75Ark recently opened its offices in downtown Manhattan. The label itself is an industry supergroup of sorts, headed by Erik Gilbert, the former General Manager of successful independent electronic label, Asphodel.

Other staff members include Rachel Matthews, a former A&R director at Capitol Records responsible for the development of both NWA and Mother Love Bone (which went on to become Pearl Jam), and Toni Isabella, who for many years has been managing the career of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura.

75Ark is a "new label group focusing primarily on the hip-hop and DJ culture/turntablist genres" that has already signed turntablist Mista Sinister (of NYC turntablist outfit the X-Ecutioners), Encore, a West Coast MC who drops lessons from Egyptian theology in his rhymes, and the

Anti-Pop Consortium.

The latter have been building a following in NYC for years, and have worked with artists as diverse as Arto Lindsay and Vernon Reid (formerly of Living Color). Their debut album, "Tragic Epilogue," features Pharoahe Monch and Aceyalone (formerly of the Freestyle Fellowship), and is also 75Ark's inaugural full-length release.

Del tha Funkee Homosapien will release his fourth studio album "Both Sides of the Brain" on March 21 on Hieroglyphics Imperium. Kid Koala recently released his long-awaited and anticipated debut "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" on Ninja Tune. The Automator's most-recent release was "Handsome Boy Modeling School," a collaborative effort with Prince Paul released in October 1999 on Tommy Boy.