Velocity Press reveals 2021 list and first novel

Electronic music publisher Velocity Press has revealed details of its 2021 list including an oral history of drum & bass records and its first novel.

The publisher, launched in 2019 by former Knowledge magazine editor Colin Steven, begins 2021 with Who Say Reload on 5th March. Billed as an oral history of records that defined jungle and drum & bass, it features stars like Goldie, DJ Hype, Roni Size, Andy C, 4 Hero and others talking about the influences, environment, equipment, samples, beats and surprises that went into making each classic record.

Photography is provided by Eddie Otchere who has an extensive archive of images, having been the photographer at Goldie’s famous Metalheadz nights. The book will be 25cm x 25cm, and the 160 pages will be printed and bound on high-quality 130gsm paper with a hardback cover.

Author Paul Terzulli said: “Despite the impact jungle had when it first hit, there was always an element of mystery about the music and its creators. You could experience it through vinyl, tapes of raves and pirate radio and, assuming you were old enough, going out to the raves themselves. However, finding out more about the creators of these futuristic soundscapes was a different task altogether. I felt that the stories of those responsible should be collated and presented in one place, rather than scattered across podcasts, YouTube videos and obsolete websites, or as anecdotes flickering past on a social media timeline.”

Out on 7th May is Long Relationships by Harold Heath, described as the first book to detail exactly what DJing is like for the 99% who never make it big. Covering 30 years of a life lived in dance music, the book is “packed with funny tales of clubs, raves, warehouses, DJing, music, record production, record deals, low-level international travel, shady promoters, dodgy club security, magical dance floor moments and much more”.

On 4th June comes the reissue of acid house cult classic Trip City, by Trevor Miller, the first novel from the publisher. With a new introduction by Miller and and foreword by DJ Magazine's Carl Loben, the synopsis explains: “A nightclub promoter returns to town and is thrown into an insidious world of designer drugs, psychosis and murder. Filled with mind-bending hallucinogenic moments, Trip City veers into the realm of Alphaville and neo-noir of the French new wave.”

Velocity will also release The Label Machine: How to start, run and grow your independent music label by Nick Sadler on 2nd July. It is described as the first book of its kind to give music artists practical step-by-step comprehensive instructions for setting up and running an independent label.

For more information on the publisher, visit its website.