Africanism Sparks Relaunch with Erik Hagleton's 'City Of Gold'

After a few years on ice, Bob Sinclar's Africanism label is making its grand return. Initially launched in 2001 in collaboration with DJ Gregory, the label has now reemerged under the wing of Amsterdam-based record label Armada Music to create a new wave with fresh productions and instant classics, of which Erik Hagleton's 'City Of Gold' is the first.

Constructed from the stuff that legends are made of, Erik Hagleton's 'City Of Gold' goes down the floor-filling road that circles round the Africanism stamp. Juggling smooth, yet groovy percussion loops with deep bass, soft synth swirls and choir-like vocal chants, this track turns any spot into a makeshift dance floor, all in tandem with the excellent remixes from Daddy's Groove and Nico De Andrea.

Since its launch in 2001, Africanism has been a blazing the trail for a large chunk of the House scene with its infectious funkiness, percussion-led sound and African vibe. Having released music from major-league artists such as David Guetta, Martin Solveig and of course Bob Sinclar and DJ Gregory, the label reached a number of commendable milestones, including #1 positions in Billboard's Dance charts in 2005 ('Summer Moon') and 2006 ('Hard') and a golden record in South Africa with 'Africanism 1'. Now restarting in collaboration with Armada Music, Africanism is immediately back on track with an instant House classic from Paris-born, London-based musician Erik Hagleton, who's mostly known for his iconic remix of Basement Jaxx's 'Jump N Shout'.

Bob Sinclar: "Back when we first started the label, the idea was to give DJs something different to play during their sets, something unlike all the commercial, mainstream stuff. That notion still holds true today, but with additional focus on the new generations of music enthusiasts. It's time for young people to discover real House music. It's our duty to guide them into that direction with Africanism, and we're very grateful to Armada Music for believing in us and wanting to join us in this endeavor."

Maykel Piron, CEO Armada Music: "Africanism has always been more than just a label. To us, Africanism has been a fresh wind in the House scene, a label that introduced its own style of music and convinced DJs and listeners to step out of their comfort zone. To be a part of their relaunch truly is an honor for us all, and we're really excited to work so closely together with them on adding some more color to the House scene."

Erik Hagleton: "I've always had an appreciation for percussive African tribal music - it's so fun and timeless - so it made sense for me to reconnect with Africanism for the release of my new single. The inspiration behind 'City Of Gold' actually came from a fond childhood memory. I used to watch a cartoon called 'Les Mysterieuses Citee d'Or', or 'City of Gold', and the melody of the theme was my main inspiration for the track.'

To post a comment, you must register and login.