PLAYGROUP

Following PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED - the critically-acclaimed run of nine 12” vinyl EPs released this summer over 9 weeks by Trevor Jackson’s much loved PLAYGROUP - a Limited Edition Double CD (and Digital Album) of highlights from the vinyl will be released on December 2nd, via Yes Wave records. The music featured is a collection of reworked demos and unreleased recordings. A hedonistic mix of raw Disco, Dub, Funk, Electro, New Wave & Post Punk that still sound as relevant today as they did when initially recorded for the debut PLAYGROUP album during 1997 - 2001. The sold out run of ‘PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED’ vinyl has been supported by numerous DJs including Four Tet, James Murphy, Gilles Peterson, John Talabot, Optimo, Pedro Winter, Heidi & Laurent Garnier. Several of the tracks were freshly re-edited and tweaked with the assistance of Sasha Crnobrnja from In Flagranti. Ed DMX lends a helping hand on one track, two feature the vocals of Mike Z from the seminal new wave band Crash Course In Science, and a young Kieran Hebden (AKA Four Tet) plays guitar on the album’s final number.

“I started writing demos for what eventually became the Playgroup album at the start of 1997, after an extensive period producing recording and remixing dark hip hop based tracks as The Underdog. I consciously wanted to move in a different direction combining influences from my youth along with inspirations from the foundations of club music, that were barely written about seriously in the mainstream media at the time”, explains Trevor. “Inspired by the hedonistic early days of house, disco, post punk, no wave, electro and dub, these tracks reflect a unique moment in time. The emergence of underground club culture in New York, London, Chicago, Paris and Northern Italy was driven by pioneering DJs playing a wildly diverse soundtrack to a passionate, dance driven and open minded audience. A sensory overload of chemicals, bass, smoke, sweat, sex and danger; a testament to the non-air conditioned, non-i-Phone infested and non- corporate clubbing days of yore.”

PLAYGROUP’S self-titled debut album was released on the Virgin affiliated Source label back in 2001, then re-issued on Trevor’s own Output recordings label in 2003. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with Mojo stating “there will be few better albums this year” and The Face calling it “a shuddering amalgamation of risky disco, punk-funk and early house vibrations”. Rolling Stone described “perfect incandescent pop funk” whilst XLR8R dubbed it “a concept album that does that rare thing - actually delivers”. Featuring Kathleen Hanna, Peaches, Gonzales, Edwyn Collins, KC Flightt, Rowettea, Roddy Frame, Dennis Bovell and Shinehead, the album played a key part in the rediscovery of modern dance music’s foundations rooted in the 80’s underground - something that still powerfully reverberates today.

Trevor Jackson has been working at the forefront of audio and visual culture for over 20 years. The London based Creative Director, moving-image maker, producer and DJ’s work includes countless classic record covers, and has been exhibited at prestigious international galleries/museums like the ICA, the Barbican, and the Guggenheim. Jackson’s iconic Output Recordings label ran from 1996-2006 and helped launch the careers of Four Tet and LCD Soundsystem. Trevor has released a released a 'DJ Kicks' album for !K7 and produced/remixed Metronomy, Massive Attack, U2, The Cure, Tiga, Run DMC, Soft Cell and Dinos Chapman. He has created award-winning artwork for Soulwax, been commissioned to create audio visual works for major brands like BMW, Lexus and Coca Cola, and continues to work as an art director, designer and film maker - most recently for XL recordings signing POWELL and US beat-maker Clams Casino.

‘PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED’ follows the success of last year’s multi-edition album release ‘F O R M A T’ via The Vinyl Factory and media praise his ‘Science Fiction Dancehall Classics’ On-U Sound compilation, and the ‘Metal Dance’ series for Strut.

Jackson DJs internationally at some of the world’s finest clubs, such as Berghain/Panorama Bar, Salon des Amateurs, Robert Johnson, Watergate, The Rex, Lux, Fabric, Oval Space, The Warehouse Project and Red Bull Music Academy. Recent festival appearances include Sonar, Primerva, Bennicassim and Glastonbury, plus's he's played at top galleries including LACMA, The Serpentine and Kraftwerk’s Tate Modern residency. He also hosts a fortnightly radio show on NTS featuring the very best in brand new, alternative underground music titled ‘Music for Sick Minds and Warm Hearts'.