IRMA records was founded and is still based in Bologna, Italy.
The origin of the Irma name is quite peculiar, to say the least The same building where we started business in 1988 was once a famous Bologna brothel, Irma Casa Di PrimOrdine (Irma First Class House), hence the name of our oldest label.
In those days the few existing Italian independents were dealing with rock, but one day a young A&R/musician (Umbi Damiani) and a general manager with a solid experience in record distribution (Massimo Benini) formed a production team together with a bunch of promising DJ's and musicians from the area. Among them Claudio Moz-Art Rispoli, future founder of Jestofunk, Cesare Collina aka Tito Valdez, Cesare Black Mighty Wax Cera, Checco Montefiori (Kekkotronics, Montefiori Cocktail) and Luca LTJ Trevisi (LTJ X-perience).
In the beginning there was house: deep, soulful and often with funk or breakbeat influences, revolutionary for those days. During the years Irma became one of the creators of the so-called chill out sound and then of the lounge/cocktail/easy listening movement. To continue as one of the first labels outside the UK to release compilations of early jazzy jungle/drumnbass and trip hop. To become producers of successful rare groove and acid jazz compilations and among the spearheads of the bossa explosion.
In the new century Irma has discovered, among the others, Max Sedgley, already a legend in the UK thanks to the massive 'Happy', and Brazilian pop/drum'n'bass act Kaleido, the cyclone that swept Italy in 2004.
MILESTONES IN IRMA HISTORY:
SOFT HOUSE COMPANY - What you need/A Little Piano 1989 (Hit in UK, USA)
DOUBLE DEE feat. Dany - Found Love 1990 (Hit in Italy, UK, France, USA, Benelux .)
DON CARLOS - Alone 1991 (Hit in UK, USA)
JESTOFUNK - I'm Gonna Love You 1991 (Hit in UK, USA)
JESTOFUNK - Say It Again 1992 (Hit in France)
BUM BUM CLUB - Play This House 1994 (Hit in UK, France)
JESTOFUNK - Can We Live 1994 (Hit in Italy, UK, France)
BLACK MIGHTY ORCHESTRA - Ocean Beach 2000 (Hit in UK)
MAX SEDGLEY - Happy 2003 (Hit in UK)
KALEIDOSCOPIO - Voce Me Apareceu 2004 (Hit in Italy)
MORE IRMA HITS: (in order of release datre)
KEY TRONICS ENSEMBLE - House Of Calypso / Calypso Of House
T.F.M. - Out Of Bounds
MOZART & MASTER FREEZ - Let The Music Move Me
BABY DOLL HOUSE - What's Up
JESTOFUNK - I'm Gonna Love You
OMNIVERSE - Antares
BE NOIR - Give Me Your Love
THE LAST MINISTER - Tribute / Feel Free
DYNAMIC NOISE - Do You Feel Alright
DATURA - Yerba Del Diablo
NIKITA WARREN - I Need You
DOUBLE DEE - People Get Up
LTJ SOUND MACHINE - Don't Stop The Sax
TAMEKA STARR - Going In Circles
FRANKIE HI NRG - Fight Da Faida
OUTDANCE - Pump Up The Jammin'
DATURA - Mystic Motion (Bum Bum Club Rmx)
JESTOFUNK - Stellar Funk (Lazzaro Shoes)
JESTOFUNK feat. Jocelyn Brown - Special Love
BLACK & BROWN - Cool Affair (Eric Kupper Rmx)
LTJ XPERIENCE - Moon Beat
MONTEFIORI COCKTAIL - Gipsy Woman
GAZZARA - The Spirit Of Summer (Dave Warrin Rmx)
LTJ XPERIENCE feat. Joe Bataan - Ordinary Guy
