Kyle Watson and His Wife Launch No Context Records, A Label that Stays True to His Sound
With house music, there is a sense of euphoria, one that is distinct to each person. One that is difficult to describe. It only needs elated sounds beating through subwoofers. As long as it has you dancing, it needs no context. South African DJ and producer Kyle Watson’s newest label, No Context Records, reflects this feeling.
The imprint kicked off on March 30 with the house music tastemaker dropping “Kick Drums.” The track boasts bouncy basslines, powerful kicks, ominous synths, and a warped sample of Watson’s voice. No Context marks the second label by the artist, with his first being Box of Cats. However, where a collective of veteran artists curate the sidewinding sound of Box Of Cats, No Context is reflexive of Watson’s singular fusion of electronic dance, deep house, and techno.
“Starting a record label that’s a little bit more tailored to sort of my tastes as an artist is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while,” he told Gray Area in a recent Artist Spotlight. He says his social media feeds have long been filled with fans and fellow DJs encouraging him to start his own label. “So I posted up a clip of ‘Kick Drums,’ which was the first release, I think it was back in back in October [of] last year. I was like, ‘Maybe I should find a home for this record.’ So many people came in and were like, ‘Just self-release it. Self-release it. Start a record label.’ That was almost the catalyst to get it kicked off the ground.”
The imprint is a family business run with his wife, Tash. Watson notes that he is “not very good at the organization side of things,” and he tends to be “very good at being a procrastinator.” However, his wife is “super efficient. She gets stuff done, [and] she keeps on top of everything.” The duo, he says, walk through the process of releasing records together, making it enjoyable for them to work as a team.
“We’re looking forward to where it’s going to go, what it’s going to grow into,” he says.
Working with his wife is a special experience as she’s witnessed the evolution of his musical path, even being the catalyst for his first release. Initially, he didn’t see making music as a career, but he played a track for his wife and her DJ brother, who had a connection with a record label. The imprint was impressed by the song and put out Watson’s first tune.
“She’s one of the reasons why I’m in this position today, to be honest,” he says.
Indeed, Watson’s career has since flourished, and his No Context imprint proves to show the progression of his profession—one that has led him to boast an impressive resume to date and allows him to release tracks that define his sound.
