31 East

31 East is a Canadian independent music label and publishing company associated with the Montreal production and songwriting duo Banx & Ranx. The company operates as the duo’s independently owned label and provides a home for their recorded-music, songwriting, production, and artist-development activities. Its public profile is closely tied to Banx & Ranx, whose members are known professionally as Soké and KNY Factory. Banx & Ranx emerged as a production partnership in Montreal in 2014 and began releasing music under their own name with the single “Lit” in 2017, followed by “Time Bomb,” featuring Lady Leshurr. Their work has extended beyond their own releases to production, co-writing, and remixing for international artists. Credits associated with the duo include remixes for Gorillaz, production and co-writing on Sean Paul’s “Crick Neck,” production on Fuse ODG’s “Window Seat,” and production and songwriting contributions to Nicky Jam’s album Fénix. Through these activities, 31 East is positioned not simply as a conventional record imprint but as a platform connected to a broader music-production and publishing operation. A significant development came in 2022, when 31 East entered into a partnership with Universal Music Canada. The arrangement allowed Banx & Ranx to retain an independently owned label identity while working with a major-label partner on releases and the development of newer Canadian pop talent. Following the partnership, the duo’s work included collaborations with artists such as Rêve, Preston Pablo, Zach Zoya, and Sofia Camara. “Headphones,” a pop and electronic-dance collaboration with Rêve, reached number 49 in Canada, while “Flowers Need Rain,” a house and electronic-dance track with Preston Pablo, reached number 9 on the Canadian Hot 100 and became a top-ten Canadian hit. The company’s identity therefore rests on the intersection of independent ownership, major-label distribution or partnership, artist collaboration, and international songwriting and production. Its repertoire spans pop, electronic dance music, Afrobeats-influenced production, remixing, and commercially oriented crossover records. The available public material does not establish a separate large corporate staff, standalone consumer-facing product portfolio, or independently documented headquarters beyond its Canadian identity. 31 East is best understood as a boutique Canadian music enterprise whose visibility derives primarily from the catalog and industry work of Banx & Ranx.

31 East is a Canadian independent label and publishing company publicly associated with Banx & Ranx, a Montreal-based production and songwriting duo formed in 2014. The duo consists of Soké, whose real name is Zacharie Raymond, and KNY Factory, whose real name is Yannick Rastogi. Their activities include producing, writing, remixing, and releasing music, making 31 East a platform for both recorded music and broader creative rights. Banx & Ranx began releasing music under their own name in 2017. Their debut track, “Lit,” appeared in March of that year, followed by “Time Bomb,” featuring Lady Leshurr, in May. Their wider production work established an international profile before and alongside their label activities. They contributed remixes for Gorillaz, worked on Sean Paul’s “Crick Neck,” produced Fuse ODG’s “Window Seat,” and received production and co-writing credits on Nicky Jam’s album Fénix. These credits illustrate the publishing and studio-production dimension of the business connected to 31 East. The duo’s best-known early commercial breakthrough was “Answerphone,” which reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2018. The record helped connect their Montreal-based operation to the British and wider international pop markets. Their later work continued to combine electronic dance music, pop songwriting, and crossover production rather than remaining confined to a single genre. In 2022, 31 East formed a partnership with Universal Music Canada. The arrangement preserved the independent identity of the label while providing a relationship with a major Canadian music company. After the partnership, Banx & Ranx worked with a newer generation of Canadian artists, including Rêve, Preston Pablo, Zach Zoya, and Sofia Camara. “Headphones,” made with Rêve, reached number 49 in Canada. “Flowers Need Rain,” made with Preston Pablo, performed more strongly, reaching number 9 on the Canadian Hot 100. Both songs appeared on the Canadian Hot 100 year-end chart for 2022, with “Headphones” at number 97 and “Flowers Need Rain” at number 32. Recognition followed through industry awards. Banx & Ranx received a Grammy nomination connected to Sean Paul’s Scorcha and three nominations at the 2023 Juno Awards: Breakthrough Group of the Year, Single of the Year for “Flowers Need Rain,” and Jack Richardson Producer of the Year for work involving Rêve and Sean Paul. The duo won Breakthrough Group of the Year. Because the available reference material focuses on Banx & Ranx rather than on a separately documented corporate organization, the history of 31 East is best described through the duo’s label, publishing, production, and collaboration activities.

1. 2023Juno Breakthrough Group award

   Banx & Ranx win Breakthrough Group of the Year at the Juno Awards after receiving three nominations.

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2. 2022Universal Music Canada partnership

   31 East partners with Universal Music Canada while remaining an independently owned label associated with Banx & Ranx.

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3. 2022“Flowers Need Rain” reaches number 9 in Canada

   The Preston Pablo collaboration reaches number 9 on the Canadian Hot 100 and ranks number 32 on the Canadian year-end chart.

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4. 2018“Answerphone” reaches the UK top five

   “Answerphone” reaches number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, providing an important international breakthrough for the duo’s music operation.

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5. 2017First Banx & Ranx releases

   The duo releases “Lit” in March and follows it with “Time Bomb,” featuring Lady Leshurr, in May.

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6. 2014Banx & Ranx form in Montreal

   Soké and KNY Factory form the production and songwriting duo that later becomes the principal creative identity associated with 31 East.

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An independently owned Canadian music label and publishing platform built around producer-songwriters, collaborative releases, and international pop and electronic music production.

• Banx & Ranx recorded musicRecorded music2017

  31 East’s core recorded-music activity is represented by releases from Banx & Ranx, including the early singles “Lit” and “Time Bomb” and later collaborative pop and electronic material. The catalog reflects the duo’s producer-led approach, combining dance production, pop structures, guest vocals, and crossover songwriting.

• Music publishing catalogMusic publishing

  The publishing side of 31 East is connected to Banx & Ranx’s songwriting and production contributions for their own releases and for other performers. Documented work includes credits involving Sean Paul, Fuse ODG, Nicky Jam, Rêve, Preston Pablo, and other collaborators.

• Collaborative pop and electronic releasesArtist collaborations2022

  The label’s collaborative output includes “Headphones” with Rêve and “Flowers Need Rain” with Preston Pablo. These releases illustrate the company’s role in developing and presenting contemporary Canadian pop talent through electronic, dance, and crossover production.

• 2022Partner with Universal Music CanadaStrategy

  31 East operated as the independently owned label associated with Banx & Ranx and sought to expand the reach of its releases and artist collaborations.

  What changed. The company entered a partnership with Universal Music Canada while retaining its independent label identity.

  Aftermath. The partnership was followed by increased work with Canadian artists, including Rêve and Preston Pablo, and by the Canadian chart success of “Headphones” and “Flowers Need Rain.”

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• 2023Banx & Ranx receive major award recognition

  Banx & Ranx received a Grammy nomination connected to Sean Paul’s album Scorcha and three Juno Award nominations. They won the Juno award for Breakthrough Group of the Year.

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• 202231 East partners with Universal Music Canada

  31 East, the independently owned label associated with Banx & Ranx, entered a partnership with Universal Music Canada. The partnership supported the duo’s releases and work with emerging Canadian artists.

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• 2022“Flowers Need Rain” becomes a Canadian top-ten hit

  The Banx & Ranx collaboration with Preston Pablo reached number 9 on the Canadian Hot 100 and became one of the most visible releases associated with the 31 East operation.

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1. Banx & Ranx