Sixtoo

You would be hard-pressed to find a living independent artist in Canada with as many relevant cultural & musical contributions as Vaughn Robert Squire. This statement is evidenced by his celebrated canon that weaves together sound, visual language, cultural engineering & physical design. Among this output, Squire’s original productions as Sixtoo have endured as one of the most important bodies of work in independent music.

Over the past three decades, Squire has produced hundreds of recordings. His monolithic output as Sixtoo helped define the sound of 90s and 00s underground hiphop. The audible influence of his productions stretches across genres; from backpack beat-makers to mainstream pop producers, many sonic blueprints trace back to his direct contributions to scenes, communities and labels.

Squire has produced projects for many legendary labels including Matador Records, Molemen Records, Moving Shadow, Warp/Lex, Ninja Tune, Morr Music, Vertical Form, Epitaph, Koch, Anticon, Mush, A.S.L. Singles Club, True Romance, and his own 2000’s cult imprint, Bully Records.

'30' sees Squire return to familiar stomping grounds, picking up where his last Ninja Tune release left off. Its sound leans heavily on the tools most closely associated with Sixtoo's production arsenal: the SP1200, obscure samples, vintage synths, and loose turntable funk. Put simply, it is Squire’s most coherent project to date.

The music was co-written with Squire’s long time collaborator and close friend, composer Andrew Gordon Macpherson. Itembodies the dark, complex, and spatial production that is synonymous with the words “produced by Sixtoo”. The signature crunchy drums, melodic electronics and film-noir atmosphere are all there, balanced with needlepoint detail and refined modern sound design. It’s a sincere reflection on the current state of music, pulling influence from three decades of output.

‘30’ is an independently produced project that prioritizes autonomy and self-sufficiency. No streaming platform. Limited physical. Alongside the physical release of '30', a comprehensive web platform houses all new work and for the first time ever, opens up Squire’s deep archives.

This is art that celebrates escapism from the landscape of multiplying opportunists and frauds. It’s a project led by accountability to self. It should serve as an inspiration for others to do the same.

In short, this is what Sixtoo heads have waited seventeen years for.

Cassette limited to 100 copies.