Analog audio titan J.M.I. Recordings and Outside in Music collaborate on new imprint to bring 21st-century vinyl recordings to the digital audience.
J.M.I. Recordings is a 21st century anomaly, creating fully-analog records, co-founded in New York by producer and engineer Steven Mandel and attorney and music aficionado J. Cohn. Now, J.M.I. Recordings steps forth with a collaboration that presents this crystalline vinyl quality to purveyors of the digital era by joining forces with Outside in Music, an innovative New York-based independent jazz record label with over a decade of experience in the world of media management.
J.M.I. Recordings was founded in 2016 with a vision of revitalizing the beauty of analog sound that has inspired musicians and audiences since the birth of sound recording. Utilizing modern knowledge and combining it with the undying allure of true physical recording techniques, J.M.I. Recordings has consistently created and distributed vinyl recordings with unmatched quality since their inception. What elevates J.M.I. Recordings’ projects further is the depth of expertise in the team. Mandel’s experience borders on the stuff of legend, having worked at Electric Lady Studios on timeless albums such as D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun, Common’s Like Water For Chocolate, Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, and The Roots Phrenology. More recently, his 14 years of television work, including the musical execution of The Tonight Show with overlapping responsibilities for The Roots. Moreover, Mandel has co-written songs with Elvis Costello and Questlove, and co-produced all of J.M.I.’s albums. Cohn arrives as a lifelong music obsessive and record collector with an encyclopedic grasp of music history, in particular, jazz. He parlayed that into his role of Executive Producer and Label Owner at J.M.I.
The interplay between J.M.I. Recordings and Outside in Music is certainly an exciting one. The latter, whose history of starting from the ground up and valuing the art of individuals ethically while pushing forward creative content in a way that the modern world receives, stands out as distinct. It is on this mutual desire to bring and preserve art in the highest quality that the two find common ground. “We are very happy to partner with Outside In Music to reissue our current, future and back catalog releases,” Cohn says. “Nick Finzer and Alan Blanchard are passionate music fans with a clear vision of how to assist J.M.I. in reaching vinyl collectors and digital listeners alike. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”
Outside in Music is proud to present J.M.I. Recordings as an independent imprint in the Outside in Music family, continuing the precision and wonder of their analog craft, while Outside in Music manages the digitization and distribution of their legendary vinyl catalog, both past and future. “This new collaboration between OiM and JMI is going to unlock new opportunities for all of us,” says OiM Founder/CEO Nick Finzer. “With JMI’s fantastic artists and great ear for analog production, we’re excited to see where this new imprint will take us.”
This collaboration stands to be a landmark in the growth of these two brands, as the physical specialist joins with the curators of the modern musical landscape to create something new and distinct: the art of the physical record, tirelessly presented to the digital age. “We are beyond excited to be associated with professionals like Outside In Music,” says Mandel. “Having brilliant music industry minds like Nick and Alan on our side is a blessing."
