Fault Radio Label Spotlight: Roam Recordings
Rising out of the infamous incubator that was the 90's Lower Haight scene, SF's Roam Recordings boasts a twenty-year history and a pedigree that's defined by the house movements of the past present and future.
Launched in 2001 as a project of local deep house DJs Jason Peters and Chad Mitchell, Roam began life as a platform for newly-minted local producers to showcase what was happening in SF and the neighborhood at the time. With local contemporaries like Panhandle Records, Nightshift, Transport Records, Soulfood, Greyhound and many more, Roam's entry into the local, national and global arena made an imprint that would see their releases sought after for years to come.
Que Sakamoto release on Roam Recordings featuring the track 'Lalo' in collaboration with NT achieved a Top 5 ranking in Beatport's Indie/Nu Disco Must Hear Chart in March of 2017.
Singles from local artists like Peters himself (then known as JP Soul), Lance Desardi (formerly known as Land Shark among other aliases and currently contributing to Luke Solomon's Power Dance project and his own Legwork 12" releases), Tasho Nicolopulos (longtime producer currently making ambient as It's Own Infinite Flower), SF's live house and techno wunderkind Hesohi, Justin Martin of Dirtybird and Pillow Talk's Sammy D, all of whom contributed to SF house music lore while the label looked further afield to include non-Bay Areans like Andrew Emil, Demarkus Lewis and Rhythm Plate (aka Ant Plate/Yse Saint Laur'ant & Matt Hunt/Goshawk).
After 2004 the label took a hiatus that saw them through the economic downturn of the late 2000s, reemerging in 2013 with Peters at the helm alongside well-known longtime LA DJ and promoter Jeniluv, known for her Making Shapes events. With a new ear towards the sort of indie-italo-techno-disco favored by DJs like Andrew Weatherall (RIP) and Man Power, Roam entered its new phase full-tilt with releases from locals like AM Version, Blue Soul, Tone of Arc and Seattle's Codebase (Force Inc.), and branching out with producers from all over the world including Zombies In Miami, Heretic (Tusk Wax), Aimes (Wonder Stories), Mijo and Rothman's.
This shift brought the label squarely into the future as it pushed further into the digital realm with digi-only releases from 2018 onwards and a techier sound that includes new additions to the roster like Dino Lenny (Hot Creations), The Emperor Machine, DJ Rocca, Lauer, Rodion & Iñigo Vontier. Roam is keeping things moving and grooving with releases scheduled monthly throughout 2020 from Roe Deers, Jonathan Kusuma, Amarcord, FLXXX and more!
Favorite Releases:
