We’re used to coming across stories long before the dance music press here at Ears To The House – we previously scooped Resident Advisor by two weeks on a story and were investigating the Defected takeover almost a fortnight before they announced it – but this one has to be a record. And it’s all to do with something which appears regularly on this site – the once great Nervous Records.

They have a proud history with some truly exceptional releases, and it has demonstrated many times that they were prepared to take risks by giving unknown artists their first appearance on a prominent label. And the label still takes a chance and still puts out some very good music now – whilst simultaneously desecrating their own reputation through some appalling advertising.

Which brings us onto the latest developments. Annabel Ross – fresh from being banned by Carl Craig from attending Movement in Detroit – has also noticed that the Nervous brand of advertising is terribly outdated…

Which reminds us of a row she had with our editor last year. She took issue with some articles we’d published about Resident Advisor and their editor, and claimed in one exchange that she doesn’t read this site – despite the fact she followed our Twitter account for several months before the bust-up.

Well, Ross might be advised to start doing so. Because this is something we actually first published on this site on 23rd January 2021. This was long before the launch of Ears To The House in May 2022 and even predated the launch of predecessor Amateur’s House in April 2021. Yet Ross would have us believe she’s only just discovered the “objectifying and crass” posts the label publishes on an almost daily basis across its social media pages.

We already know for a fact several dance music press journalists and writers read this site – because they’re subscribed. Yes, that’s right – and often with their official work e-mail addresses. And we’ve also noticed at least two of them pinching our stories. But perhaps Ross getting involved, albeit very late in the day, is a positive thing.

Despite having covered this topic for over 18 months, Nervous have never responded to any emails from us. Nor have they ever complained or objected to a single article in that time. Whether this line of silence will continue to hold now that a darling of the dance music press has noticed remains to be seen…