordering system, Sonic Groove became a pre-Discogs source for fans seeking essential information. The lofty self-description on the old SG webpage somehow softly reveals their enthusiasm, “For those unaware; the Databass, started from handwritten notes from the past 15 years, is already a work of rare commemorative and historical value. It will go a long way toward preserving important facts about techno music and its role in the modern-day world. The encyclopedic detail that has been assembled is unequaled for such an extremely difficult subject to gather and study. It provides brief but authoritative histories of all the major labels, their artists, and myriad details on the records involved. Such a compendium of factual data allows a greater understanding of our music and the basic questions as to who makes it, where its from, and how it might be obtained.” (3)  A NY magazine record shop review, pokes fun at the completeness of the strategy, “The almost exclusively vinyl selection of import singles and local labels does include a smattering of CDs relegated to a forgotten corner. Geek alert: LPs are arranged by country.” (4)

Sonic Groove Records Closing:

After the cataclysmic events of 9/11, the store alongside many New York businesses’ faced a tremendous decline. This downwards trend forced the store, to move into its second location, at 206 Ave B. in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Combined with the unmistakable onslaught of digital lMP3s, the vinyl market was indeed experiencing a low point. Many distribution companies were relinquished from further business and eventually the writing was on the wall. “Sonic Groove” the shop would finally close doors on October 27, 2004, almost 15 years from when it began. Stated Adam X: “Come this following Monday Bones Heather & I will be closing the retail part of Sonic Groove. This has been the hardest possible decision thrust upon us since our start. Perhaps the hardest personal decision I have ever made in my life. Times change and all things come to an end however now is the time for new beginnings. Unfortunately breaking new music via retail channels in NYC is not possible due to extremely high overhead and the lack of a proper scene here. Extremely slow record sales on new releases had been evident globally especially after seeing major distribution companies claim bankruptcy such as EFA, Prime, Ideal & Intergrale. All things come to an end and now is the time for new beginnings. With the closure of the shop more time will be dedicated to pushing out our Sonic Groove label.” (5)

Sonic Groove Record Label:

Sonic Groove, the record label was the likely incarnation of an uncompromising electronic vision dutifully pushed forward by Adam X. The highly acclaimed label grew steadily and is today often considered “undoubtedly one of the most important modern electronic music labels in the world” (6) Arriving rather quickly behind the launch of the Sonic Groove Manhattan store, Adam X saw an opportunity to release techno music from not only his immediate Brooklyn DJ friends and family but also the ever-growing international figures he frequently found work with on consistent international DJ endeavors. Key to the sound of the label is Adam X’s basic philosophy “ I listen to a lot of music and I’m very picky about what I want to put out... I’m a curator first and foremost and I started the label to release music I like. I am always listening for artists who will make a sound, even if it’s a classic sound, and improve upon it to make it forward-thinking. Sound production is really important to me. Mix downs that are well balanced are extremely important.“ (7)

Sonic Groove started demurely, with its initial production, an Adam X classic, “Snapped EP” released first in 1995. The production was mixed at Denard Henry’s and Reade Truth’s Jersey City-based PhutreHaus Studio; it was a rare example of downtempo electro from Adam X, subsequent releases include seminal selections from a large cross selection of Brooklyn bases underground artists. Naturally, Frankie Bones would contribute but not before critical contributions from Abe Duque (as Alt An Tagen), Reade Truth, and Dietrich Schoenemann. The label was also responsible for launching the careers of some soon to become international artists. Others received strong A&R support which helped to launch their individual careers: notably, Dinky, Casey Hogan, and Brennan Green. Somehow the consistency in the criteria was often related to that strong Brooklyn / NY theme. Many of these artists, regardless of their birthplace, were based in Brooklyn at the time of release.

Simultaneously, the label also became a conduit for the release of many international artists, some of them clearly established, a feather in the SG cap, such as Dave Clarke, DMX Krew, NYC Survivors, while others got a willing enthusiastic push from Adam X into imminent further greatness, “Neil Landstrumm, Justin Berkovi, Distorted Waves of Ohm”. Of course, many Americans were featured on the label: From re-releases from absolute Detroit legends like Kevin Saunderson, Blake Baxter, more recently Seperate Minds, SG added the works of seminal minds and A&R discoveries like Chris Jackson and REALMZ.

Sonic Groove Records Phase 2:

Silently creeping into the Sonic Groove concept, was Adam X’s increasing fascination with the darker electronic sounds in the EBM / industrial scene. Initial evidence of this change in direction was evident in the 2001 release of Frankfurt’s EBM classic, Force Stacatto, by Olivier Lieb with slamming remixes from Andrew Weatherall and Adam X. The aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy also provided a compilation EP Techno vs Terrorism, which included very dark EBM vibes from Oliver Chestler (The Horrorist) “Blood in the Sand” plus the usual suspects, Adam X, Frankie Bones, and Reade Truth. Soon thereafter, ex-Clock DVA members Dean Dennis contributed a fine EP entitled “Sektor” while staying more on the bass and bleep tip, aggregates the movement of the label to the left. Further experiments did not disappoint, with Adam X signing EPs from industrial legends Click Click and Pankow to the new sub-label imprint, Sonic Groove Experiments. Whether or not the mainstream audience was ready for this is certainly debatable at that time. However, the music scene evolving and morphing as it has done religiously for decade after decade, provided a unique situation, and suddenly the tide had turned.

With the closure of the shop, and the lack of a competent scene in New York, a move across the Atlantic was feasible. And with Adam X’s relocation to Berlin in 2007, it was certain to have an effect on all aspects of the label.

Markedly there is a 2nd incarnation of the label which loosely coincides with a gradual move of its home base to Berlin, Germany. These artists include: Orphx, Maedon, Ancient Methods, Dasha Rush, Crystal Geometry, Rhys Fulber, Diagenetic Origin, Fixmer & McCarthy, Henning Baer, Max Durante, Northern Structures, Monolith, Obtane, Ireen Amnes, Panacea and Rebekah.