For this edition of Off The Record, we’re honored to host a mix from Rob Sevier, co-founder of the legendary archival label Numero Group. Known for its meticulous approach to uncovering and reissuing lost gems across soul, funk, punk, ambient, and beyond, Numero has earned its place as a gold standard for crate diggers and curious listeners alike. Sevier, a tireless researcher and selector, brings that same curatorial depth to his exclusive mix—a deep dive into self-released and small-label funk-adjacent singles from Ohio, Texas, Michigan, and Georgia. Alongside the mix, we caught up with him to talk DJing in hidden corners of Japan, the joys of non-allegiance to any one digging method, and what’s next for one of the most important archival projects in music.
Can you tell us about your mix and what the idea behind it was?
I picked some of my favorite singles adjacent to funk, all self-released or from small labels from Ohio, Texas, Michigan and Georgia.
What are your preferred methods for finding new music—do you still enjoy digging around in dusty crates, or do you prefer to buy online?
I am agnostic about the process of acquiring records. To service a reasonably thoughtful collection, one has to be open and available to every marketplace.
What are five records you couldn’t live without?
Macabre – Be Forewarned
Errol Brown & the Revolutionaries – Medley Dub
Roots Underground – Tribesman Assault
Dubbing In The Front Yard
Wilfred Luckie – My Thing
What has been one of your most memorable sets over your career?
My favorite two contexts to DJ in the world are Ondo in Hiroshima and Momentum in Ina City (Nagono prefecture). Both are hidden, intimate clubs that are literally underground and feel like a magical place, like where gangsters and assassins congregate in action films. But rather than thugs, there are lovely, receptive people Numero for record collectors has been such an iconic name and attached to so many timeless releases and reissues.
How did the label come about to begin with?
A run of bad luck.
What do you have up your sleeve for the rest of 2025?
So much it’s tough to keep track of. More soul, more post-hardcore, plenty of travel, plenty of pallets filled up with master tapes… a few trips over the Atlantic and a few DJ sets in London (The Social October 4th)
Thanks Rob 🙂
