Hooj Choons, one of the UK’s most prolific and respected independent house music labels, has announced its closure due to financial problems.
The label which modestly billed itself as the 'occasional provider of half decent house', released 136 tracks in its 13 year existence including past gems like Energy 52 ‘Café Del Mar’ and Felix ‘Don't You Want Me’ and key productions from the likes of Oliver Lieb, 16B, and Red Jerry. It will be sadly missed.
A statement issued by the label says that the last two years have been a “fairly horrendous financial struggle”. Their problems have served insurmountable and they have now called in professionals to “resolve matters once and for all”. Identifying the main reasons for their money problems, the statement says: “As distinguished labels, clubs and magazines shut down around us, we failed to react quickly or effectively enough to what was going on. We thought we'd seen this happen before, and could work our way out of it, but this was a different kind of slump.”
Key members of staff will be carrying on the work of hooj.com, their online shop, which has continued to do well despite current industry problems. Over the next month however, there will be name and ownership changes and a whole new look to the site. The range of music available will be wider (in all formats) and a DVD section will be added - specializing in cult and arthouse independent films, as well as music related titles. They say existing promo credits will remain usable on Hooj.com and also on the new site when it launches.
Hooj.com say they are also in the process of setting up an informal online radio station and invite budding DJs to send in their mixes. The best (received before the end of September), will be aired on rotation with contributions from in-house DJs, over a fortnightly period, between 2pm - 2am daily.
The label which modestly billed itself as the 'occasional provider of half decent house', released 136 tracks in its 13 year existence including past gems like Energy 52 ‘Café Del Mar’ and Felix ‘Don't You Want Me’ and key productions from the likes of Oliver Lieb, 16B, and Red Jerry. It will be sadly missed.
A statement issued by the label says that the last two years have been a “fairly horrendous financial struggle”. Their problems have served insurmountable and they have now called in professionals to “resolve matters once and for all”. Identifying the main reasons for their money problems, the statement says: “As distinguished labels, clubs and magazines shut down around us, we failed to react quickly or effectively enough to what was going on. We thought we'd seen this happen before, and could work our way out of it, but this was a different kind of slump.”
Key members of staff will be carrying on the work of hooj.com, their online shop, which has continued to do well despite current industry problems. Over the next month however, there will be name and ownership changes and a whole new look to the site. The range of music available will be wider (in all formats) and a DVD section will be added - specializing in cult and arthouse independent films, as well as music related titles. They say existing promo credits will remain usable on Hooj.com and also on the new site when it launches.
Hooj.com say they are also in the process of setting up an informal online radio station and invite budding DJs to send in their mixes. The best (received before the end of September), will be aired on rotation with contributions from in-house DJs, over a fortnightly period, between 2pm - 2am daily.