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Labelname:	Platipus

Origin:

Genre:	Trance, House, Progressive

History:
The year is 2003 - the world rocks to the globally accepted sound of trance and electronica, and one of the main culprits is Platipus Records. Not antipodean but firmly UK based, Platipus operates from their studio/office multi-billion pound headquarters in Fulham.

Sometimes, as the thousand or so staff look through the expensive frosted glass windows across the picturesque and highly desirable Michael Road gasworks, their minds wander and they ponder the origins of the illustrious label that supports them and their offspring....

It was back in 1993 that Rave ad salesman Simon Berry (Art Of Trance) began work on the label, from his flat above his favourite EastEnd brothel. Realizing from his neighbours that the world of prostitution had its ins-and-outs, he opted to throw his energies into creating a stable outlet for the music and artists he loved. Simon's love of electronic music had been fired up by an early purchase of a low quality synthesizer from a bloke with a beard out of Fairport
Convention. It was a life changing moment (for Simon, less so for the synthesizer seller presumably). Riding on the vibe of the music he ended up a regular at clubs like Troll, Drum Club and Chemistry.

Fired up, the first Art Of Trance record "Deeper Than Deep" launched the label, immediately identified by a certain quality and depth of production. Indeed this still continues today. It was with early records such as the Union Jack "Two Full Moons And A Trout" and Poltergeist's "Vicious Circles" that resulted in Platipus standing out head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.

The quietly successful and prolific label was rocked however in 94 by the release of a certain record called "Children" by the then unknown Robert Miles. "We were in the Firestone Club in Orlando," explains Simon, "listening to Florida jock Kimble Collins. He dropped one of only two acetates in existence at the time of Robert Miles Children on Italy's DBX. We rushed back to England, signed it and had a hit on our hands. It got so big that we eventually had to sell it on to BMG.

We couldn't handle the volume." Huge wasn't the word. A track that blew the scene open, with everybody and their mother whistling the tune in the street. A huge multi platinum success and the sound of 95. Setting up a more secure basis for the label was perhaps the most important result of this success, enabling album and artist development as well as allowing Simon to indulge more in his original passion (music not the knocking shop).

It was later in the 90's that trance became synonymous with a more banging, European style of production. Although contributing to this scene with the anthemic Ferry Corsten production of Art of Trance's "Madagascar" (an update of the earlier Cygnus X remix), Platipus weren't about to compromise the label philosophy to follow the more
"production line" vibe of the new sound. Tracks like Libra's "Calling Your Name" and Oliver Lieb's various guises maintained the consistent quality of the labels releases. Platipus artists began to look to a new generation for the sounds of the future, Swiss youngster Moogwai's euphoric but subtle sound and Pob's highly advanced progressive tracks being fine examples of the labels philosophy in action.

Moving into the 21st century saw Platipus diving into deeper waters with modern progressive tracks like Innate's "Changes" and Star's "Rock Rose" sounding different to what you might expect but keeping true to the vibe. 2001 highlighted this shift towards the darker and
more tribal orientated sounds, with Praha's "Pachinko" being a stand out track in this genre. The old guard were still in evidence, with Art Of Trance bringing out his first single since "Madagascar", "Killamanjaro". Platipus further embaced the new underground styles with the birth of the Gekko highlight, with tracks from Groovahlic, Rouge and Karuma all hitting hard.

2002 promised and delivered so much more. This was the year when Platipus reached it's landmark 100th release. The label celebrated accordingly by releasing the superb 10 Squared compilation, mixed by globetrotting superstar DJs Parks & Wilson (aka Tilt). 2002 also saw Platipus changing with the times and leaning towards a more streamlined, musical sound. Tracks like 'In My Veins' by Indiana, another alias for Yoshitoshi superstar Dino Lenny, showcased this
vibe perfectly. The label was clearly heading in the right direction as big-name jocks Sasha and Steve Lawler hammered releases like Leama's 'Melodica' and 'Into Sea' by Adam Dived, another Dino Lenny alias.

As for 2003, early indications suggest something of a renaissance with the trance sound that helped popularise the label. Tracks like Kansai's 'Rococco' are already being smashed at clubs like Peach, where Graham Gold has made the track something of an unofficial anthem!!!

Another significant event in any trance DJ's diary is the birth of Platipus:Euro. This new direction for Platipus plans to focus on a slightly tougher and more - would you believe it - European sound! The label launches with an awesome track by M.I.K.E PUSH under his Solar Factor guise, then continues with bombshells from R.O.O.S and trance wunderkinds Neo & Farina. Expect to hear plenty of big things about Platipus:Euro in the coming months.

In the meantime, keep em peeled for more stunning releases from the likes of Jan Johnston, Moogwai and the massive follow-up single from Kansai as well as a new series of chillout albums.

The future's bright, the future's Platipus.

Contact Info:
Platipus Records Ltd.
Unit GM
Cooper House
2 Michael Road
London
SW6 2AD

t: 020 7731 4004
f: 020 7731 0008

Artists:
Rah
Neo & Farina
Terra Ferma
Ratio
Rouge
Praha
Kansai
Jan Johnston
Greg Murray
DJ Patrick Reid
Art of Trance
Jamnesia
Adam Dived
Indiana
Steve Gibbs
Altitude
Moogwai
POB
Quietman
Union Jack

Related interviews:
None

Singles discography:
Adam Dived - Into The Sea	Vinyl	2002
Albion - Air	CD	1998
Albion - Air	Vinyl	1998
Albion - Air 2000	CD	2000
Albion - Air 2000	Vinyl	2000
Albion - Air 2000	Vinyl	2000
Altitude - Tears In the Rain / Marrakech	Vinyl	2002
Ambassador - One of These Days	Vinyl	2000
Ambassador - The Fade	CD	1999
Ambassador - The Fade	Vinyl	1999
Art of Trance - Breathe	Vinyl	2000
Art of Trance - Breathe	Vinyl	1999
Art of Trance - Cambodia	Vinyl	1994
Art of Trance - Deeper Than Deep EP	Vinyl	1993
Art of Trance - Easter Island	Vinyl	1999
Art of Trance - Gloria	Vinyl	1993
Art of Trance - Kaleidoscope	Vinyl	1997
Art of Trance - Killamanjaro	CD	2001
Art of Trance - Killamanjaro	Vinyl	2001
Art of Trance - Killamanjaro	Vinyl	2001
Art of Trance - Love Washes Over	Vinyl	2002
Art of Trance - Love Washes Over	Vinyl	2002
Art of Trance - Madagascar	Vinyl	1998
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Remixes Part 1)	Vinyl	2002
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Remixes Part 2)	Vinyl	2002
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Remixes)	CD	2002
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Remixes)	CD	1999
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Remixes)	Vinyl	2002
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Remixes)	Vinyl	1999
Art of Trance - Octopus	Vinyl	1995
Art of Trance - Octopus (Remixes)	Vinyl	1995
Art of Trance - The Colours EP	Vinyl	1993
Art of Trance - The Complete Madagascar	CD	2002
Art of Trance - Voice of Earth	Vinyl	1999
Art of Trance - Wildlife on One	CD	1997
Art of Trance - Wildlife on One	Vinyl	1997
Catalyst - What?	Vinyl	1995
Chromium - Chrome	Vinyl	1997
Clanger - Seadog	CD	1997
Clanger - Seadog	Vinyl	1997
Conscious - Northern Lights	Vinyl	1998
Dawnseekers - Gothic Dream	CD	2000
Dawnseekers - Gothic Dream	Vinyl	2000
Greg Murray - I Feel Loved	Vinyl	2003
Groovaholic - Bigi Mantra	Vinyl	2001
Groovaholic - Nepal	Vinyl	2001
Humate - 3.1	Vinyl	1998
Humate - 3.1 1998	CD	1998
Indiana - Do You Hear Me	Vinyl	2002
Indiana - Do You Hear Me	Vinyl	2002
Indiana - In My Veins (Disc 1)	Vinyl	2002
Indiana - In My Veins (Disc 2)	Vinyl	2002
Innate - Changes	CD	2000
Innate - Changes	Vinyl	2000
Jamnesia - She\'s My Friend	CD	2002
Jamnesia - She\'s My Friend	Vinyl	2002
Jan Johnston - Calling Your Name	Vinyl	2003
Jan Johnston - Calling Your Name	Vinyl	2003
Jay Welsh - Point One / Heat Rising	Vinyl	2001
Jeux Sans Frontieres - Volume 1	Vinyl	2001
John Occlusion - Psycho Drums	Vinyl	2002
Kansai - Remember This Night	CD	2003
Kansai - Remember This Night	Vinyl	2003
Kansai - Remember This Night	Vinyl	2003
Kansai - Rococco	Vinyl	2003
Karuma - On Y Va	Vinyl	2001
Leama - Melodica	Vinyl	2002
Leama - Melodica (Disc 1)	Vinyl	2002
Leama - Melodica (Disc 2)	Vinyl	2002
Libra pres Taylor - Anomaly - Calling Your Name	CD	1996
Libra pres Taylor - Anomaly - Calling Your Name	Vinyl	1996
Libra pres Taylor - Calling Your Name	Vinyl	2000
Loveclub - The Journey	CD	1997
Loveclub - The Journey	Vinyl	1997
LSG - Hidden Sun of Venus	Vinyl	1997
LSG - Hidden Sun of Venus	Vinyl	1997
Mona Lisa Overdrive - Born to Synthesize	CD	2002
Mona Lisa Overdrive - Born to Synthesize	Vinyl	2002
Mona Lisa Overdrive - Born to Synthesize	Vinyl	2002
Moogwai - A Night Out	Vinyl	1999
Moogwai - Keo	Vinyl	2000
Moogwai - Neon	Vinyl	2003
Moogwai - Neon	Vinyl	2003
Moogwai - The Labyrinth	CD	2001
Moogwai - The Labyrinth	Vinyl	2001
Moogwai - Viola	CD	2000
Moogwai - Viola	Vinyl	2000
Narcotik - Blue / Twelve Miles	Vinyl	1998
Neo & Farina - Someone / Binary Refined	Vinyl	2003
Nicely - A Problem Joe Nicely EP	Vinyl	1993
Paragliders - Lithium	CD	2000
Paragliders - Lithium	Vinyl	2000
Patrick Reid - Goose	Vinyl	2002
Patrick Reid - I-Ching	Vinyl	1999
Pink Elln / Atmo Heart - Elektroniiikkaa	CD	2000
Pink Elln / Atmo Heart - Elektroniiikkaa	Vinyl	2000
Pob & Boyd - Luna	CD	2001
Pob & Boyd - Luna	Vinyl	2001
POB - Boiler	Vinyl	1998
POB - Boiler / Beast	CD	1998
Pob - Essence	CD	2001
Pob - Essence	Vinyl	2001
POB - The Essence / Today	Vinyl	2002
POB - Waah	Vinyl	2000
POB - Waah	Vinyl	2000
POB feat Patrick Reid - Bluebottle / Fly	Vinyl	1999
POB feat X-Avia - The Awakening	Vinyl	1997
Poltergeist - Vicious Circles	Vinyl	1993
Poltergeist - Vicious Circles (Remixes)	Vinyl	1995
Praha pres Xian - Kala Chant	Vinyl	2002
Praha pres Xian - Pachinko	Vinyl	2001
Quietman - Now & Zen	Vinyl	1997
Quietman - Plastic Gourd / Tranquil	Vinyl	1994
Quietman - Shhhh	CD	1998
Quietman - The Sleeper	Vinyl	1998
R.O.O.S. - Instant Moments	Vinyl	2003
Rah - Glow / Wave	Vinyl	2003
Ratio Ft. LDF - You In Me	Vinyl	2002
Robert Miles - Children	Vinyl	1995
Rouge - Dohan Girls	Vinyl	2002
Rouge - Jingalay	Vinyl	2001
Rouge - Jingalay	Vinyl	2001
Rouge - Retro Piano	Vinyl	2002
S.O.L. - Pollenflug	Vinyl	1998
S.O.L. - Quantensprung 1 / Solaris 1 & 2	Vinyl	1999
Salamander - Tempest	Vinyl	1995
Solar Factor - No Return	Vinyl	2003
Star - Rockrose	Vinyl	2001
Technossomy - Chameleon / Elektron Bender	Vinyl	1994
Terra Ferma - Floating / The Scream	Vinyl	1996
Terra Ferma - Lunar Sunrise	Vinyl	1997
Terra Ferma - The Adventures of..	CD	2000
Terra Ferma - The Adventures of..	Vinyl	2000
Terra Ferma - The Wolf	CD	2000
Terra Ferma - The Wolf	Vinyl	2000
Terra Ferma - Turtle Crossing	Vinyl	1997
Terra Ferma feat I-Ching - Obelix	Vinyl	1998
Terra Ferma feat. Katie Ashley - Don\'t Be Afraid	CD	1999
Terra Ferma feat. Katie Ashley - Don\'t Be Afraid	Vinyl	1999
Tremor - Mela Lua	Vinyl	2002
Union Jack - 2 Full Moons & A Trout	Vinyl	1998
Union Jack - Cactus	Vinyl	1994
Union Jack - Cockroach	Vinyl	1997
Union Jack - Cockroach / Yeti	CD	1997
Union Jack - Red Herring	Vinyl	1995
Union Jack - There Will Be No Armageddon	CD	1995
Union Jack - There Will Be No Armageddon	Vinyl	1995
Union Jack - Two Full Moons & A Trout	Vinyl	1993
Universal State of Mind - All Because of You	Vinyl	1996
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 4	CD	1998
Vicious Circles - Vicious Circles	Vinyl	2000
Vicious Circles - Vicious Circles	Vinyl	2000
Virtualmismo - Last Train To Universe	Vinyl	1996
Yello vs Hardfloor - Vicious Games	CD	1999
Yello vs Hardfloor - Vicious Games	Vinyl	1999
Z2 - I Want You	Vinyl	2000

Albums discography:
Art of Trance - Platipus Beginners Guide
Various Artists - A.R.C. Artist Remix Collection
Various Artists - Best of Platipus
Various Artists - Gekko Beginners Guide
Various Artists - Platipus 10 Squared (Mixed by Tilt & Art of Trance)
Various Artists - Platipus Archive 1
Various Artists - Platipus Archive 2
Various Artists - Platipus Archive 3
Various Artists - Platipus Archive 4
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 1
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 1
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 2
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 2
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 3
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 3
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 5
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 6
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 7
Various Artists - Platipus Volume 8
Various Artists - The Art of Chill
Various Artists - Widescreen 16:9 V1
Various Artists - Widescreen 16:9 V1