Our first annual DIME Student Album “Sessions: Volume 1” is receiving fantastic reviews across the board!

“…just listened to most of the DIME CD (I’m on track 10), and it completely blew me away. Wow – impressive talent across a very broad spectrum of styles. I did not expect it to be THAT good!”

And this, from the Detroit MetroTimes:

“DIME Sessions: Volume 1 is a chop suey of young Detroit talent. And like chop suey, the assortment lends it its strength. Produced by Original 1265 Recordings, what stuck out on first listen is that the production was smooth despite juggling a range of genres. From folk-soul to EDM, each arrangement wasn’t saturated with unnecessary elements. DIME and Original 1265 strove to keep it simple and organic, which is what these musicians need to be at this point in their careers.

Willa Rae and the Minor Arcana achieve this organic sound in the desperado-like ballad of “Ladylike.” With Rae’s acoustic crooning and the Minor Arcana’s jangly vibe, this song showcases Rae as a budding folk-blues heavyweight. Reed Knight also achieves this organic sound in “Creature of the Night,” which sounds like a Doors bootleg. The pulsating rhythm, combined with Knight’s lower range voice, lend this track to the Doors’ swing. Knight might want to invest in black leather pants in the near future.

However, submitting one song into a compilation album cannot be the endgame of these young musicians. Their DIME single may put them on the radar, but producing a full-length LP will test whether these newbies sink or swim. It is time to take off DIME’s water wings and plunge.”

Not bad for our first album! We’ll continue to improve every year, with more experience, students, and time and effort put in to bring the music back to Detroit!