Tru Thoughts Recordings

Started in September 1999, Tru Thoughts is run by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas and based in Brighton in the UK. The Tru Thoughts Saturday session phonic:hoop at The Enigma, Ship Street, Brighton has continued to provide a genuine alternative to the discerning clubber over the past five years with an array of guests including Jazzanova, LTJ Bukem and DJ Food joining the residents. The Tru Thoughts crew are also responsible for monthly Etch nights at the Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton. The night's feature a mammoth 6 hour set from Ninja Tune's Mr Scruff and are consistently the busiest nights in Brighton.

The label has released albums from Quantic, Bonobo, Jon Kennedy and their When Shapes Join Together series of label artist compilations, as well as a half-century of 12"s and 7"s. The music for their club nights is tagged as jazzbreakshiphopsoulfunkbeatsounds and this is as near as can be defined for the variety of styles they release. The hip hop of Steady, the lush downtempo styles of Bonobo, Flevans and Unitone, the beats and drum sounds of Nostalgia 77 and Natural-Self, the funk of The Quantic Soul Orchestra and The Limp Twins and the dancefloor jazz of Quantic, The Capoeira Twins and Deeds Plus Thoughts make the label continually diverse and consistently intriguing.

Support for the label has been impressive, with DJs from a variety of styles hailing Tru Thoughts as one of the most respected of leftfield labels, this includes LTJ Bukem, Aim, Mr Scruff, Gilles Peterson, Coldcut, Mark B, Kruder & Dorfmeister, John Peel, Tom Middleton, Peanut Butter Wolf and Lemon Jelly. Their music has also been licensed to over 200 compilation albums across the world including the massive selling albums on Ministry Of Sound (Chillout Sessions), Warner (Chilled Ibiza 1&2), the Australian ABC Network (Mix Up) and Cafe Del Mar (Vol 9). Plus albums on the highly respected Compost, Stereo Deluxe, The Big Chill, Outcaste, Water Music (USA) and Beechwood and on compilations from Groove Armada, Kid Loco, Kid Koala, Tim 'Love' Lee and Radio One's Chris Coco and Rob Da Bank. Their music has also featured on a major UK advertising campaign for BT (British Telecommunications) developed by St Lukes, the agency who produced the 'Best Advert Ever', that being the Guinness advert which featured white horses galloping swiftly out of the ocean).

Tru Thoughts have also become well known for developing artists for their own label and also debuting and releasing music from artists who later appear on other respected labels; Ninja Tune (Bonobo, Hint and Treva Whateva), Grand Central (Jon Kennedy) and Warp Records (Chris Clark). Their 'When Shapes Join Together' series and the later 'Shapes' series (initiated with MONO, a collaboration with MTV) highlight some of the most innovative of music in this scene and its diversity and base in jazz, soul and funk. Plus, each album continues to introduce new and exciting music to an increasingly popular area of dance and chilled styles. The latest compilation showcase being Shapes One which features a number of new artists from across the world who have been sending their music to the label.

Autumn of 2003 saw the release of two seminal debuts, namely 'Maps from The Wilderness' from beat maestro TM Juke and 'Tales from Beyond The Groove' from Quantic and Rusty's vocal project 'The Limp Twins'. 2004 was kicked off by debut LP from crate digger Nostalgia 77 with his atmospheric concept album of hip hop beats and twisted jazz; 'Songs for My Funeral'.

Hot on his heels is the debut LP from soul/funk chanteuse extraordinaire Alice Russell, 'Under The Munka Moon' which showcases her work with projects Bah Samba and Kushti as well as offering a broad range of quality collaborations with Nature Boy, TM Juke and of course The Quantic Soul Orchestra. Hold tight for Quantic's seminal third solo offering 'Mishaps Happening' dropping in June 2004.

www.tru-thoughts.co.uk