Miami’s home-grown record label is back, and it’s better than ever. I sat down with Nick León, manager of local record label, Space Tapes. Here’s what he had to say about its revival and release.

Tell us about Space Tapes. 

Space Tapes is a form of sonic curation and artist development mostly aimed towards underground South Florida talent. The plan is to have a filter / home base for “alternative” artists and producers who might not necessarily have as much cultural context as techno, hip-hop, indie, and so on. 

How was the concept born?

The idea behind the label originated when I was reflecting on all the local artists I  know and how there is no lack of talent in Miami, just lack of focus, and lack of musical support. I started managing Space Tapes after approaching David Sinopoli about launching a record label last year. His idea was to build off of the platform he had created before with Space Tapes and continue to push forward-thinking music in the city.    

Who is your target musical artist? 

The artists we work with exist in the in-between genres. They don’t belong in spectrums because their sounds are  hybridizations of different musical flavors. My hope is to build more of a musical community with less focus on what the genre of music is and more about the artist’s individuality, unique expression, and their raw interpretation of our environment. 

What’s in the future plans for Space Tapes ?

We will be releasing projects (EPs/singles) from artists whoI personally know and have collaborated with that I feel could use an artistic springboard like Space Tapes, as well as other local talent we discover that fits the context of what we’re trying to do.

When’s the release? 

This Friday at Floyd. 

Space Tapes will celebrate the release of its first compilation on Friday, May 26th, at FLOYD in Downtown Miami. Doors open at 10 PM. 

The line-up includes:

Mr. Alexis – Wandur

Nuri – Dune

Parrot Jungle 95 – Tropics

Phantasman x Lautlos – Tibet

Get Face – Warrant

Byrdipop x Poorgrrrl x Austin Paul – Space:Time

Nick Leon x TIDUR – Aquifer

Lautlos – Lunar Rise

Bear x SNDNGCHLLZ – Waiting Around