Release Date: 2/20/2026

This year Hopestreet Recordings turns 'sweet' sixteen, a milestone for an artist-run micro label. In what was once the truest statement of young love, Hopestreet presents the world with a mixtape of hits and deep cuts and brand-new edits and remixes from the vault: crunchy MPC reimaginings by beatmaker/producer Sensible J on one side and a seamless all-vinyl DJ mix from musician and record connoisseur Lachlan Stuckey of Surprise Chef and College of Knowledge. From sharehouse to rave space to studio complex, the cavernous 7-9 Hope Street, Brunswick, is one of the few creative warehouses to remain in an inner-city suburb experiencing violent urban renewal and gentrification. In 2009 a recording experiment began, which became Hopestreet Recordings, who survive there to this day. The label was founded by Bob Knob of The Bombay Royale, Tristan Ludowyk of The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, and Tom Martin of The Putbacks. In the early days, everyone who worked in the office was also making the records and early 7" singles with 'a super nice vibe' became record box staples. The label has been a home and a launchpad for luminaries including The Bombay Royale, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, The Meltdown, and Ella Thompson, among many others. Fast forward to 2025, and the project's catalogue is now 50 records deep, nurturing a community of musicians who make soul/R&B/funk/Latin/Bollywood psychedelia and more.