STMPD RECORDS ONE LOVING FAMILY

Goodboys

Seven years into its existence, Martin Garrix’ STMPD RCRDS has grown from an eagerly anticipated startup label into one of the most in-demand imprints in the industry. Known and appreciated for its consistent quality and variety, the label possesses what it takes to be part of the premier league. It’s common enough to find artists with large fan bases, but much rarer to come across record labels with a strong following and yet, STMPD is one of them. With so many STMPD artists physically getting together on their very own curated stage on Saturday, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to talk to Julian Jordan, Dubvision and Goodboys about their contribution to the recently released ‘STMPD RCRDS X Tomorrowland Music Vol. 2’ EP, and about what being on the label means to them.

Artists First

As the STMPD roster continues to expand, the family also grows bigger and bigger. All the the artists came on board in different ways, but all of them equally appreciate the staff’s artist first, label second approach. “Being with STMPD has really enhanced my career,” says Julian Jordan. “It actually quite uncommon for a label to really care about your career so much, as they are pursuing their own interests too. STMPD, however, help you tell your story as an artist, they help you with your artwork, all of those things.” Dubvision’s Stephan Leicher agrees, also when it comes to the label’s creative and A&R teams, “They are super open-minded, listen to whatever we make, and then honestly tell us what they think. Sometimes they suggest going back to older versions of tracks and things always turn out better when we incorporate their suggestions in our music.”

A Family Studio

Famously, STMPD is more than just a virtual community; its actual headquarters are home to no less than seven recording studios. The properties of the rooms aren’t only appreciated by the dons of the international electronic scene, but also popular with pop and urban artists such as Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, The Black Eyed Peas, Pharrell Williams and The Script, who have all chosen this particular location to record music. And Joshua Grimmett and Ethan Shore, better known as Goodboys, were equally amazed by the quality of the rooms, even if they only recently joined the family. “We’ve only been to the studios once, during ADE,” says Josh. “You can tell they’ve been done well. They treated us to Elton John in surround sound and that was a stunning experience.” The Dubvision boys have already developed a much closer relationship to the studios. “We don’t have a studio of our own and record everything we make in two of the seven rooms. The acoustic treatment is amazing, and the A&R team is just one floor up, which is really convenient.”

Mutual Appreciation

“Everyone keeps a close eye on each other’s work,” says Stephan from Dubvision. “We love Julian’s stuff for its continuous supply of energy. His contribution to the compilation is actually called ‘NRG’. Our own music is also energetic, but it has more breakdowns and is very melodic, so you can’t dance to it continuously. Julian’s music iis different, people keep going once they’re into it.”

The Goodboys, on the other hand, love the sense of not being in a rush that the music of their label mates Matisse & Sadko projects. “Their material makes a lot of sense when you watch them play a show. The songs they write are really clever, and I really admire them for the space they allow in their breakdowns.”

Stmpd X Tomorrowland Music

The STMPD family’s versatility, proficiency with melodies and open-minded approach to music production all come together on ‘STMPD X Tomorrowland Music Vol.2’, which was gradually released over the course of the past few months, starting with ‘P.R.O.G.2’ by Dubvision. Stephan: “It is a continuation of ‘P.R.O.G.’, our contribution to last year’s compilation. We often receive requests for instrumental versions of tracks from other DJs, so they can make their own mash-ups, and for this one it somehow felt good to just keep it entirely instrumental, fitting within the progressive house vein that we’re known for.” The Goodboys’ contribution ‘Rewind’ came about very differently, says Ethan. “We had written a version of this song in Brazil with our friends. There was no production on it yet. Later on, we worked on another track with a friend in San Francisco and then we merged the two, put one on top of the other, made a few tweaks here and there and there it was: our part in this great compilation.”

Want to hear what you just read about?

Stream the compilation here: stmpdrcrds.com/

Merch Alert

The new compilation is dropping together with a new line of brand-new STMPD RCRDS x Tomorrowland tees and hoodies coming in white and black editions. Order yours from store.tomorrowland.com or… try to win one! Send an email to today@tomorrowland.com for a chance to win a t-shirt of your choice. Send us the correct answer to the question: Which two vocalists contributed to the very first STMPD release? Of course, an answer with an original explanation of what you love about the STMPD family stands a better chance!

Label Love

We catch Joey (24) from Tel Aviv and Jess (24) from Miami wearing their brand new STMPD t-shirts as the Goodboys play The Library Stage. “I got into the label because of Martin Garrix and it introduced me to such a strong group of artists from all around the world, who put out such a diverse range of music, all across the EDM spectrum,” says Joey. Jess: “I just love how they’re not afraid to experiment with new sounds. They really try something new all the time and there’s a lot of authenticity to what they do.”

Martin Garrix On Stmpd

“STMPD really started as a platform for us to introduce artists to the world,” says Martin Garrix, the label originator. “There is so much amazing talent out there, and we wanted to create a safe place where these people get access to the tools they need to showcase their music. It’s all meant to help them reach their full potential. We are continuously on the lookout for unique talents who can differentiate themselves from the masses with their sound. We believe that three elements are essential for an artist’s career: getting the right support, continuous innovation, and a strong belief in their own sound.”

“Tomorrowland inspires me to be the best version of myself, and to pass this inspiration on to others.”

People Of Tomorrow

“For me, Tomorrowland is the definition of freedom. You can be who you want in whatever way you want to, and people will love it!”