“Killer“ – Gilles Peterson

We are finally ready to unveil one of the most exciting projects we have worked on in our label’s history: a new release by legendary disco project Hudson People, best remembered for their essential classic “Trip to Your Mind” — which just received its anniversary issue on our label!

Now it’s time for “Hold On” — a brand-new single featuring several mixes based on an original recording from the late 1980s, with the completely unheard yet incredibly soulful voice of singer Rickey Owens, whom composer and producer Reginald Hudson worked with at the time.

When we first got in touch with Reg Hudson several years ago, we were originally interested in releasing his “Shake It – Make It Loose” album, which he recorded with John Davis (later known as one of the real voices behind Milli Vanilli). While talking about John Davis (RIP) and other great GI singers such as Karl Keaton, Reginald Hudson immediately mentioned Rickey Owens as one of the best singers he had ever worked with.

Of course, we had never heard of him, as none of his music had ever been released. But when Hudson showed us some old demos and sent us the original DAT recordings, we were immediately hooked.

“Hold On” was recorded in or around 1988 with a simple drum machine and keyboard accompaniment — essentially a demo intended to be recorded properly in a better studio. But the vocal performance was simply stunning, complete with beautifully recorded ad-libs. Owens had a truly remarkable, clear voice with an incredible amount of soul. Luckily, Hudson had his old DAT tapes digitized several years ago, so the acapella recordings survived in excellent shape.
We immediately reached out to several producers to create reworks of the track. The 12″ EP compiles some of the most club-friendly of these new mixes — but there is more to come…

First up is Thomas Redfern, a senior producer, professional studio musician and keyboardist from London, UK. His version is a catchy, funky yet deep House track that could easily become a favourite on dancefloors around the globe. Redfern also blessed us with a dub mix that takes things even deeper.
But it gets even catchier. Tom Quick sped up the tempo, added filters and delivered a rework that could make fans of Chromeo, Daft Punk, Stardust and any late-’90s French House afficionado go completely nuts. Yes, we mean it! With a fresh twist on the original, the track has a massive club appeal that we hope both DJs and dancers will dig.

The vinyl single is completed by a mix from German legend DJ Friction, whose version is based on synth layers from the Tom Quick mix. Friction added new drums and bass, giving the track the distinctive modern electro boogie funk vibe he is known for. His mix brings to mind classics such as Shannon’s “Let the Music Play” and works of Freestyle‘s Tony Butler.

For the digital release, we also got Hollis P. Monroe (“I’m Lonely”) on board to lay down the foundation for the Balearic Mix. Monroe created the synth, bass and drum sounds, while Reginald Hudson himself added percussion, trumpet and brass. The track was then arranged by label founder DJ Scientist, who also co-produced the Thomas Redfern mix, with DJ Friction contributing final but important touches during the mixing process.

The digital release also includes the acapella of the Thomas Redfern Mix, offered as a tool for DJs, as well as the original demo version — a brilliant example of late-’80s Funk, complete with drum machine, recorded by Hudson in his home studio.

The vinyl 12″ with 4 mixes is released on The Outer Edge’s brand-new sublabel, 1st Floor Records, which focuses on more dancefloor-oriented material. More mixes are available digitally and should not be missed.

Please note: No generative AI was used in any of the mixes or recordings.

– Released on The Outer Edge’s brand-new sublabel 1st Floor Records
– Contains 4 powerful mixes: Thomas Redfern (Main Mix + Dub Mix), Tom Quick and DJ Friction Mixes
– Based on an unreleased vocal recording by GI-singer Rickey Owens from ca. 1988
– Vintage label design
– Quality lacquer cut by SST