Strokes' Nick Valensi, Mr Hudson and Aziya team up for Sick label single

Nick Valensi of the Strokes, producer Mr Hudson and singer-songwriter Aziya have made a song together called “Scream Your Name”.

The track is the second single — a one-song release — from Sick, a newly launched record label, Rolling Stone reported on 10 October.

Sick was founded by Carré Callaway, Darian Zahedi and Nick Hinman. Callaway also makes music under the name Queen Kwong. The label is new, and “Scream Your Name” is only its second release.

Its first release set the pattern. “PULS.zip” came out in September and paired Lee Kiernan from IDLES with Tokyo-based artist RIS-707. Like the new track, it was built as a collaboration between artists from different scenes.

Sick’s plan is to pair established and emerging musicians across generations, genres and cities. The idea is to release one-off collaborative singles. Artists do not have to sign restrictive long-term contracts, the deals that tie a musician to one company for several albums, to take part.

That structure is unusual. Most record labels, the companies that fund, release and promote music, sign artists for multiple releases. Sick is working the other way. It acts as a meeting point, bringing names together for a single song and then moving on to the next pairing.

What makes this stand out is the mix. Valensi is best known for guitar work with a long-running New York rock band. Mr Hudson is known as a producer and songwriter. Aziya is a younger singer-songwriter building her own audience. For fans, this means a chance to hear three different musical backgrounds on one track, without waiting for an album.