Sleeping Giant Music is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the worldwide club scene. Brandishing heavy beats and swirling melodies, the outfit that started as just a few artists getting together and making music in San Diego has turned into something much greater.
SGM started in 2004. Victor Acosta (aka ONE SON) and Colin Taylor (aka Blest) were working on another project together when they met Freddie Harb (aka DJ Fresh One). The chemistry was instantaneous and the three quickly began to get the ball rolling.
It all started as a record label dream from three passionate artists. “Me, Vic and Blest wrote the business plan, got the logo designed and decided to start the company with what little money we had,” Harb said.
“Prior to us starting SGM, I always looked at downtown nightlife as some party, like anybody else, but once we got focused on building the business I looked at it in a totally different way,” Taylor said. “It was almost like being in class when we went out. Yeah we’d have a good time, but a lot of it was studying how things worked, how they moved, who made it happen and what it took to maintain great relationships.”
They began to work with other artists in San Diego for their first compilation album called “The Awakening,” which was distributed worldwide.
“We were all geeked about it. It’s a good feeling when you get to see the fruits of your labor and for us that was a big deal. It should be for anybody who creates,” Taylor said.
The compilation was well received and was nominated for a San Diego Music Award in 2005. “The album opened up a lot of doors for us. Because of that we knew we were on the right path and because of that experience I feel it prepared us for what would come in the future,” Acosta said. This was their first accomplishment as a group and it inspired them to work together more frequently. In 2007, DJ Chris Cutz and Fresh One made a mixtape for the Lifted Research Group brand clothing company that began to garner a lot of attention. It was at this point that the group realized it was on to something.
The collective has grown into three artists and 15 DJ’s working together to network more effectively as a family to bring their music to fans who they know will truly appreciate it. Although the roster has grown, it has retained the teamwork that originally drew them together in the first place.
“That’s one thing I love about SGM. I’ve been involved in music in one way or another for a long time, but there’s a blend of professionalism and high level of talent here that I haven’t seen anywhere else. It takes that type of balanced approach to remain successful and I’m definitely proud of everybody,” Taylor said.
In the last decade, they have worked at popular nightclubs and lounges across the United States and all around the world. To start off the new year, several of the SGM artists were were regularly booked in Las Vegas, including one of the newest hotels, The Cosmopolitan. The group is set to soon launch its newest endeavor, Simply Gigantic, “a baby service monster of the constantly propelling Sleeping Giant machine,” Harb said. Simply Gigantic will be a subscription-based software to help all independent music artists manage their online presence, bookings and fan-base, and all other tough aggregates of the Web.
SGM is a shining example of the do-it-yourself attitude and of artists working together to achieve a collective goal. And as SGM continues to expand it is sure to tear up big-city nightclubs for years to come.
For more artist information and information about upcoming events, visit giantsarise.com, and for artists interested in independent promotion visit simplygigantic.com.
