Smart Bar's New Record Label Will Release First EP Friday

By Justin Freeman in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 2, 2015 4:45PM

Earlier this month, Smart Bar quietly started a record label. Named Northside ‘82 in honor of where the club is located and the year of its inception, Northside aims to share new and adventurous works from an impressive roster of resident DJs.

The label’s first release is Dance Equations, an EP from Ike Release, who is half of the deep house duo Innerspace Halflife. While Innerspace can be sparse and atmospheric, the new solo EP appears to be more immediate and muscular and shows off Release’s “more physical side.” The EP will be released on vinyl this Friday, July 3, as well as digitally on August 14. Check out a preview of the EP below.

Northside 82 is curated by Steve Mizek, who helps run the imprints Argot and Tasteful Nudes, as well as Smart Bar’s music director, Marea Stamper, who performs as The Black Madonna and recently returned from touring Europe before heading out to Australia for a series of shows in Melbourne and Sydney this August. The Northside label is the latest of projects that Stamper has taken on since becoming Smart Bar’s music director.

We recently interviewed Stamper about the DAPHNE initiative she launched to empower, educate and showcase women in electronic dance music during Women’s History Month last May. Stamper also released an impeccable mix for FACT, which we've embedded below, with hazy, decadent funk and disco tracks. The mix is pretty much designed for drinks and cookouts on the porch with friends this 4th of July weekend or perfect for your Uber ride to the Chosen Few picnic.

FACT mix 497 - The Black Madonna (May '15) by Fact Mix Archive on Mixcloud