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Om Records

Type	Independent Company
Industry	Music
Founded	San Francisco (1995)
Headquarters	665 Third Street Ste.425 San Francisco, CA
Key people	Chris Smith
Products	Dance Music CDs
Website	www.om-records.com

Om Records is a US-based record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music, and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and various compilations. Some of the most notable compilations include Om Lounge and the Mushroom Jazz series. Om's current roster of artists includes Groove Armada, Underworld, Dirty Vegas, Bassnectar, J Boogie, People Under the Stairs, Samantha James, Amp Live, Greenskeepers, Hot Toddy, Wagon Cookin, to name a few. Past artists have included Kaskade, Wolfgang Gartner, Ladybug Mecca, Juan Atkins and Naked Music NYC.

Om Records hosts various nightclub events, and is a frequent resident company at Nikki Beach, Seattle's Trinity, Mansion in Miami, SmartBar in Chicago, Fabric in London, Pacha in New York City and Ibiza, Balance in Los Angeles, Sacred Grounds in Los Angeles, El Divino in Ibiza, The Loft and Fonfone in Barcelona and is a regular at many more of the world's superclubs and the Coachella, SxSW and WMC music festivals.

2010 has seen releases of Groove Armada "Black Light", Underworld "Barking", Hot Toddy "Late Night Boogie", Greenskeepers "Live Like You Wanna Live", Samantha James "Subconscious", Amp Live "Murder At The Discotech", Rocket Empire.

Sub-Labels and Affiliated Labels[link]

Om Records also has a roster of sub labels and affiliated labels.

Child's Play[link]

Child's Play was started in late 2009 with the first release from Amp Live featuring Trackademicks called "Gary is A Robot". The label would go on to feature full album and single releases from the likes of Amp Live, Greenskeepers, Bassnectar, and James Curd. Everyone from Treasure Fingers, Flosstradamus, Juan MacLean, Tommie Sunshine, Bassnectar, RJD2, Mexicans With Guns, Grand Theft, Blu Jemz, Robot Koch, DJ Vadim, and more have contributed to the label with remixes.

Om Hip Hop[link]

The Om Hip Hop imprint was started in 2006 and has seen many hit indie releases including artist albums from Strange Fruit Project, Zion I & The Grouch, People Under the Stairs, J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science, Black Spade, Zeph & Azeem, Colossus, and Thes One. The label has also released a number of 12" vinyl singles from Digable Planet's Ladybug Mecca featuring Kenny Dope and Raheem DeVaughn, Zion I & The Grouch, J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science Feat. Lyrics Born, Strange Fruit Project Feat. Erykah Badu, Zeph & Azeem featuring hip hop legends Marley Marl and Carl G. and E Da Boss featuring Gift of Gab and Lateef The Truth Speaker.

Smoke N' Mirrors[link]

Started in early 2010 as a nu-disco house label, Smoke N' Mirrors has featured singles release from Hot Toddy, Wagon Cookin, Mike Monday, Shiny Objects, and Lance DeSardi. In September 2010, Smoke N' Mirrors released the first full length artist album from Crazy P member Hot Toddy.

Deep Concentration[link]

The original hip hop imprint created by Om back in 1997 featured a series of compilations and 12" singles. Artist featured on the compilations have included Cut Chemist, DJ Swingsett, Prince Paul, Peanut Butter Wolf, X-Men, Mix Master Mike, DJ Spooky, Beat Junkies, Planet Asia, Mass Influence, Crown City Rockers and more.

Colorforms[link]

Colorforms is a 12" vinyl singles label started by Om for breaks, turntablism, and dubstep. The label featured 12"s released from Bassnectar, Ming&FS, Soulstice, and more. The art for the jackets were designed by urban street artist David Flores (artist).

List of artists[link]

The following is a partial list of artists on Om Records.

Artist Albums[link]

• Soulstice - Illusions (2001)
• Andy Caldwell - Universal Truth (2006)
• Rithma - Music Fiction (2000)
• Mark Farina - Air Farina (2004)
• Mark Farina - Connect (2003)
• Colossus - West Oaktown (2005)
• DJ Colette - Hypnotized (2005)
• Kaskade - It's You, It's Me
• Strange Fruit Project - The Healing (2006)
• Zion I & The Grouch - Heroes in the City of Dope (2006)
• Bassnectar - Underground Communication (2007)
• Miguel Migs - Those Things (2007) (on Migs' own 'Salted' label, a sublabel of OM Records)
• Chuck Love - Bring Enough to Spill Some (2007)
• Zeph & Azeem - Rise Up (2007)
• Samantha James - Rise (2007) & Subconscious(2010)
• Underworld - Barking (2010)

See also[link]

• List of record labels

External links[link]

• Official site

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2011)

Miguel Steward, better known as Miguel Migs is a deep house DJ, producer and musician from San Francisco, California.^[1]

Miguel Migs

Biography[link]

Migs began his music career at 18 years old, as a lead guitarist and songwriter for a Santa Cruz local band called Zion Sounds.^[1] The band split up in the mid-1990s, however Zion Sounds' African and Jamaican style is said to have been a major influence in Migs' personal career. After the band dissolved, Migs went on to explore electronic music production thus creating his unique and soulful sound.^[2]

Miguel has produced over 100 remixes to date, including remixes for a number of mainstream artists. Such artists include Britney Spears, Macy Gray and Lionel Richie. Migs has been associated with a variety of record labels, most notably Naked Music Recordings, Salted Music and Om Records.^[1]

In 1998 Miguel co-founded the deep house record label Transport Recordings, along with fellow DJ MFR and Naked Music label director Bruno Ybarra. Migs was credited for his soul-driven vibes and hailed as one of the pioneers of the nascent house and chill-out revival scene alongside Dimitri from Paris and Bob Sinclar as a result of his early foray into Deep House in the late 1990s and early 2000s, releasing several highly sought after singles and remixes under the Petalpusher pseudonym. In 2005 he founded Salted Music, an independent record label.

In early 2008, Migs' Those Things won in The 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Dance/Electronica Album.^[3] In 2009 Miguel Migs' Salted Music won the Independent Music Awards Vox Pop vote for best Indie Label Site.

Record label[link]

In 2004, Miguel Migs started his own record label, Salted Music.^[4] No stranger to independent and major labels, the founding of Salted Music was a more personal venture.

The idea behind Salted is for Miguel Migs to have a creative outlet for releasing forward thinking; soul based electronic music that is not limited in tempo. Not just instituted for Migs’ own creations, Salted is a vehicle for upcoming and well-known artists who come across his path and catch his ear.

Discography[link]

DJ Mixes[link]

• 1999: Nude Dimensions 1
• 2001: Nite: Life 03
• 2002: Nude Tempo One (reached #17 on Top Electronic Albums)
• 2003: In The House: West Coast Sessions
• 2003: Southport Weekender
• 2004: Nite: Life 020
• 2004: 24th Street Sounds
• 2005: House of Om Presents: Get Salted, Volume 1 (reached #20 on Top Electronic Albums)
• 2007: Coast2Coast
• 2009: Get Salted Volume 2

Albums[link]

• 2002: Colorful You (reached #14 on Top Electronic Albums)
• 2007: Those Things (reached #15 on Top Electronic Albums)
• 2008: Those Things Remixed
• 2011: Outside The Skyline

EPs[link]

• 1998: The Mercury Lounge
• 1999: Future Flight
• 1999: Hardnights (with Marc Jellybear)
• 1999: Summer Spectrum (with DJ Rasoul)
• 1999: The Fog City
• 1999: The Night Affair
• 1999: The Roundtrip
• 1999: True Formula (with DJ Rasoul)
• 1999: Very Chic (with Marc Jellybear)
• 2000: Find What's Mine
• 2000: Inner Excursions
• 2000: Take Me To Paradise
• 2001: Friend Of The Blues (with Jay-J)
• 2001: Mi Destino
• 2001: The Soul Selecta
• 2001: Underwater Sessions
• 2002: Dreaming
• 2002: Dubplate Sessions
• 2004: City Sounds Trilogy

References[link]

External links[link]

• Miguel Migs at Myspace
• Salted Music
• Transport Recordings
• Miguel Migs at Discogs

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2011)

Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello performing in Washington, D.C., 2007
Background information
Birth name	Michelle Lynn Johnson
Also known as	Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur Me'Shell NdegéOcello
Born	(1968-08-29) August 29, 1968 (age 43) Berlin, Germany
Origin	Washington, D.C., United States
Genres	Funk, jazz, soul, R&B, hip hop, reggae, rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, rapper
Instruments	Vocals, bass
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Maverick, Reprise, Warner Bros, Shanachie, EmArcy, Decca, Universal, Mercer Street/Downtown
Associated acts	John Mellencamp
Website	www.meshell.com

Meshell Ndegeocello (born Michelle Lynn Johnson, August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career,^[1][2] and has had ten career Grammy Award nominations.^[3] She has been credited for having "sparked the neo-soul movement."^[4]

Biography[link]

Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson in Berlin, Germany, to army lieutenant and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C. where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Oxon Hill High School. In early press releases from Maverick Records her birth year was erroneously listed as 1969. The 1968 birth date has been confirmed through a previous manager and lifelong friend.^{[citation needed]}

Named Michelle Lynn Johnson at birth, Ndegeocello adopted her surname at the age of 17, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili. Meshell Ndegeocello is pronounced Mee-shell N-deh-gay-o-chel-o. Early pressings of Plantation Lullabies were stickered with the instructions. The spelling has changed in the hands of record labels a few times during her career; however, the correct spelling of her stage name is now Meshell Ndegeocello.^[5]

Personal life[link]

Ndegeocello is bisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist author Rebecca Walker. She suffers from photosensitive epilepsy and is susceptible to seizures induced by flash photography when she is performing live. Her son Solomon was born in 1989.^[6] She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work.^[7] She is a Muslim.^[8]

Career[link]

Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C. go-go circuit^[where?] in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Bennie and the Masters, and Rare Essence ^[9] She unsuccessfully tried out for Living Colour's bassist position, vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings. Going solo, she was one of the first artists to sign with Maverick Records, where she released her debut album, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona.

Her biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison's "Wild Night", which reached #3 on the Billboard charts. Her only other Billboard Hot 100 hit besides "Wild Night" has been her self-penned "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)", which peaked at #73 in 1994. Also in 1994, Ndegeocello collaborated with Herbie Hancock on "Nocturnal Sunshine," a track for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time magazine.

She had a No. 1 Dance hit in 1996 with a Bill Withers cover song called "Who Is He (and What Is He To You?)" (briefly featured in the film Jerry Maguire) as well as Dance Top 20 hits with "Earth", "Leviticus: Faggot", "Stay" and the aforementioned "If That's Your Boyfriend.. Last Night)". Ndegeocello played bass on the song "I'd Rather be Your Lover" for Madonna on her album Bedtime Stories.^{[citation needed]} Ndegeocello was also tapped, at the last minute, to perform a rap on the same song. This came after Madonna and producers decided to remove Tupac Shakur's rap (which he did while he and Madonna were dating in 1994), after he had criminal charges filed against him.^{[citation needed]}

Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Lost & Delirious, Batman & Robin, Love Jones, Love & Basketball, Talk To Me, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls,The Best Man, Higher Learning, Down in the Delta, The Hurricane, and Soul Men.

She has appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx, Indigo Girls, and The Blind Boys of Alabama. On The Rolling Stones' 1997 album Bridges to Babylon she plays bass on the song "Saint Of Me". On Alanis Morissette's 2002 album Under Rug Swept, she plays bass on the songs "So Unsexy" and "You Owe Me Nothing in Return". On Zap Mama's album ReCreation (2009), she plays bass on the song "African Diamond".

She can also be seen in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, singing The Miracles' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and The Temptations' "Cloud Nine". In the late 1990s, she toured with Lilith Fair. She also did a remake of the song, "Two Doors Down" on the 2003 release, Just Because I'm A Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton.

Ndegeocello was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[10]

Her song “Tie One On” was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.^[11]

Activism[link]

In 2002, Ndegeocello collaborated with Yerba Buena on a track featuring Ron Black for the Red Hot Organization's tribute album to Fela Kuti, Red Hot and Riot. Proceeds from the album went to various AIDS charities, per the Red Hot Organization's mission.

In June 2010, she contributed a cover of U2's "40"^[where?] to the Enough Project and Downtown Records' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.

In 2010, Ndegeocello contributed to the essay anthology It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller in the vein of the It Gets Better Project.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 1993: Plantation Lullabies (Maverick)
• 1996: Peace Beyond Passion (Maverick)
• 1999: Bitter (Maverick)
• 2002: Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape (Maverick)
• 2003: Comfort Woman (Maverick)
• 2005: The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel (Shanachie)
• 2007: The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (EmArcy)
• 2009: Devil's Halo (Downtown)
• 2011: Weather (Naïve)

EPs[link]

• 2006: The Article 3 (EmArcy)

Singles[link]

This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• 1993: If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) (Maverick)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Meshell Ndegeocello

• Official website
• Meshell Ndegeocello discography at Discogs
• FreeMyHeart, defined as the "definitive" website by Meshell herself
• Extensive audio interview on public radio program The Sound of Young America
• Meshell live at Glastonbury, 1994 footage (pt.1)
• Meshell live at Glastonbury, 1994 footage (pt.2)
• Meshell performance and interview at Weeksville, 2011

Grant at a book signing.

Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years.

In the mid-1980s, Grant collaborated with co-writer Doug Naylor on radio programmes such as Cliché and its sequel Son Of Cliché, Wrinkles for Radio 4 and television programmes such as Spitting Image, The 10 Percenters, and various projects for Jasper Carrott.

The 'Grant Naylor' collaboration, as it had become known, was best known for the creation of the cult science-fiction comedy series, Red Dwarf, which evolved from Dave Hollins: Space Cadet, a recurring sketch within Son Of Cliché. Grant was briefly seen (uncredited) in an episode of Red Dwarf entitled "Backwards" (1989), as a man who 'un-smoked' a cigarette.

In the mid-1990s, the 'Grant Naylor' collaboration was ended when Grant left Red Dwarf after the sixth series, citing creative differences ("... it was basically 'musical differences' ...") with Doug Naylor.^[1] His main reason however, he said, was that he 'wished to have more on his 'tombstone' than Red Dwarf on its own'.

Since Red Dwarf, Grant has written two television series, The Strangerers and Dark Ages, and four solo novels, his most recent being Fat, a satirical look at how obesity is looked upon by society and the media.

Aside from his written oeuvre, Grant has recently taken up the mike on the stand-up comedy circuit with his wryly observed take on life.

Selected works by Rob Grant[link]

Television[link]

• Spitting Image (1984–1986)
• Red Dwarf (1988–1993)
• The 10 Percenters (1994) (pilot)
• Dark Ages (1999)
• The Strangerers (2000)

Books[link]

with Doug Naylor[link]

• Red Dwarf (1989), with Doug Naylor (published under the joint pseudonym Grant Naylor); sometimes referred to as Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers.
• Better Than Life (1990), with Doug Naylor (published under the joint pseudonym Grant Naylor).
• Primordial Soup (1993) Collection of scripts from the TV show Red Dwarf
• Son Of Soup (1996) Second volume of scripts
• Scenes From The Dwarf (1996) Making of Red Dwarf

by himself[link]

• Backwards (1996), a sequel to Better Than Life.
• Colony (2000), a science fiction story about a colony that has long since lost its way.
• Incompetence (2003), a wry detective story set in the near future where incompetence is law.
• Fat (2006), a darkly comic novel about how the media portrays obesity.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Rob Grant at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

This article about a writer or poet from the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Miami Horror
Miami Horror performing at the Big Day Out in Claremont, Australia, 31 January 2010
Background information
Origin	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Electropop, electroclash, synthpop,[1] indietronica, nu-disco
Years active	2007–present
Labels	EMI
Associated acts	Gameboy/Gamegirl
Website	www.miamihorror.com
Members
Benjamin Plant Josh Moriarty Aaron Shanahan Daniel Whitechurch

Miami Horror are an Australian indietronica band from Melbourne, Victoria with a disco-house throwback style. Miami Horror can refer to its producer, Benjamin Plant, or its four-piece live incarnation.

Biography[link]

Miami Horror take influence from dance-pop artists of the 1970s and 1980s such as Prince, E.L.O., New Order and Michael Jackson, as well as progressive rock acts such as Todd Rundgren, Supertramp and Pink Floyd, and combine it with modern production techniques.

In 2007 under the moniker Miami Horror, Plant started with a series of remixes, both bootleg and official that included Stardust's "Music Sounds Better with You" and Tegan and Sara's "Walking with a Ghost", along with contemporary Australian acts such as the Midnight Juggernauts and Grafton Primary.

Plant began his music career early on, producing music at home from a young age, often DJing at house parties and regular weekly Melbourne club nights such as Streetparty and Third Class. He since remixed Pnau, The Presets, Bloc Party, Datarock and The Dirty Secrets in 2008.^[2] Miami Horror has also collaborated with Melbourne electropop group Gameboy/Gamegirl in 2007 and produced the Golden Ghetto Sex EP which featured the single "Sweaty Wet/Dirty Damp", a one-off single that became a leftfield hit in the music blogosphere the same year.^[3]

As Miami Horror, Plant made his commercial debut in 2008 with a five-track EP, Bravado, on Virgin Records. The EP features the song "Don't Be On with Her", for which a promotional video was released online.^[4] Miami Horror has since been signed to EMI Music for distribution in Australia and France.

Miami Horror's live show is augmented by Josh Moriarty (Peacocks, ex-Young & Restless) (guitars, DJ/producer Aaron Shanahan (drums), and Daniel Whitechurch (bass, keyboards, and guitars).^[5] The live incarnation of Miami Horror appeared at the Field Day, Big Day Out, Good Vibrations, 'Groovin The Moo'^[6] and Splendour in the Grass festivals in 2009. The band also supported indie acts Phoenix, Simian Mobile Disco and Friendly Fires on their Australian tours in 2009-2010.^[2]

In late 2009 the band achieved commercial success with their first major single "Sometimes", released as a standalone single and later on their debut album, receiving frequent airplay on radio stations, as well as being played on the club circuit.

Lily Allen was supported by Miami Horror on their 2010 Big Day Out sideshow tour at Festival Hall.

Miami Horror released their debut album Illumination on August 20, 2010,^[7][8] and the singles "Moon Theory" (released April 16, 2010), "I Look to You" and "Holidays".^[9]

The single "I Look to You" featuring Kimbra was premiered by Richard Kingsmill on Triple J's music show on Sunday July 27, 2010. Another single from Illumination, "Holidays" has also achieved success and features Alan Palomo of Neon Indian, who features on three songs on the record.

Members[link]

• Benjamin Plant - production, keyboards, bass
• Josh Moriarty - guitars, vocals
• Aaron Shanahan - drums
• Daniel Whitechurch - keyboards

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Illumination (2010)^[7][10]

EPs[link]

• Bravado (2008)

Singles[link]

• "Sometimes" (2009)^[11]
• "Moon Theory" (2010)^[11]
• "I Look to You" (featuring Kimbra) (2010)^[11]
• "Holidays" (featuring Alan Palomo) (2010)^[11]
• "Summersun" (2011)^[11]
• "Under the Milky Way" (2011) -- cover of The Church hit

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website