Samurai Music

Samurai Music began in 2007 under New Zealand drum-and-bass promoter Geoff Wright, who is also known as DJ Presha. Wright owns and directs the label, now based in Berlin, Germany. Its drum-and-bass music policy encompasses deep, dark and futuristic sounds, alongside material around 170 BPM. ASC, Clarity, Homemade Weapons and Presha are among the artists on its roster. Releases have paired emerging and established musicians, with some issued in collectible vinyl packages.

Before establishing Samurai Music, Wright promoted New Zealand tours for UK drum-and-bass acts and ran a record-distribution business. The label initially supported artists from New Zealand, including State of Mind and TREi, alongside acts from the UK and Europe. Wright aimed to bring New Zealand music to international listeners through the label. In 2008, Samurai Music put out State of Mind and TREi’s single True Stories. Calibre and Overlook have also released music on the label.

The related imprints developed over several years: Samurai Red Seal launched in 2009, Horo began in 2011 and adopted that name in 2016, while Shiro started in 2015. Shiro provided a vinyl outlet for emerging artists who had not previously released on the format; its early output largely featured drum and bass and other music around 170 BPM. Samurai Horo was a vinyl-only sublabel for experimental music at 170 BPM, managed by Wright. After his move to Berlin in 2011, Samurai Music’s direction shifted toward experimental sounds influenced by techno.