Eddie Piller

Who is Eddie Piller?

Eddie Piller is an English DJ and record label entrepreneur.

Starting his career in the 1980s as a part of the English mod revival, Piller launched the underground fanzine Extraordinary Sensations and operated as a DJ and concert promoter. In 1985, he started the Countdown Records label, through Stiff Records. That record label gave fresh momentum to the underground mod scene by signing bands such as The Prisoners and Makin' Time, and by issuing the mod revival compilation album 5-4-3-2-1 Go!. Piller appeared in the Style Council's video for their single "A Solid Bond in Your Heart". He signed and A&Red bands like The Untouchables, The Prisoners and Makin' Time for Stiff and set up an indie label called Re-Elect The President which launched the careers of the James Taylor Quartet and The Jazz Renegades

In 1987, along with DJ Gilles Peterson, he started a new record label, Acid Jazz. This soon gave rise to Britain's newest musical movement, the acid jazz scene, which included bands such as the James Taylor Quartet, Corduroy, the Brand New Heavies, Mother Earth and Galliano. Piller has been credited with discovering or "breaking" many of these bands. A revival of the record label in the 2000s has resulted in several releases, including a 2006 single by Lord Large, which featured guest vocals from northern soul singer Dean Parrish and appearances by guitarist Steve Craddock of Ocean Colour Scene and Richard Searle of Corduroy.