Sherelle is launching a new platform to cultivate new music and creative scenes within the Black and LGBTQI+ music community.
Called Beautiful, the DJ explained in a statement that it will be "more than a label", aiming to own clubs and run workshops and more.
"Beautiful is not just a label. It’s also a platform for cultivating new and exciting music. Cultivating scenes within the Black and LGBTQI+ music community in and around Europe," Sherelle explained.
"All I want people to know is that I want to create something long lasting. A multifaceted platform that will look to address ownership, wealth and building and maintaining community."
The DJ, who founded club music crew, 6 Figure Gang, added that ideas for the new platform had come from consulting widely within the community.
"Social media has helped me shape the idea of Beautiful. The echo chamber that sometimes social media is can often be a short-term solution but how will things change things in the long run? Seeing my friends cultivate their own ways to combat whitewashing and the erasure of both black and queer history has influenced me bares," Sherelle said.
"I want Beautiful to be like Juke Bounce Werk, Haus Of Altr, 2000 Black, AKO Beats + many more. I want Beautiful to create exciting music and inspiring artists as they do. I want Beautiful to also run workshops, both educational and technical. I would like to work with partners to gather resources and equipment for new black artists."
Beautiful would also seek to expand into the live space. "[We] will be looking to own clubs globally that prioritise Black, LGBTQI+ nights and culture," confirmed Sherelle. "We want to create more spaces for the communities to thrive and I want the security of knowing that Black and LGBTQI+ nights will continue to cultivate the amazing scenes that we already have. But will also break the glass ceiling above us. Beautiful will put music of Black origin as the focal point."
The DJ added: "Black artists have been disproportionately affected by Covid. Loss of income has deeply affected my communities, especially considering the lack of representation and bookings that fluctuate within the mainstream scene has not helped. Not all Black people have generational wealth... I want to use Beautiful's influence to create something for the better. Beautiful will plan to connect many Black electronic artists from in and around Europe and also the World via the label, building our fanbase and workshops"
Beautiful's first release is planned to be a compilation of artists working in the UK and Europe.
Along with the launch of Beautiful, London-born Sherelle has also recently been involved in a campaign with New Balance and is set to play Fabric with Hooversound artist Tim Reaper later this year.
Picture: Isaac Lamb
