Azuli Records was a British independent record label, focusing mainly on house music and other forms of electronic dance music.The label was founded by DJ Dave Piccioni in London, England in 1991 but went into liquidation in April 2009.Some of its back catalogue was sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd. The label was re-launched by Piccioni and administered by Defected Records. In 2012, the label was sold to Defected Records.
Releases included the Choice series.
History
The Azuli Records label was the UK's longest-running house label, releasing a total of 278 singles on Azuli Label and over 60 albums.Dave Piccioni, a DJ who had lived in New York's formative house community, began by selling 12" singles from the back of a van.
In 1990, Piccioni took over Black Market Records shop in London, and in 1991 he started Azuli Records. "At the time there was a lot of house coming out in London from the acid scene but also a lot of stuff that was more American sounding which we wanted to put out."
Azuli's debut release was Chocolate Fudge's "In A Fantasy".[2]
By the mid-1990s, the label began to have UK chart crossover hits.
"After about seven or eight releases we had already gained a lot of credibility, but we weren't actually selling that many records. We were on a honeymoon period where all the magazines were talking about us but it didn't really reflect on sales."
In 1998, Azuli released the hit single "Needin' U" by David Morales, followed by other hits including Eclipse's "Makes Me Love You" (1999) and Afro Medusa's "Pasilda" (2000), the latter of which reached number 31 in the UK Singles Chart in October 2000.[3] The label has since released over 200 singles and a number of compilations albums by Frankie Knuckles, Joey Negro, François K and Danny Tenaglia.
Azuli have also released a number of DJ mix album and compilation album series':
The Choice compilation series are retrospective albums, wherein all tracks are selected by renowned DJs.DJ's include Danny Tenaglia, Tony Humphries, François K and Derrick L. Carter, X-Press 2, Jeff Mills and John Digweed.
The label also releases annual compilation CD entitled Miami, Space: Ibiza and Made in Italy.
Finally, the Club Azuli project was a compilation series featuring current dancefloor hits, in both mixed and unmixed versions. Club Azuli is also the title of Azuli's event program which, for the past two years, has been visiting the finest clubs across the globe.
Discography
Choice Series
Derrick L. Carter 2 x CD Album
Roger Sanchez (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
Roger Sanchez (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
Louie Vega (Unmixed) Limited Edition 2 x CD Album
Kenny Dope (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
Kenny Dope (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
Danny Howells (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
Danny Howells 2 x CD Album
John Digweed 2 x CD Album
Xpress 2 2 x CD Album
Jeff Mills 2 x CD Album
Louie Vega 2 x CD Album
Tony Humphries 2 x CD Album
Danny Tenaglia 2 x CD Album
Francois K 2 x CD Album
Frankie Knuckles 2 x CD Album
House / club albums
Miami 2008 (Unmixed Limited Edition) 2 x CD Album
Miami 2008 (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
Club Azuli 5 Vinyl Sampler 2 x LP Album
Club Azuli 5 (Unmixed) - Future Sound Of The Dance Underground 2 x CD Album
Azuli Presents - Space Annual 2007 (Unmixed) 2 x CD Album
Azuli Presents - Space Annual 07 (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
Club Azuli 5 (Mixed) - Future Sound Of The Dance Underground 2 x CD Album
Club Azuli Ibiza 2007 Unmixed 2 x CD Album
Las Tardes En Ibiza 2007 2 x CD Album
Club Azuli Ibiza (Mixed) - Future Sound Of The Dance Underground 2 x CD Album
Space Ibiza 2007 Unmixed 2 x CD Album
Azuli Presents - Space Ibiza 07 2 x CD Album
Space Tranquil - Volumen Tres CD Album
Miami 2007 (Mixed) 2 x CD Album
Club Azuli 2007 (Unmixed) - Future Sound Of The Dance Underground 2 x CD Album
