http://www.platipus.com

The year is 2003 - the world rocks to the globally accepted sound of trance and electronic, and one of the main culprits is Platipus Records. Not antipode but firmly UK based, Platipus operates from their studio/office multi-billion pound headquarters in Fulham. Sometimes, as the thousand or so staff look through the expensive frosted glass windows across the picturesque and highly desirable Michael Road gasworks, their minds wander and they ponder the origins of the illustrious label that supports them and their offspring.... It was back in 1993 that Rave ad salesman Simon Berry (Art Of Trance) began work on the label, from his flat above his favourite EastEnd brothel. Realizing from his neighbours that the world of prostitution had its ins-and-outs, he opted to throw his energies into creating a stable outlet for the music and artists he loved. Simon's love of electronic music had been fired up by an early purchase of a low quality synthesizer from a bloke with a beard out of Fairport Convention. It was a life changing moment (for Simon, less so for the synthesizer seller presumably). Riding on the vibe of the music he ended up a regular at clubs like Troll, Drum Club and Chemistry. Fired up, the first Art Of Trance record "Deeper Than Deep" launched the label, immediately identified by a certain quality and depth of production. Indeed this still continues today. It was with early records such as the Union Jack "Two Full Moons And A Trout" and Poltergeist's "Vicious Circles" that resulted in Platipus standing out head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. The quietly successful and prolific label was rocked however in 94 by the release of a certain record called "Children" by the then unknown Robert Miles. "We were in the Firestone Club in Orlando," explains Simon, "listening to Florida jock Kimble Collins. He dropped one of only two acetates in existence at the time of Robert Miles Children on Italy's DBX.

We rushed back to England, signed it and had a hit on our hands. It got so big that we eventually had to sell it on to BMG. We couldn't handle the volume." Huge wasn't the word. A track that blew the scene open, with everybody and their mother whistling the tune in the street. A huge multi platinum success and the sound of 95. Setting up a more secure basis for the label was perhaps the most important result of this success, enabling album and artist development as well as allowing Simon to indulge more in his original passion (music not the knocking shop). It was later in the 90's that trance became synonymous with a more banging, European style of production. Although contributing to this scene with the anthemic Ferry Corsten production of Art of Trance's "Madagascar" (an update of the earlier Cygnus X remix), Platipus weren't about to compromise the label philosophy to follow the more "production line" vibe of the new sound. Tracks like Libra's "Calling Your Name" and Oliver Lieb's various guises maintained the consistent quality of the labels releases. Platipus artists began to look to a new generation for the sounds of the future, Swiss youngster Moogwai's euphoric but subtle sound and Pob's highly advanced progressive tracks being fine examples of the labels philosophy in action. Moving into the 21st century saw Platipus diving into deeper waters with modern progressive tracks like Innate's "Changes" and Star's "Rock Rose" sounding different to what you might expect but keeping true to the vibe. 2001 highlighted this shift towards the darker and more tribal orientated sounds, with Praha's "Pachinko" being a stand out track in this genre. The old guard were still in evidence, with Art Of Trance bringing out his first single since "Madagascar", "Killamanjaro".

Platipus further embaced the new underground styles with the birth of the Gekko highlight, with tracks from Groovahlic, Rouge and Karuma all hitting hard. 2002 promised and delivered so much more. This was the year when Platipus reached it's landmark 100th release. The label celebrated accordingly by releasing the superb 10 Squared compilation, mixed by globetrotting superstar DJs Parks & Wilson (aka Tilt). 2002 also saw Platipus changing with the times and leaning towards a more streamlined, musical sound. Tracks like 'In My Veins' by Indiana, another alias for Yoshitoshi superstar Dino Lenny, showcased this vibe perfectly. The label was clearly heading in the right direction as big-name jocks Sasha and Steve Lawler hammered releases like Leama's 'Melodica' and 'Into Sea' by Adam Dived, another Dino Lenny alias. As for 2003, early indications suggest something of a renaissance with the trance sound that helped popularise the label. Tracks like Kansai's 'Rococco' are already being smashed at clubs like Peach, where Graham Gold has made the track something of an unofficial anthem!!! Another significant event in any trance DJ's diary is the birth of Platipus:Euro. This new direction for Platipus plans to focus on a slightly tougher and more - would you believe it - European sound! The label launches with an awesome track by M.I.K.E PUSH under his Solar Factor guise, then continues with bombshells from R.O.O.S and trance wunderkinds Neo & Farina. Expect to hear plenty of big things about Platipus:Euro in the coming months. In the meantime, keep em peeled for more stunning releases from the likes of Jan Johnston, Moogwai and the massive follow-up single from Kansai as well as a new series of chillout albums.

The future's bright, the future's Platipus.