Independent label Movement Records, run by UK soul artists Michael Kiwanuka and Christian Gregory, have signed a major deal with legendary Mississippi based label Fat Possum (famously instrumental in the rise of musicians such as R.L. Burnside and The Black Keys) and Sony Entertainment’s distribution arm RED. 

Fat Possum will be Movement Records’ partner in the USA and will distribute releases through Sony RED’s network, as well as coordinating PR/Marketing and sync opportunities.

First release will be an EP from singer songwriter and Movement co-founder Christian Gregory on 19th August, with further releases soon to follow.

Speaking about the deal, Kiwanuka says:

“Our new partnership with Fat Possum and Sony RED gives us the opportunity to release our records in the USA through a label with a similar ethos to our own. It’s an important step in our story as a new label, and we’re excited to have a US partner with such a great track record who shares our vision.”

Fat Possum is home to the first two albums from The Black Keys, the Hi Catalog featuring all of Al Green’s masters and their new artists this year include Temples and The Districts. They have also released albums from Lissie, Spiritualized and Iggy and the Stooges.

Movement Records’ emphasis on releasing live recordings, captured in one take using vintage instruments and analogue recording equipment lends itself well to the philosophy of Fat Possum, the two labels’ kindred spirits in both character and mission. 

The New York Times' T Magazine premiered the video Gregory’s EP title track and said that it "recalls the classic '70s funk of Bill Withers and Curtis Mayfield."

Listen to Christian Gregory’s forthcoming single ‘Won’t Get Nowhere’ HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @movementrecords / @CGregorymusic

Soundcloud: Movement Records / Christian Gregory

Facebook: Movement Records / Christian Gregory

YouTube: Christian Gregory

Instagram: cgregorymusic

Movement is a new, young label, run by the next generation of soul artists & musicians, creating and releasing great music themselves, shifting the priorities back to simply creating brilliant quality music for the world to enjoy.

The priority of the label is an emphasis on quality of musicianship. Real, talented musicians performing heartfelt music that they have composed and performed themselves, using the same recording techniques as classic records, songs captured in one take etc.

 Inspirations are the great artists, labels and studios of the 60’s & 70’s (Stax / Motown etc), but Movement hope to create their own, modern slant on the genre, taking the very best of their legacy and modernising this sound for the 21st century with their wealth of experience.

 As well as the debut from Christian Gregory, Movement plan to release an album by new band Celeste – an amalgamation of members of Michael Kiwanuka’s band and indie rockers the Mystery Jets – who all met when they were supporting Mumford & Sons on their US Tour.

Quotes from Michael Kiwanuka:

“ Music from the heart goes straight to the heart. Music that can move you is good music and that's what Movement Records are focused on doing”

“The things that I like about music and the things I stand for in music have always made me feel like a bit of an underdog. So it's nice to have people around who believe and strive for the same things.”

“I'd love to release some of my own music through this label someday. At the moment it's not possible but I dream of releasing music on an independent label. Independent labels have always seemed concerned with developing artists careers who are a little off centre that don't fit the mould. I always dream of what kind of music I could be able to put out on a label like that which is why I started this with Christian. Hopefully one day…..”

Quotes from Christian Gregory:

“We all love the process of making records, and we’ve been inspired by the way the artists we love recorded so many legendary albums. The way great soul records used to be recorded is still relevant today, yet many of the techniques used to record them aren’t used any more. We still use those techniques as well as modern techniques, so the result is something fresh and relevant, but also something made with the care and attention to detail that we feel is lacking in many modern recordings.”

“We feel that the sort of records we love that inspired us all to become musicians and artists don’t currently have a vehicle like they used to. We want to create that vehicle through Movement Records, a label which focuses on real musicians and writers who love making records. We have a young team of talent at the label, and we believe that the soul music is timeless. We’re not making ‘throwback’ records, or trying to recreate something, we’re creating something new, using our experience and knowledge of how to make records.”

“Our new partnership with Fat Possum and Sony RED gives us the opportunity to release our records in the USA through a label with a similar ethos to our own. It’s an important step in our story as a new label, and we’re excited to have a US partner with such a great track record who shares our vision.”