Hasse Selander is a self confessed music addict – however, we wouldn’t dream of prescribing him anything for his addiction. Back in the day he played in the infamous Swedish punk band “Rabies” (who simultaneously got banned from all the youth centres in the Gothenburg area for smashing up their instruments in typical “The Who” behaviour). Now he spends his time scouring the internet for fresh sounds. He also promotes artists from his MySpace page and other online channels. His music knowledge is encyclopaedic. Hasse has always listened to a wide spectra of music styles, even when a hardcore punkster he was listening to Kraftwerk, DAF, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Beastie Boys and so on. However, one genre which he claims formed him the most is the is Punk and the DIY attitude. We caught up with Hasse and asked him about some of the artists he has been bringing to Record Union.

Which artists would you like to tips us readers on today? I have managed to sign up quite a few great artists/bands but today I would like to give some extra attention to some of them with albums released on Spotify and to my new favourite indie label Ziekte-NL an Underground label in The Netherlands. The bands are Sterile Hermaphrodite, Stolen Policecar, and The Junkies (not on Ziekte-NL)

Sterile Hermaphrodite (Ziekte-NL) was the first band I signed up and the first thing about them I liked was the cocky humorous attitude they show on their MySpace page and in their music. Their album “Walking Like A Reptile” is a totally amazing debut, loads of energy with an unbelievable honest desperation in the vocals. Their sound can be described as Stoner-influenced raw-Grunge mixed with the energy of the 80’s Punk-Rock. Imagine that blended with some Garage, Surf, Jazz, Pop, 50’s and a tiny twist of Metal. Listen on Spotify.

Stolen Policecar (Ziekte-NL) is a band full of scream and shout, talent and potential, but also loaded with bitter resignation and not giving a shit. This can actually be my new favourite band, the jury is still out. But since their album “Oh No!! It’s A…” was released on Spotify I’ve been coming back for more. So much energy, desperation and attitude! I just love it! Listen on Spotify.

Junkies (Unsigned) Yet another great band with energy, attitude and honest desperation, but what makes The Junkies special is the melodies. The music is a mix of many influences, all the way from soft acoustic tunes to raw distorted noise, always with the melodies in focus and always trying to reach those moments when nothing else matters. These guys are down to earth modest not yet aware of their own greatness. Listen on Spotify.

You can keep up to date with Hasse´s Record Union roster here.

Name: James “Rambo” Pearce

Location: Brighton, UK

Occupation: Bassist, Music Student, Metal Head

Brighton is renowned for its buzzing nightlife and vibrant music scene, so when we were contacted by Rambo on behalf of his band Stone Circle, we were immidiately excited about how we could work together in the future.  For the A&R role, Rambo is qualified in every regard. An experienced session musician, music enthusiast and engaged in his local music scene as both artist and gig goer, we were eager to bring him into the A&R network.

We caught up with Rambo and asked him a few question about himself and his recent A&R activities.

Why is your nickname “Rambo” ?

The nickname evolved from back in my college days when i had growing long hair, with a bandana round my head and I wore army surplus clothes! A couple people called me Rambo.. the next thing I know everyone knows me as Rambo! And when people in my band introduce me to anyone, it was always “THIS IS RAMBO”! So its stuck like glue! Also there is far too many James’ in this country!

Fair enough! Your band, Stone Circle, play progressive death metal, is this where your love for music rests? or are you one of those who loves music all across the spectrum?

Well metal is what gets me pumping, not just the progressive element, but I love the more edgy and musical element that the progressive influences bring to the metal genre. I love acoustic music, and I find good funk and reggae is hard to beat! I grew up listening to all sorts of music so appreciating different genres is something that comes naturally to me, despite being a “metal head”.

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You may have noticed the A&R section of the Record Union website, and been a little curious what it´s all about. Well! Record Union gives people the opportunity to become part of our global “A&R network”. Now, traditionally A&Rs (which stands for “Artists and Repertoire”) act as talent scouts for Record Labels. Record Union is not a Record Label, but members of our A&R network perform a similar role.  It´s the A&Rs job to help us find aspiring new artists who will benefit from digital distribution, and recruit them to Record Union so that we can liberate their music!

We think it is important that everyone enthusiastic about music should be able to get the chance to participate in what music makes its way onto the global market. Also important is that people all over the world should be able to take advantage of the new distribution possibilities that the internet offers.  We are pleased to say that since launching the Record Union A&R network has been expanding rapidly and A&Rs have been responsible for bringing a diverse selection new music to Record union. We now have A&Rs all over the world in countries ranging from the UK, Canada, Jamaica and Spain. We are also pleased to see that people from every corner of the music industry have become involved,  ranging from artists, producers, recording studios, independent labels, managers, venue owners, bookers and others all united by their passion for music.

We will begin to feature more of this new music on the Dog Blog, and may even interview a few of our A&Rs so they can tell you all what they have been up to recently and what artists they have been working with. Watch this space!

If you are interested in becoming an A&R, why not head over to the A&R page and apply. You will find more information about the A&R on our FAQ page.