‘You just want to work with really good people who are on the same page as you and go on a mission to make it happen.’
For any fan of rare soul, funk or disco vinyl, Athens Of The North should be a staple in your collection. Founded in 2014 by DJ and collector Euan Fryer, the Edinburgh-based label has built a trusted reputation on delivering exceptional rare soul, funk, and disco reissues. From the classic disco track, “You Can Win” by Bileo to the sweet soulful voice of Willie Nelson on “I Love You”, Athens Of The North brings renewed attention to tracks that deserved their moment the first time around. Alongside reissues, the label boasts a catalogue of new music, from ambient electronica to singer-songwriter material; the label refuses to be confined to a niche.
Discovery Music Scotland spoke to Fryer to discuss his experience running an independent label in a crowded market, hunting down rare vinyl, and why he brought the label home to Edinburgh.
Recent Releases
Athens Of The North’s releases in the past six weeks alone show the range of the label’s exquisite sound. Lady Jane’s LP “Here I Am Baby” slots perfectly into the label’s signature sound, as a paradigm of 1980s Detroit soul and funk, which Fryer was delighted to report has received a “massive response”. Standout tracks, such as “Space Flight”, and “Never Lived in the Ghetto” are driven by compelling basslines and drums, before closing with “She’s A Star”, in which Jane confronts her experience of childhood abuse and the resilience that carried her through. With more Lady Jane to be released by Athens Of The North in the future, “Here I Am Baby” is one to explore for fans of funky soul.
Available on Bandcamp here.
On the opposite end of the musical spectrum, “NXS800” by Geoff Kirkwood and Fiona Brice blends a cinematic mix of ambient electronica and contemporary classical genres, centred on Kirkwood’s experience of working-class life in the Northeast of England. Recorded at King Street Social Club in Newcastle, the album is driven by siren-like motifs, field recordings of water, and interspersing dialogue which combine to form a beautifully poignant record. To learn more about the recording process, read Fiona Brice’s Substack here.
Available on Bandcamp here.
James Alexander Bright’s latest single, “Whenever I Hear You Call I Know That It’s Love” was another standout recent release for Athens Of The North; a brilliantly smooth, warm single in preparation for his upcoming LP. Recorded at the historic Tilehouse Studios by Luke Oldfield, Fryer stated, ‘We recorded it all to tape, which is expensive these days. I wanted to get that really honest feel, where you just record a band in a room…’, which translates perfectly in the final release.
Available on Bandcamp here.
For fans of Scottish post-punk, Boots For Dancing’s “Dance and Resist” LP is the perfect new addition to your collection. Across ten tracks, funky basslines and the urgency of post-punk meet in a sublime mix of celebration and protest (as the title suggests). Writer of “Dance and Resist” sleeve notes, Neil Cooper, wrote a brilliant Substack on Boots for Dancing and the Edinburgh post-punk scene, which you can check out here.
Available on Bandcamp here.
Inside Athens Of The North
With a soul and post-punk reissue alongside two original releases in entirely different genres in the past six weeks alone, this eclectic approach is precisely what makes Athens Of The North such an asset to Edinburgh’s music industry. As one can imagine, there is no typical ‘day in the life’ for founder Euan Fryer. “You can pick and choose out of the 100 tasks you are that are available… you can say, ‘today, I feel like, doing some PR, or I’ve got to chase the design on this LP’” states Fryer. The label also has its own studio where much of the production and mastering happens. “Everything from doing that to you VAT return, which, you didn’t get into music to do that, but unfortunately you have to do things like that as well”.
Of course, life at a record label is not all sunshine and rainbows. Fryer recalled attending a talk in Ibiza by Simon Dunmore (of Defected Records and Glitterbox Recordings) on the highs and lows of running a label, “You could be so cash rich one minute, and skint the next.”. Athens Of The North also faces the gamble of purchasing rare material, as Fryer stated, “you might be able to license the music, but the artist might not even have a copy of the record anymore”. Layer on the rising cost of living and a market crowded with major-label releases, and an independent label has to “bite through the noise a bit more”.
Yet these obstacles are factors Fryer is well equipped for. Before Athens Of The North, Fryer spent twelve years at Jazzman Records, a London-based label which specialises in reissuing rare soul, jazz, and funk records. “I’d seen how to do things right [at Jazzman Records] … when I started [Athens Of The North], I think I had about four grand, but I landed with my feet running. I knew how to make a record.”. Fryer has since helped friends run their own labels and tackle problems he has encountered “about twenty times”, from sample clearances to other industry complications.
When it comes to finding the music itself, Fryer’s experience as a DJ and self-described “mad for it collector” feeds perfectly into curating the label’s catalogue. Before the world of digital music, Fryer frequented record fairs across America, honing his ear to rare releases and gaining a community of collector friends in the process. “It felt like fifty people in the States at that time.” Fryer commented, citing names such Cut Chemist, Kenny Dope, WFMU radio, Sound Library in New York, and labels such as Daptone, Big Crown, and Dead Oceans. Over the years, the community Fryer has fostered through his international search for obscure music has given back to the label, as he noted, “Japan has been a loyal supporter from the start, and America is now one of the label’s strongest markets”.
These days, Fryer cites Discogs and trawling through eBay listings as his primary source of music discovery, alongside his collector contacts. “I’ve got a guy in Peru and a guy in Brazil who send me WhatsApp recordings from their record players.”, stated Fryer, noting the importance of staying off the beaten track. “If you’re going for big, obvious, expensive records, they’re going to be big and expensive. Go down a rabbit hole of records people aren’t that interested in, and let your taste be the guide.”
When it comes to tracks that catch Fryer’s ear, he rejects the idea that a good song is a matter of opinion. “I think there are definitely things that are just good. When you get really good at recognising a good tune, you can translate it, whether into a jazz club, onto a dance floor or into a reissue. Your job is to find good music people haven’t heard before, which is the fun part.”. Currently, Fryer is focused on obscure South American records, which have featured in Athens Of The North’s catalogue through albums such as Grupo Magnético’s “Positivo” (2018), and El Calefón’s “Salir Del Agujero” (2026). The flip side of collecting for work is that Fryer feels that “You can fall in and out of love with music sometimes, because you’re working in it all the time. So you sometimes miss out on listening to other music. But I’ve been really putting an effort into trying to go to more live gigs. Trying to listen to other new music makes a big difference. When you listen to all that, it refers back into the label.”
When it came to bringing this all home to Edinburgh, Fryer’s motivation was rooted in his love for his home city. He admits that he did not listen to much Scottish music growing up, though his appreciation has since evolved. “I’ve grown up and reevaluated on Aztec Camera and the post-punk Glasgow bands, Gang of Four… They were so generous in spirit.”. This is reflected in Athens Of The North’s recent release of the Edinburgh post-punk band Boots For Dancing’s “Dance and Resist” LP. “I’d done my time in London, and it was useful. I felt I could bring that back here without losing the momentum.”. England’s capital, he argues, has priced out a generation, stating, “Unless you’ve got rich parents, how can you start working for a record label in London? It’s pretty much impossible. And Edinburgh’s a lovely place to live.”.
With Athens Of The North’s track record of success, its future looks equally intriguing. With more from Lady Jane and James Alexander Bright, Fryer is also working on a psychedelic project based on vintage photo slides he discovered; another collecting passion for the owner. True to form, Athens Of The North continues to find new possibilities with existing material, making it a label worth following for anyone with an ear for the obscure.
Article by Lauren Sims