Founded in 2018
Founders: Kay Suzuki & Yong-Bo Bae
City: London / UK
Genre: Reissue
Artists: Gabrielle Roth,Gratien Midonet,
Mario Rui Silva,Gigi,Oasis,Yuji Toriyama...
Mission: To explore, study, curate and share the sonic experience of these “time capsules”
Artwork: Kay Suzuki,Petra Péterffy,Donna Leake
Time Capsule is a reissue focused record label and publisher born out of a loose musical community based in East London. We are multi-cultural, cross-genre “time art” as meticulously as we can with as much love and care as possible, so that musicologists & obsessive record collectors. We like to share the music through an audiophile analogue sound system which reveals the details of the sound as well as the emotional impact of the music. Regardless of its style, origins or era, the music we love shares a strong sonic experience and deeply emotional connection.
Our objective is to explore, study, curate and spread the sonic experience of this anyone who open these time capsules will experience the same magic of the music in its purest and most accurate recreation.
What is the meaning of name TIME CAPSULE ?
Time Capsule - I believe the great music is always a pure reflection of people’s consciousness from specific time and place. Its got a clear function, captures the feeling and emotion in the sound so when you play that time capsule, you are instantly taken to their universe they were living in.
How can you define your style?
Music that has unique feel of time and something that is hard to define the style because those music were never about the style, but just a pure expression of themselves. I think so called pioneers of each genres of music is like that and I just love those authentic expression of the sound and that’s my definition of favourite type of music. It doesn’t matter what kind of style that is.
What's your Purpose ?
Our mission is to explore, study, curate and share the sonic experience of these “time capsules” as meticulously as we can with as much love and care as possible, so that anyone who open these time capsules will experience the same magic of the music in its purest and most accurate recreation.
Incoming projects: (may 21)
We just put out with our first 12” Remix EP. We reissued Gratien Midonet first four albums digitally and made a 45rpm double LP compilation last year. We think his music is deserved to be revisited again from modern time so I asked my hero Kuniyuki Takahashi and my recent favourite producer duo Khidja to pick the track and work on. I also contributed my remix as well. Kuniyuki remix is such an epic track, it will be emotional to hear on the dance floor when we open up.
After that, we’ll have an Angolan singer song writer’s compilation is coming out in June. We put together 17 tracks of his music from the early 80s and they are all incredibly beautiful. Then we have a compilation of modern Gwoka music from Guadeloupe which I think it will be a historically important compilation.
Some words about the artwork and Your graphic imaginary:
I was always into art and music since I was child so I started graphic design when I got my first Apple computer to run midi sequencers for my track. It was before the colourful iMac came in and only graphic designers and musicians were using Apple computers. I wanted to form a band, but I couldn’t find any other Japanese kid who listen to soul or funk music in my sleepy suburb town in Japan so I decided to program the whole thing, but then I found a design software in the machine so I also designed a poster and put it up on the local rehearsal studio and that’s how I got my first band with a lot of older musicians in town. Anyway, I’m into art and I was blessed to be able to work with some other artists with Time Capsule release so I’m really happy and proud of these collaborations. Sometime I get tired of doing everything by myself and it’s really fun to work with talented people.
Italian legendary dj LEO MAS selected for us his favourite releases from the label.
Il Guardiano Del Faro – Oasis
For sure the best album of Italian prodigy Federico Monti Arduini. Recorded in 1978 from his studio in Porto Santo Stefano overlooking the sea with a view of the Tuscan Archipelago, Oasis is an emotional journey made of a thousand flavors, Il Guardiano Del Faro created with his moog, Arduini is one of the first misicians to use it creating melodies, arrangements between classic and space pop create a unique and remarkable style.
Oasis will remain a timeless album and this is only the first release of Time Capsule label !!
Disco Divina, Oasis and Zenith are my favorite songs.
Gigi – Illuminated Audio
Since the first spin, and every time I listen to Gigi - Illuminated Audio, I am ecstatic, it is something sublime, it is emotional art.We have to thank Chris Blackwell, boss of Island Records, who with his new label Palm Pictures interested himself in this Ethiopian artist singer, and then producer Bill Laswell, who is also her husband, who brought together a global band made up of terrific musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders and Wayne Shorter, to record Illuminated Audio, which in 2003 only comes out in CD. Time Capsule in 2019 released it for the first time on a must have, super recommended, double vinyl.
Gabrielle Roth – Endless Wave Vol. One
I didn’t know Gabrielle Roth at all.It’s thanks to this release that I am now aware of her and what she did in her life, I love her involvement in the counterculture of the sixties, her work with dance and music rediscovering ancient shamanic techniques where live percussion are the driving force and the music is rhythmic, repetitive and intense, with long versions, which helps to embark on an inner journey into one's soul.
Gabrielle Roth used to say that a human being is energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.
From all this research and study Gabrielle came to develop her own technique that she will call 5Rhythms, composed of a rhythmic sound world where Roth's voice prepares the body for meditation, synths and violins facilitate movement in Flowing. The didgeridoos and funky bass evoke the masculine energy in Staccato before the tumultuous rhythms of Chaos encourage the uninhibited release of the mind and body. The soft vocal harmonies of Lyrical help the listener towards a lighter, more fluid and creative state of being by creating a state of calm that continues with the deep ritualistic chants and languid drums of Stillness.
Endless Waves: Vol 1 was released for their private label in 1996 on CD, Time Capsule in 2020 for the first time released it on a double vinyl. Beautiful !
“What you’re hearing is an offering to any and all future beings. We are sealing some of the thoughts, feelings and the vibrations of our day in what you may call a time capsule, which itself has been sealed with cosmic love…”
Weldon Irvine – Time Capsule (1973)
Discover this exclusive mix from giant reissue label TIME CAPSULE founder Kay Suzuki.