UK R&B AMBASSADOR DJ ACE ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF HIS LABEL THE RECORD BOX AS HE CONTINUES TO SPEARHEAD THE SCENE.
As the UK’s ambassador of R&B, DJ Ace is central to the sound on a worldwide level. Not only being the first port of call for R&B royalty when they touch down on British soil, (think Migos, Toni Braxton, Ginuwine, WizKid), but also leading the way in breaking new UK acts (WSTRN, Ella Mai and even lending himself to the success of J Hus) , DJ Ace is an important figure in British urban culture. His destination R&B show on BBC Radio 1Xtra has become famed for its quality content and exclusives to the point it is referenced and quoted globally, as seen with his recent Mary J Blige interview which hit international press via Breakfast Club, Wendy Williams and The Real (talkshow). His show is home to the prestigious BBC Live Lounge, where he’s welcomed guests including Stormzy, Koffee, Khalid, Anderson Paak, Ray BLK, Samm Henshaw, Jorja Smith and Mabel and he also takes the title as the first UK DJ to takeover and curate a Spotify playlist.
Given his worthy CV and unmatched experience, Ace has announced the launch of his own independent record label The Record Box. The label, which is distributed via United Masters, will focus on UK R&B music and both developing and highlighting artists within the scene to both a dedicated and mainstream audience. When discussing the creation of the label DJ Ace went onto say: “Having been a R&B fan from birth the opportunity to host my own R&B specialist show on 1Xtra was massive. Since launching the show in 2018 I’ve come across an abundance of amazing R&B talent from the UK and the rest of the world that don’t have the support or infrastructure they need to take their music to the next level so starting a label was the perfect way for me to contribute to the scene and genre I love so much.”
The first artist to be released via The Record Box is the exceptional Ricardo Williams with his ‘Intermission Vol 1’ project consisting of 8 unapologetic, unfiltered R&B moments delivered with the depth, soul and emotion that touches the very heart of any listener. True to the labels ethos, Ricardo’s debut EP has all the feels of 90’s R&B twisted with sounds, beats and delivery that make it feel perfectly at home and at ease in its current setting. First coming to Ace’s attention in 2018 with the release of ‘Come Over’, Ricardo Williams gained critical acclaim for the track which featured R&B royalty Teedra Moses. His year continued to see his profile rise seeing him support Faith Evans at O2 Indigo in London and he has since teamed up with some of R&B’s leading lights on both sides of the Atlantic, including producer Nayla ‘Sillkey’ Nyass
Talking with Ricardo about the EP he said: “I wanted to create something that had the same feeling I had when I played any 90/00 R&B act for the first time. I missed hearing music like that. I also wanted to lay a solid foundation on what will come next. This EP is a perfect mix of what I love and who I am. A big theme running through the EP is relationships and love. I got to a point where I felt like love was missing in the world so I wanted to give the world love again.”
Available now across all DSP’s and via The Record Box, check out Ricardo Williams ‘Intermission EP Vol 1’ here and tune in to DJ Ace from Monday to Friday, 10am - 1pm all week on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
Available now across all DSP’s and via The Record Box, check out Ricardo Williams ‘Intermission EP Vol 1’ here and tune in to DJ Ace from Monday to Friday, 10am - 1pm all week on BBC Radio 1Xtra.
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