Now-Again Records

Now-Again Records is a Los Angeles-based music label and archival imprint focused on restoring, documenting, and reissuing overlooked recordings from the 1960s through the 1980s. Its catalog began with American funk and soul but expanded into a broad international survey of psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz, disco, rhythm and blues, and politically engaged popular music. The label has issued both individual artist reissues and heavily researched compilations that place regional scenes in historical and cultural context. The imprint was founded in 2002 by Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, who was then general manager of Stones Throw Records. Its creation followed the positive reception of The Funky 16 Corners, an anthology compiled by Alapatt that helped demonstrate the audience for carefully curated presentations of obscure American funk. Early Now-Again releases concentrated on regional American recordings and included material by artists and groups such as L.A. Carnival, Ebony Rhythm Band, the Kashmere Stage Band, and Amnesty. Rather than treating these recordings as isolated curiosities, the label generally presented them through scene-based compilations, archival research, restored audio, and detailed contextual material. During the late 2000s, Now-Again broadened its geographical scope. It began documenting recordings from India, Indonesia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Iran, among other places. Releases connected with artists and scenes such as WITCH, Ngozi Family, Amanaz, Atomic Forest, Ayalew Mesfin, and Kourosh Yaghmaei introduced international audiences to music that had often circulated only in local, private, or highly limited markets. Compilations including Welcome to Zamrock!, Wake Up You!, Those Shocking Shaking Days, and Black Man’s Cry linked musical history with colonial, postcolonial, revolutionary, and diasporic contexts, while retaining a strong emphasis on the sound and material history of the recordings. Now-Again’s business model combines archival licensing and reissue work with contemporary collaborations. The label has released or supported remix and reinterpretation projects involving hip-hop and electronic musicians including Cook Classics, Cut Chemist, J Rocc, Kenny Dope, Koushik, Maker, Oh No, and Percee P. The Gaslamp Killer and Melvin Van Peebles have also appeared in projects connected with the label and Heliocentrics. Because its catalog is used by producers and sample-based musicians, Now-Again has developed a reputation for making sample-clearance processes comparatively accessible and for maintaining curated libraries suitable for contemporary production. Recordings from the catalog have been sampled by artists including Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Janet Jackson. Now-Again incorporated in 2010 and established partnerships involving music retailer Rappcats and Madlib Invazion. Alapatt left Stones Throw in 2011 to concentrate on Now-Again and related ventures, marking a transition from an imprint housed within another independent label to a more autonomous archival operation. In 2022, Alapatt supplied Logic with the complete Now-Again catalog for sampling during the production of Vinyl Days, Logic’s seventh and final album for Def Jam Recordings. Alapatt worked with Logic on production during January 2022 and subsequently appeared prominently in a documentary associated with the album. The label’s identity rests on curation, preservation, historical research, and cross-border discovery. Its output spans limited and regional recordings, anthology projects, reissues, sample-oriented releases, and contemporary collaborations. Publicly available material does not establish a separate current corporate owner, a current executive roster beyond Alapatt’s documented role, or a standalone official website.

Now-Again Records was established in Los Angeles in 2002 by Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, then the general manager of Stones Throw Records. The imprint emerged from the success of The Funky 16 Corners, an anthology compiled by Alapatt that demonstrated the appeal of obscure, regionally produced American funk. Its initial mission was to reissue and contextualize recordings that had received limited exposure outside their original markets. Early projects drew on artists and groups including L.A. Carnival, Ebony Rhythm Band, the Kashmere Stage Band, and Amnesty. The label’s early catalog centered on American funk and soul, but its scope widened substantially during the late 2000s. Now-Again began issuing compilations and archival projects devoted to international music scenes, including 1970s recordings from India, Indonesia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Iran. This period produced projects concerning Zamrock, Nigerian rock, Indonesian psychedelic music, Ethiopian recordings, and Iranian psychedelic rock. The label’s approach combined licensing and restoration with research intended to explain the social, geographic, and historical setting in which the music was made. Its compilation program covered both American regional traditions and international movements. American projects addressed scenes such as Texas, Florida, California, the Carolinas, the Midwest, and South Dallas, while other releases examined spiritual jazz, deep soul, homemade records, heavy psychedelic music, and African revolutionary rock. International anthologies included projects related to Fela Kuti, Nigerian rock, Zimbabwean rock, Zambian Zamrock, Indonesian psychedelic and progressive music, and pre-revolution Iranian rock. The label also worked with Sinecure Books on Enjoy the Experience: Homemade Records, extending its archival interest beyond conventional commercial releases. Now-Again incorporated in 2010. It also formed partnerships involving the music retailer Rappcats and the label Madlib Invazion. In 2011, Alapatt left Stones Throw to focus on Now-Again and other activities, after which the imprint operated with greater independence from its original parent label. Its catalog continued to connect historical recordings with modern hip-hop, electronic, and remix culture. Contemporary artists associated with releases or collaborations include Cook Classics, Cut Chemist, J Rocc, Kenny Dope, Koushik, Maker, Oh No, and Percee P. The Gaslamp Killer and Melvin Van Peebles also participated in projects involving Heliocentrics and Now-Again. The label’s releases have attracted attention from sample-based producers. Its stated or documented sample-clearance orientation helped make the catalog useful to contemporary artists, and recordings from Now-Again releases have been sampled by Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Janet Jackson. In early 2022, Alapatt sent Logic the full Now-Again catalog for possible sampling during the production of Vinyl Days. He worked with Logic on the album between January 11 and January 20, 2022. The album was released on June 17, 2022, and Alapatt featured in documentary coverage related to its creation. Now-Again is therefore best understood as both a record label and a cultural-archival project. Its work links forgotten or difficult-to-access recordings with new audiences through reissues, anthologies, liner research, licensing, and producer collaborations. Public reference material does not provide a complete current staff list, a confirmed present-day corporate owner, a standalone official website, or detailed financial information.

• 2022

  Catalog collaboration with Logic

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Alapatt works with Logic on Vinyl Days and provides the Now-Again catalog as a sampling resource.

• 2016

  Major African rock anthology cycle

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Now-Again releases major projects on Nigerian, Zimbabwean, and Zambian rock, including Wake Up You!, Power to the People!, and Welcome to Zamrock!

• 2011

  Alapatt leaves Stones Throw

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Alapatt departs Stones Throw to concentrate on Now-Again and other ventures, supporting the label's more independent operating position.

• 2010

  Now-Again incorporates

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label incorporates and is described as partnering with Rappcats and Madlib Invazion.

• 2009

  International archival expansion

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Now-Again issues projects such as Black Man's Cry and begins a more sustained focus on music from African, Asian, and Middle Eastern scenes.

• 2003

  South Dallas Pop Fest 1970 is released

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The label begins its documented American regional anthology series with a compilation devoted to Dallas-area recordings.

• 2002

  Now-Again Records is founded

  [1]Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Eothen “Egon” Alapatt establishes Now-Again as a Stones Throw subsidiary focused initially on reissuing American funk and soul.

A research-driven independent label specializing in historically significant but under-documented recordings, combining archival reissues, regional anthologies, global music discovery, and contemporary sample-based collaborations.

• Compilation series · 2003

  American regional funk and soul anthologies

  These compilations assemble rare recordings from specific American regions and scenes, including Texas, Florida, California, the Carolinas, the Midwest, and South Dallas. The projects emphasize regional identity and often cover funk, soul, disco, modern soul, and related forms from the late 1960s through the 1970s.

• Compilation series · 2009

  Global music anthologies

  Now-Again's global anthologies document underrepresented recording scenes from countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, and Iran. The releases combine restored music with historical research and are particularly associated with psychedelic rock, progressive rock, funk, and politically connected popular music.

• Reissue catalog · 2002

  Archival artist reissues

  The label reissues recordings by individual artists and groups whose work was often obscure, locally circulated, or unavailable to new audiences. Documented examples include L.A. Carnival, Ebony Rhythm Band, the Kashmere Stage Band, Amnesty, WITCH, Ngozi Family, Amanaz, Atomic Forest, Ayalew Mesfin, and Kourosh Yaghmaei.

• Contemporary collaboration · 2005

  Remix and sample-oriented releases

  Now-Again has connected its archival catalog with contemporary hip-hop and electronic production through remix albums, curated sample resources, and collaborations. Associated contemporary artists include Cook Classics, Cut Chemist, J Rocc, Kenny Dope, Koushik, Maker, Oh No, and Percee P.

• 2022

  Provide the catalog for Logic's Vinyl Days productionOther

  Background

  Logic sought archival samples for Vinyl Days, his final album for Def Jam Recordings.

  Action taken

  Alapatt sent Logic the complete Now-Again catalog and worked with him on production from January 11 through January 20, 2022.

  Aftermath

  Vinyl Days was released on June 17, 2022, and Alapatt appeared in documentary coverage of the album's production.

  Source

• 2011

  Operate with greater independence from Stones ThrowStrategy

  Background

  Now-Again had originated as a Stones Throw subsidiary, while Alapatt remained closely involved in both organizations.

  Action taken

  Alapatt left Stones Throw and focused on Now-Again and other ventures.

  Aftermath

  Now-Again continued as an increasingly autonomous archival label while retaining relationships with other independent music businesses.

  Source

• 2009

  Expand from American material to global music historyStrategy

  Background

  After concentrating on American funk and soul, Now-Again identified archival opportunities in under-documented music scenes outside the United States.

  Action taken

  The label began issuing anthologies and reissues covering music from Africa, Asia, and Iran, including Zambian, Zimbabwean, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Indonesian, Indian, and Iranian recordings.

  Aftermath

  International archival projects became a defining part of the label's identity and catalog.

  Source

• 2002

  Create an archival funk and soul imprintStrategy

  Background

  The reception of The Funky 16 Corners indicated demand for curated presentations of obscure American funk and soul recordings.

  Action taken

  Alapatt founded Now-Again within Stones Throw to specialize in reissues and research-led compilations.

  Aftermath

  The imprint developed into a broader archival label with American regional series, international anthologies, and contemporary collaborations.

  Source

1. 1Now-Again Recordsen.wikipedia.org