GIDEÖN establishes a new label to “re-establish the lines of queer musical tradition at the heart of House, lost to AIDS and the capitalist desecration of dance music itself.”
The UK’s storied DJ, producer, political activist, and queer dance music icon, GIDEÖN, has now launched his own imprint, Homo-Centric Records — a label set up to showcase his own productions and to amplify the creative contributions of queer artists working in underground dance music.
With a background in music that spans three decades, GIDEÖN has made a name for himself as the co-founder, co-creator, and curator of Glastonbury’s legendary nightlife institution, Block9. In addition to performing regular slots at Berlin’s revered clubbing destinations Panorama Bar, Lab.oratory, and Garten, he also acts as resident DJ and co-booker at one of London’s hottest queer club nights, Adonis.
With a focus on the LGBTQIA+ heritage of house music, Homo-Centric’s mission is to honor and recognize the genre’s indisputable queer, Black, and Latin musical tradition while honoring the scene’s founders and unsung heroes.
GIDEÖN’s debut single for the label, “Aaron Carl Lives On” — now a Beatport exclusive — does just this. With its raw drums, Motor City-influenced bassline, and chopped vocal wisdom from the late Aaron Carl — the pioneering black queer artist from Detroit whom the track pays homage to. Listen below.
The track is only the first taste of GIDEÖN’s forthcoming Ritmo EP, which will drop on Homo-Centric Records this October. “The label is backed up with absolute fire,” GIDEÖN tells Beatport. “The forthcoming collaboration with Mandel Turner and myself has been creating mayhem on the dance floors of New York and London this summer as I’ve been road-testing it. I’ve been writing quite a lot of classic house jams with vocals too. Some serious heat coming soon!”
GIDEÖN’s track “Aaron Carl Lives On” is out now via Homo-Centric Records. Buy it exclusively on Beatport.
