Tropical Thunder: Paradise Palms Records

Edinburgh’s music scene has long been hindered by strict council legislation and a lack of opportunities for local artists, but small communities brewing across the city are beginning to change this. One of these communities is Paradise Palms, a tropical-themed dive bar which has grown into a hub for local musicians from varying backgrounds, particularly with the development of its own label last year. “It was quite easy to gauge that there wasn’t enough support for Edinburgh artists in such a broad sense,” says label manager Aaron Main, aka Chow Main. “It was apparent we needed to do something here to help the scene as far as putting out music, especially on record.”

It seems fitting given the bar’s aesthetic that the label’s first release, in September 2016, was entitled Bonnie Tropical: a 12” compilation featuring tracks by 12 artists predominantly from Edinburgh and Glasgow – or “a collection of tracks from acts near here”, as it is simply put on the back of the record sleeve.

The label’s latest venture is a digital single release from Paris-based electronic duo Hey Mother Death for their track Deranged My Love, which will include two remixes by local artists. This will then be followed by a vinyl release for Record Store Day, featuring a further four remixes of the track. “The exciting thing is that this project is bringing a lot of different artists together,” says Main. “It’s quite a broad spectrum and I knew each one of those artists would bring something unique to the table.”

Many of the artists featured on Bonnie Tropical and on the upcoming RSD release have previously featured on the label’s monthly SoundCloud playlists or have played at its Paradise Palms Presents nights in the bar. “I think establishing Paradise Palms as a community for music and allowing it to grow organically is how we’ve been able to get those artists on board,” says Main. They hope to continue incorporating this community feel into a new singles club series. “We’re going to do a series of 7” records that will not necessarily be people from Scotland, but people who have played at the bar,” he adds.

But the label is also taking steps further afield, with its first music video currently in the works. “One thing we noticed when we started this label was that there aren’t many music videos for local artists. That’s one of the things we wanted to offer artists on the label,” says Main, and the label has been duly working with Edinburgh-based experimentalist M.O.T.O on a video for his track Long Shot, alongside filmmaker Magnus Huntly-Grant. “It’s a really powerful track and we wanted to give the artist the opportunity to express what it meant to him visually, so we’ve given him the creative control to represent what it means to him in a music video context."

As well as the label, the bar opened its own record shop last year, which is currently co-managed by Matt Belcher and Andrea Montalto. “We’re trying to focus a lot on what’s going on in Scotland and mainly stock everything new that’s coming from Scotland in electronic music,” says Montalto. “We really aim to keep a community feeling, especially for new DJs and young people who are just starting to buy records.”

Both Main and Montalto agree that having the store within a bar setting allows for a less intimidating environment for record buyers. “It’s a friendly environment down at the bar and it’s nice having the records not be the main thing but by the side while you’re having a drink,” says Montalto.

“It’s a much more relaxed approach to the sale of music and there’s no pressure to buy anything,” agrees Main. “If you want advice, you can get it or you can just have a listen.”

While the two don’t work particularly closely together currently, there is hope that as both businesses grow, more opportunity to do so will arise. “We hang out together, we listen together, we exchange music tips between all of us involved here,” says Montalto, “so there is a connection because we are on the same page.”

“I think they go hand in hand quite nicely,” adds Main. “As time goes on we’ll be able to sell more music that we’re making and promote more local music that’s getting made in Scotland.”

Community is certainly key within Paradise Palms, as a venue, record shop and label. It is this sense of community that seems to be the reason why so many local musicians are willing to jump on board with its different projects. With a strong focus on supporting and promoting local music, it manages to transcend its potential status as 'just another bar' – it’s pretty clearly that it’s not just the Buckfast daiquiris that keep people coming back.