Upstairs Recordings was formed in Vancouver, Canada in late 1999. Despite the glut of new ‘electronic music’ labels rushing to cash in on the tech boom of the late 90s, Upstairs’ founding partners, Nick Arbutus, Buzz Rozwell, E.D. Swankz and Don Verbrilli, believed that an opportunity existed to produce and release music that, while electronically based, could defy easy categorization and reward listeners for years and not just weeks, or months.
With an initial focus on what is commonly termed ‘downtempo’ music, Upstairs has from its inception tried to bring something different and hopefully indefinable to the musical landscape. On the sonic side: musicality, infectiousness and a respect for the intelligence of the listener.