The History of Datsik & Firepower Records

For those of you not familiar with Firepower Records and what type of music they release, they focus on some of the cleanest and deepest bass music around today, primarily dubstep. Housed in Kelowna, Canada the father of the label is none other than the legendary Datsik (real name Troy Beetles) who founded the label back in 2012. Originally the idea of Firepower Records was never about business, it was just about the music, the way it should be. To tell the story administrative-worker-turned-executive, Sharra Duggan, shares her experiences with UKF from the beginning with Troy to the present.

“When Troy first started Firepower, it started because he was getting a whole load of music from really talented kids and he had no place to put it out. So he set up Firepower to support these guys. It was one release every month or two. Basically whenever his schedule would allow time-wise. Within five months it got beyond him pushing it. So I came on board. Firstly to deal with the administrative side of things but as it developed I stepped up with a more executive role and helped it develop. I’d say in the last year it’s became really clear that Firepower is an entity in itself and not just ‘Datisk’s label’. It’s been so cool to watch it grow like this. He never started it to be a business, it was inspired by talent.”

“The fact the label didn’t start as a business is kind of our edge. When we started the whole point was to be able to put music out that he was really feeling and inspired by. It’s a passion project for Troy; its whole basis is founded on artist inspiration. Datsik is an artist himself and still remembers what it’s like when you’re starting and how labels treat new artists.

“We are totally artist-focused. Royalty-wise our split leans towards the artist and we try and cover as many costs as we can from other avenues besides the actual record sales. This way the artists can make living off what they’re doing and aren’t working a day job and making music on the side. We don’t just sign stuff that’s good and stop there. We try and have a hands-on approach with every release and make sure they’re happy with us and want to come back and do more releases. We take the time to work with them on every single aspect; the artwork, the promotion and the content. It means a lot to new artists to get responses whenever they reach out and to be walked through every step.”

* DatsiK – Nuke ‘Em [Dubstep] *

“I think it’s really important that our artists are all helping each other out and everyone is working to a bigger picture. You often see a lot of artists getting very competitive and sometimes it seems likes they’re happy to step over each other to get where they want to be but the more you help each other and the more your support each other, the bigger everyone will get. A lot of the artists on Firepower see us as family and are excited to push it. We’re not forcing people to rep the label – they feel part of something and feel proud of that. When we noticed our artists were doing this we knew we were doing something right!

“For the future, my goal is to release any kind of quality music that’s relevant to Firepower. The goal is to have people look to us for quality music rather than one quality genre. Whether it’s a brand new artist or an established one taking a great creative risk, the goal has been the same since the start: quality music. It’s not about the money or the business. If you shift away from the music then that’s when you lose your focus and your message.”

Don’t forget that the legend himself will be here November 19th in Arizona for Global Dance Festival! If you want, which we highly suggest, tickets can be bought right here! Additionally don’t forget to follow Datsik, Firepower Records, and everyone else on the label to stay up to date with more news and music!

Connect with Firepower Records: Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Datsik: Soundcloud | Twitter | Facebook

Source: UKF