First Word Records
First Word Records
First Word Records was born in 2003 as a collaboration between promoter Aly Gillani and DJ Andy H. Frustrated by not seeing the music they love get the exposure it deserved, the duo decided that there was a gap that needed filling. As the year came to an end a group of musicians, deejays, designers, emcees and producers had come together to cook up the fresh new sound of “Two Syllables”, a debut compilation that was released in April 2004, preceded by a split 12″ from Homecut Directive (ft Corinne Bailey Rae) and Tommy Evans.
Since then, the label has grown to house numerous artists, including kidkanevil, 6ix Toys, French production duo Souleance, The Simonsound, DMC regular Mike-L and the funkiest horn section in the UK, The Haggis Horns. This is music that’s equally at home in the clubs as it is leaking out of your late-night headphones. Like Duke Ellington said – “If it sounds good, it is good”.