RISING – Hippos In Tanks label

We decided to do something different this week and feature a label instead of an artist. Hippos In Tanks is a label based out of L.A. started by Barron Machat and Travis Woolsey. Artists such as White Car, Sun Arow, Gatekeeper and Hype Williams are all on their roster.

H.I.T. describe themselves as – “a record label and artist management entity, derived from the ashes of imaginations, who – when faced with the banal and ineffective means of tradition – elected to search for solutions in the field of music experience.”

Last year they put out the critically acclaimed Games 12″ That We Can Play, a collaboration between Oneohtrix Point Never and Joel Ford of Tigercity. A retro-istic mash up that is seriously catchy.

Signing all the right artists, Hippos In Tanks are like the New York based Tri-Angle ( Balam Acab, How To Dress Well), are well equipped in making independent work well, even starting genres all by themselves.

It’s all incredibally lo-fi, with back to basics sounds and references to old school R&B and 80s’ drug films like Zero Effect. White Car are deep, dark and industrial. Gatekeeper have just been signed and they bring a horror influenced fantasy-techno sound.

One of the best artists on the label that i’m digging alot is D’eon, check their record below from 2010, Palinopsia, really fantastic stuff.

D’eon – Palinopsia intro

Have a listen to this really great mixtape Hippos In Tanks put together for Dazed online magazine.

Watch out for Hype Williams album release One Nation on Hippos In Tanks and a new LP by SLEEP ? OVER, plus new EPs from Laurel Halo and Autre Ne Veut.

Published January 28, 2011.