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Another sub-label that started life elsewhere in a different guise is the much-acclaimed Werkdiscs. Born as a club night in and around south-east London and started by Ben Casey, Gavin Weale and of course Darren J Cunningham aka Actress, it began attracting unannounced guest spots from the likes of Detroit legend Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir and Modeselektor. This buzz naturally translated Werk the party into Werkdiscs the label and artists like Helena Hauff and Lukid sit alongside Actress himself.
Not only is Ninja Tune dedicated to releasing innovative music, they have also have focused their energies on working with non-profit initiatives and recently announced that they are committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2021 and carbon-negative beyond that. This 2021 collaboration with AIAIAI to make headphones out of old Ninja Tune vinyl records, shows how they are translating their innovative approach to music into manufacturing.
"For Ninja tune as a label, we are keen to not only celebrate the past but also mark our intentions going forward both sonically and ethically. We are keenly aware of the need to explore more ecological and earth-positive means of manufacturing. To continue to exist as an industry we need to place these topics at the forefront of discussions and decisions. This collaboration is not the final answer but more so an example of how working towards greener solutions can lead to innovative and exciting results. This project is an opportunity to continue to shine a light on an increasingly pressing global issue.”
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This is a creative project with legendary UK record label Ninja Tune formed in London in 1990 and widely recognized as one of the world’s leading independent record labels etching its story into the pages of ground-breaking British music. This project exemplifies our joint vision of doing things better. With a creative approach to sustainability and through experimentation we continuously focus on reducing our impact on the planet. The TMA-2 is an award winning headphone trusted by artists all over the world. A modular headphone system enhanced and refined over the last 10 years. Modularity is the ability to upgrade and expand as technology or the user evolves – designed to last. Building on this modular approach and a desire to do something meaningful together the natural progression was to experiment with Ninja Tune's main resource: vinyl.
The TMA-2 Ninja Tune Edition builds upon AIAIAI’s modular design ethos and a shared desire for the collaboration to focus on experimentation, as well as their ongoing commitment to sustainable products of the highest quality. Building on this modular approach and a vision of doing something meaningful together, the natural progression was to experiment with Ninja Tune's main resource — vinyl — which has been used to make the TMA-2 Ninja Tune Edition headphones’ speaker units.
The limited edition headphones have a customised, detailed and rich sound representation based on AIAIAI’s Bio-Cellulose S05 drivers, and come with the comfortable choice of both on-ear and over-ear vegan leather cushions. A full charge gives 20 hours of high-quality wireless audio via Bluetooth 5.0, making it the ideal choice for long and critical listening sessions.
Since the launch of the first TMA-2 headphone, AIAIAI has been creating products that are designed to last, focusing on designing modular functionality to extend the longevity of every product and create less waste for the planet. The modularity of the AIAIAI TMA-2 headphone design, first released in 2015, affords the ability to upgrade and expand as technology evolves, creating an extended functional lifetime. Now in 2021, AIAIAI continues to innovate in audio product design by seeking out like-minded partners, and implementing usage of recycled materials for components of the headphones, ranging from sustainable Alcantara for ear pads to recycled plastic for speaker units.
It is easy to get lost in the excitement of the newer releases on Ninja Tune, but that’s potentially doing a disservice to its steeped history, and its extraordinarily sought-after stable of legacy artists. There are 31 years to dig into. There’s Actress. There’s The Bug. There’s DJ Food. There’s Amon Tobin. Plus the legendary Ninja Cuts compilations, that were beats and pieces of history in themselves. All artists and releases with rich histories that can command their own countless column inches.
It’s a testament to the legacy Ninja Tune has created over the last three decades that you could read this and feel incensed at who’s been omitted. With such an immense and enviable back catalogue how can you pick favourites?! Its rich seam of outsider sound helps set it apart from the mainstream whilst also maintaining a quality that has allowed it to develop into one of the country’s most enduring UK independent labels.
