An independent electronic music label being run from a home just outside Enniskillen is beginning to attract artists from around the world – just months after being relaunched.
Syko Records might be based in Fermanagh, but its reach is becoming increasingly international.
The independent electronic music label was relaunched in April this year and has already secured its first international artist from France, received further interest from France and Germany, and most recently been contacted by an artist from Uruguay.
It’s a development that even the person behind the label didn’t expect to happen quite so quickly.
An independent label based near Enniskillen
Syko Records focuses primarily on electronic music, with trance, acid and techno at its heart, although the label isn’t restricted to any one particular genre.
Its catalogue has included everything from trance, techno and psytrance to hardcore, drum & bass and synthwave.
“While dance music is the main focus, I’m always open to something a bit different if it has character and feels right for the label,” Sean told Enniskillen Mix.
The label originally began in 2012, initially as something of an experiment.
Sean was producing music himself and had already had some of his tracks released elsewhere, but wanted more control over the process.
The first Syko Records release, Sunshine Sammy, eventually arrived as a limited vinyl run in 2014.
However, family circumstances meant the label was subsequently put on hold.
Sean’s mother had been diagnosed with dementia and increasingly needed help and care. He reduced his working hours and spent more time at home while also helping his father on the family farm.
His interest in music never disappeared, but running a record label simply wasn’t a priority at the time.
An accidental comeback
More than a decade after Syko Records first appeared, its return wasn’t the result of some carefully prepared business plan.
In fact, it happened almost by accident.
After hurting his back while working on a building job earlier this year, Sean was forced to slow down for a while.
Boredom eventually led him to investigate putting one of his older tracks onto Spotify.
One track led to learning about digital distribution. That led to wanting to release more music. Before long, Syko Records was properly back in business.
“It snowballed very quickly from there,” he said.
Initially, the ambition was simply to release some music, perhaps make a few sales and see what happened.
Instead, Sean began receiving questions from other artists, built a website and started navigating the world of music distribution.
Then came the idea of producing a full Syko Records album.
Phase Ten
That project became Phase Ten, a 10-track label album which is currently being prepared for release.
The name has a double meaning: not only was the album planned around ten tracks, it also became release number ten in the main Syko Records catalogue.
Sean invited outside artists to submit material and gave them around four weeks to do so.
He wasn’t particularly confident there would be enough interest.
Instead, 16 tracks were submitted for just five available spaces.
The finished album combines five previously released Syko Records tracks with five new tracks and includes music from artists already connected with the label alongside other Northern Ireland artists.
Plans are for Phase Ten to be released digitally alongside a limited vinyl run.
Syko Records has also now been accepted onto electronic music platform Beatport, while discussions are taking place about potentially producing a limited CD edition of the album.
From Fermanagh to France
While Phase Ten was taking shape, something else unexpected started happening.
Artists outside Northern Ireland began discovering Syko Records.
The first international interest came after another record label in Marseille contacted Sean with information about several artists who might suit Syko Records.
Discussions are continuing over a possible release involving three of those artists, although nothing has been confirmed.
Then another artist from France approached Syko Records with an album.
Sean took the music out with him while going for a walk so he could give it a proper listen.
He became so absorbed in the album that he walked straight past his own house — and didn’t realise for around 15 minutes.
“It was dark, which is my only excuse!” he joked.
That particular conversation eventually resulted in Syko Records signing its first international artist.
“I’m not expecting world domination… for now… but it’s genuinely exciting to know that this little independent label in Fermanagh has been noticed by people well beyond Belfast or Dublin,” Sean said.
Interest hasn’t stopped there.
Enquiries have also arrived from Germany and, most recently, an artist in Uruguay contacted Syko Records with a selection of acid and electronic tracks.
Staying independent
Despite that growing reach, Sean doesn’t envisage Syko Records becoming a corporate-style operation.
The longer-term ambition is to remain independent and underground, while giving artists a significant say in everything from artwork and presentation to how their music is released.
There are also ambitions to eventually organise smaller warehouse-style events featuring artists associated with the label.
“I’d just like to see the label continue growing without losing the independence and community feel that made me want to bring it back in the first place,” Sean said.
“World domination by 2030 would be a bonus.”
And perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the story is where all of this is happening.
There’s no major-city record company headquarters behind Syko Records.
It’s being run from home, just outside Enniskillen.
Sean can now sit in Fermanagh listening to an album sent from France, discuss artwork or mastering with people overseas and ultimately release that music to listeners internationally.
As he puts it, Syko Records can “stay rooted here while still reaching much further afield.”
For a label that only properly came back to life in April, that’s not a bad start.
