Brighton record label Tru Thoughts has its 18th birthday coming up and is preparing to host its biggest-ever showcase to commemorate the occasion.

It’s a gig label founders Paul Jonas and Rob Luis have dreamed about for almost two decades.

Taking place at the Brighton Dome and featuring some of the label’s most popular acts, it is a milestone they are both eagerly awaiting.

As a business that was founded in Brighton underneath Rob’s staircase, the label has grown from humble origins to international acclaim and Paul and Rob provide a unique insight into how the city’s music scene has evolved over the years.

Reflecting on their first accomplishments as a label, Rob says: “We were doing club nights together and the label was a sort of a progression of that. The first artist album we released was by Bonobo, which was at a time that was post big-beat and Fatboy Slim.

“That album sort of fast-tracked what we did and was really successful, so it became a learning curve for us. When our act Quantic headlined at The Big Chill festival that was huge for us because he was making music on his own personal computer at the time that was probably only worth a few hundred pound. That was a massive realisation for us and showed how all our hard work was paying off.”

Their open-minded and eclectic taste has resulted in a wide-ranging roster, from uniquely talented singers to American brass bands, underground UK hip hop acts to globetrotting and innovative dance music producers.

The label shows that its musical diversity is backed up by consistency, enabling Tru Thoughts to be seen by many as the perfect independent record label, supporting up-and-coming acts as well as more established artists, such as UK hip hop pioneer Rodney P.

“We are still signing underground acts but we also get approached by more established artists,” says Rob. “I am such a hip hop fan so to have someone like Rodney P on board still makes me feel like a fan. It is good to be in that position and the challenge is to still support music from the underground up. When we first started everyone was very new but it is great that those new acts get to see headline acts from the label.

“Within the music industry you see news reports of people becoming an overnight sensation, but I don’t think that it a reality because it sort of downplays the work that has been put in up to that point.”

Speaking about their upcoming shows to celebrate Tru Thought’s 18th anniversary, Paul says: “We have two main shows, one in Brighton at the Dome and another in London at the Roundhouse with about 17 acts. We have played at pretty much every venue in Brighton over the years so to have the Dome booked with the acts we have headlining is just great. We have been waiting a very long time for this.”

Partygoers can expect everything from the classic Tru Thoughts sounds right through to the cutting edge, from soul and funk to electronic and reggae tones, with a healthy dose of hip hop and grime thrown in for good measure.

With headline sets from legendary Tru Thoughts artists Quantic (DJ set), Hot 8 Brass Band and Alice Russell, alongside new talent in the shape of Werkha and Bryony Jarman-Pinto, and DJ sets from Wrongtom, J-Felix and label boss Rob Luis, this is one event not to be missed.

Paul adds: “Having run the label for 18 years – and we did club nights for six years – to see all those faces come together for this show at the Dome and the one in London will be fantastic. It’s nice that we can attract such a mixture of age-groups to our shows. All of our events really show that diversity.

“It has been a really positive journey to this point and we just can’t wait for the shows now. To put it on at the Dome, such an iconic local venue, is just what we have been hoping for.”

Tru Thoughts 18th Birthday
Brighton Dome, October 18

For more information or tickets, visit brightondome.org or call 01273 709709.