Jerome Sydenham (born 1967, Ibadan, Nigeria) is an electronic music producer, DJ and multi-record label owner known for establishing a pan-African electro direction within the house and techno genres.[1]
Born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, he was schooled in his teens in England before migrating to New York City in the early 1980s to further his music interests with his family there.[2] He is now based in Berlin, Germany running a stable of record labels including Ibadan Records as well as actively touring as a DJ and producing music.
Following a recording career, he released an album, Animal Social Club, on Ibadan Records in 2012, followed by a co-production project with Aybee and Ron Trent under the artist name S.A.T. which saw a release of an album of the same name in 2014 to acclaimed reviews.
A&R background
Sydenham was recruited into the A&R division of Atlantic Records in 1989.
In 1994, while at East West Records, owned by Warner Music Group, his underground dance music interests continued to run in tangent with his commercial A&R work as he largely succeeded in crossing dance over to the mainstream with albums by Ten City and Michael Watford. During this time, he also compiled one of the representations of early 1990s deep house with his "Underground Dance Classics Vol. 1" CD showcasing some of the earliest productions from a young Roger Sanchez, Murk and Pal Joey. It was there where he also met Kerri Chandler, releasing one of his records on Atlantic in 1990. The two would continue to be close friends and collaborators later in life along with Dennis Ferrer and Joe Claussell.[3]
A&R achievements
He has received the following gold and platinum records during his A&R involvement at Atlantic Records and East West Records:
Gold records
Yo-Yo – "You Can't Play with My Yo-Yo" feat. Ice Cube (single) (1991)
In 1995 Sydenham founded Ibadan Records in New York City, though it is now run out of Berlin, Germany. The label celebrated its 15-year anniversary in 2010[4]
Says Jerome Sydenham, "There isn't really an Ibadan sound. Ibadan has a principle to make high quality music which covers all areas of electronic music, acoustic dance music, ultimately jazz funk, jazz and maybe even hip hop and R&B".[5]
Jerome Sydenham and his label, Ibadan Records, managed together with Christine Pedersen, is principal to several labels including:
Apotek Records
Avocado Records
Public Service Records
UK Promotions
Selected discography
Ibadan Records LP
2001: Saturday (with Kerri Chandler)
Ibadan Records EPs
2015: Rudra
2013: Sun Ark (with Carl Craig and Lo Hype)
2013: No Shade (with Aschka and Sylvie Floret)2012: Various - Ibadan - Animal Social Club
2012: Argy - Fundamentals
2012: White Light (Remixes) (vs Function)
2012: I Adventure (with No Mad Ronin)
2011: Natural Spray (with Aschka)
2012: Various - Ibadan - Animal Social Club
2012: Argy - Fundamentals
2011: Various - Ibadan - Beginnings Revisited' (Vol 1.)
2010: White Light (vs Function)
2010: Mobile / Skimming / Incense (with Function)
2010: Thick & Thin (with Argy and DJ Said)
2009: Jango 01
2009: Jango 02 (with Nikola Gala and DJ Oji)
2009: Brooklyn Rock (with Nikola Gala)
2008: Ebian (with Texu and Romantic Couch)
2008: Various - Ibadan - Deep Strokes (Vol 2.)
2008: Various - Ibadan - Deep Strokes (Vol 1.)
2008: Various - Ibadan - Pan African Electro (Vol 2.)
2008: Various - Ibadan - Pan African Electro (Vol 1.)
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