Various Artists - Gilles Peterson Presents International Anthem - 2 x Vinyl LPs

2025

From the get go I could see it.

I could see that International Anthem was the real deal. I could hear it too - more importantly.

A record label with the vision and care that places it in the pantheon of labels where you can pick up any release without knowing what it is and be certain the quality will be there.

A label where the singular attention to every detail - sound, packaging, cover design and branding - shows the respect in which the artists and their music are presented and held.

Also the deep connection to Chicago where the unique crosswinds of Chess Records, Sun Ra’s Saturn and the AACM all intersect with the blues, house music, footwork and post-rock to create a fertile space for creative music to emerge.

International Anthem is more than a record label though. It’s a community that is built on the city’s history but has, over the years, championed the spirit of creative music and pushed it forward with an outlook that reaches out to like minded souls regardless of time and space.

Throughout the 10 years of their existence we have crossed paths many times. From being in Chicago to celebrate them as label of the year in January 2020 just before the world shut down, to hanging with the crew in London, to playing so much of the label’s output on both on my radio shows and in my DJ sets.

So it is my pleasure to honour our friendship with a selection of tracks that have soundtracked the journey, so far…

- Gilles Peterson, November 2024