Bedrock Records certainly needs no introduction as one of the current cutting edge Record labels. While many labels struggle to cope with the decline in sales, Bedrock have managed to keep its head well above water with a constant flow of solid releases, that especially in the last year, have displayed plenty of variety. From the first release on the label from the Bedrock duo themselves, to the current showcase of releases that make up the 50th Anniversary collection, Bedrock have brought quality established and upcoming artists to the forefront, such as Steve Lawler, Jimmy Van M, Salt Tank, Randall Jones, Steve Porter and Yunus Guvenen just to name a few. On top of these artists, Bedrock are set to release their first full Artist Albums on the label, with Pole Folder and Brancaccio & Aisher’s albums set to see 2004 releases.

Not only has Bedrock Records seen great success, but the recently established Bedrock Breaks has continued the Bedrock name in great fashion, with quality releases coming from the likes of Momu and Meat Katie. On top of this Bedrock have released quality mixed albums from John Digweed, Chris Fortier, Jimmy Van M and Hyper to cater for the CD market. One such reason for the success of Bedrock is Nick Bates. The man behind the scenes, Nick is the Bedrock label manager, armed with the task of keeping things running smoothly at the London Offices, and outside those confines. We caught up with Nick to find out what it is like to be involved in one of the great labels of our time.

Well Nick, can you explain to our readers what your role is at Bedrock.
Well, I do things pretty much across the board. From licensing, to distribution to dealing with manufacturing and sleeve design, press and marketing. At the end of the day it's pretty much administrative work, the good thing is you're in an arena that you enjoy and have the luxury of working with like-minded people.

How has it been managing one of the most prominent labels in modern dance music?
Being a part of an established name like Bedrock is fantastic from my point of view. In a way it's half the battle won as you only have to mention the name and people not only know where you're coming from and what you're talking about but they are generally keen to work with you. The important thing is not to take that for granted. It's taken a long time, hard work and passion put in by a lot of people and when any of those things are neglected you naturally begin to suffer. You only have to look around to see what has happened to the scene generally to see that. The positive thing is that more often than not I like to thing that hard work and genuine enthusiasm are rewarded.

What is it like working with John Digweed, one of the greatest DJ's of our time?
Nick Muir once said in an interview that the best thing about John is the good will he inspires in other people. I've got to say, it's true and I can't think of much better to say about a person. To work with somebody at the top of their game, not just in DJ'ing, but production and as a label owner, I couldn't really ask for much more.

Where did the idea for the set of remixes for the 50th release come from?
2 of the tracks were bootlegs that the remixers sent in and were so good that after a bit of tweaking we picked up. Basically it was just an idea to mark the 50th release. there's a good deal to be proud of after 50 releases and we wanted to highlight that by doing the etching and the 4 sleeves that have a idea going through them and make them something collectable. I'm a big fan of the power of the overall physical package and the combination of sleeve, vinyl and audio all coming together well. It's something I like to think that Bedrock has always done very well and I think we highlighted that even more with the 50th release.

Layered

What producers can you name that you would love to appear on the label that hasn't done so in the past?
Well, I've said it many times but there is a world of fantastic talent out there just waiting to get their time, but as far as producers around already ... well, all I'll say is that there are some great new names coming to the label in 2004 and I think both them and the people buying the tracks will be pretty happy about it. I know I am.

Can you name your top 5 Bedrock releases?
I'm not sure it would be fair to take 5 and exclude so much good stuff from all the Bedrock releases. All I will say is that I never tire of hearing Hamel & Blackwatch's 'Discotek' which gets regular rotation from me in the office and when I first heard Tom Mangan's 'Chutney' I was in the toilet in a club in Miami and I almost pissed all over somebody in my rush to the dancefloor.

Can you name any labels in particular that you have a high level of respect for?
Personally labels like Compost and Wall of Sound have had a huge impression over time, but in terms of the right here right now there are a few that really seem to be moving in the right direction. Cuba Recordings, Kinky and Whoop! and James Holden's Border Community had fantastic year in 2003 and consistently push things forward. I return to them in my reviewing all the time but the make it easy as the music is so good.

What do you think is the key for a label to maintain a level of success in this industry?
Hard work and enthusiasm. It may sound cliché ridden as fuck but if you're genuinely into the music that you're making or working within then I really believe you'll get your chance. Not only that but as a Mr.Skruff track puts it 'if people see you interested in what you're doing, they'll become interested too'. For a label the same thing applies.

What now for Bedrock - can you give us a hint of the future plans for the label?
2004 is a very exciting year for Bedrock. We've got the Digital Downloads about to drop for a start as well as the first album of many in 2004 in Layered Sounds. Meat Katie's Bedrock Breaks follows pretty quickly around March but it's the single releases that you should really look forward to...!

You can read the reviews of the Bedrock 50th Anniversary releases by clicking on the links below :
Bedrock – Heaven Scent (Yunus Guvenen Remix)
Bedrock – Emerald (Grayarea Speakeasy Remix)
Tijuana – Groove Is In The Air (Low End Specialists Remix)
Saints & Sinners – Pushin’ Too Hard (Official 2003 Mix)

You can also read the review of Bedrock Records - Layered Sounds by clicking here.