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2013 sees Eglo celebrate four years of releasing music with their first label compilation Eglo Records Vol 1, a year in which label head Alexander Nut ponders the next step for his close-knit stable of artists. Tom Banham speaks to Nut along with Fatima and FunkinEven.
Scott Wilson meets Alex Wilson and Lionel Skerratt, the pair behind one of the UK’s emerging labels in the increasingly crowded field of reissues and contemporary avant-garde electronics.
Across its twelve year history Crème Organization has remained steadfastly singular in their approach. Here Richard Brophy speaks to DJ TLR about the label’s genesis and distinct aesthetic, strong links to the historic Bunker label and Crème’s place in the modern online-centric world. A selection of DJ TLR’s personal favourite Godspill art is scattered throughout and we also have an unreleased gem from the Crème archives.
Behind every great label there is a strong curatorial hand, an individual or group whose singular or collective vision helps guide their labour of love onwards with memorable and compelling results. Andrew ‘Lovefingers’ Hogge has done just this with ESP Institute, a label whose impressive output from an international cast of friends and like minded individuals transcends simple categorisation but feels perfectly at home. Emboldened by a strong visual aesthetic that’s been the work of one person throughout, ESP Institute has casually attained the kind of revered status that makes it easy to forget Hogge only founded the label roughly three years ago.
Emerging from the murk of the cassette resurgence resplendent in non-household names and unconventional approaches, Opal Tapes can be counted as a shining example of the rewards to be reaped from an acute combination of curatorial dexterity and aesthetic pride. Surfacing midway through last year, Stephen Bishop’s labour of love has already acquired a respectable stature for a relatively new label, and is already fourteen instalments deep that run the gamut from decaying techno to dissociative noise. As the label’s Facebook mantra would have it, “tapes & records – electronics & scuzz”.
The Death Waltz Recording Company has been one of the standout imprints in a year that has seen a glut of new labels with a sole or prominent focus on releasing vinyl. It began by reissuing seminal cinema scores; the first two releases were Escape From New York – one of John Carpenter’s finest moments – and Fabio Frizzi’s Zombie Flesh Eaters, which were followed by a flurry of OSTs including Donnie Darko, Let The Right One In, The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue, and three more Carpenter/Howarth masterpieces: Prince Of Darkness and, most recently, Halloween II and III.
“Small towns and suburbs, whether in Norway or Nebraska, breed the same response in a certain percentage of youth. Dissatisfied with the fare in the local video store or mall, they start bands, record labels, squat abandoned buildings and so on” – Michael Baers, 2008.
There is no rule book to consult when it comes to the art of successfully establishing a record label; the variables and circumstances that ensure one imprint’s success will invariably mean another flounders.
The RVNG INTL back catalogue, like the mind of the label’s founder Matt Werth, is swollen with concepts, from the defunct RVNG Of The NRDS edits to the ongoing FRKWYS collaborations and album projects with Pink Skull and Blondes.
Semantica is one of the few truly underground techno labels.
At a time when the idea of imprints acting as filters for great music becomes increasingly redundant thanks to the immeasurable number of labels spewing out digital releases, it has bucked the trend. Synonymous with a DiY culture that is rare nowadays, its owner’s A&R skills means that it has achieved buy on sight status. From ERP’s widescreen electro to Developer’s big room techno via Orphx’s abrasive industrial and Andy Stott’s deep, dreamy dub, the Madrid label’s approach is the direct opposite of 99 per cent of labels that slavishly follow a pre-ordained micro-genre.
It also differs from most operations in that it places particular value on its vinyl releases, with limited editions for sale directly via its website. Last year Semantica celebrated its fifth birthday with a five-vinyl release series that included tracks from long-term label collaborators like ERP, Oscar Mulero, Plant43 and Vladislav Delay, as well as contributions from Silent Servant and Karl O’Connor, while 2012 has seen Semantica champion newcomers like Developer, Aiken, NX1 and Architectural. Where did Semantica come from and how in a few short years does its catalogue boast so many great electronic music producers? To find out these answers, Richard Brophy spoke to label owner Svreca.
At the turn of 2012 a new label appeared with little prior fanfare in the form of Príncipe, sporting two incendiary twelve inches from Photonz and DJ Marfox, whose magical yet diverse sounds were matched by striking sleeve design. Compelled to find out more about the people behind the label and their motivations for founding Príncipe, it became immediately apparent the two releases so far are the culmination of a community project that’s been long brewing and promises much more.
As one of the two men behind Glasgow institution Optimo, JD Twitch has seen more as a DJ than most could ever hope to. Thanks to its open musical policy and loyal following, the Optimo club night, which started at Glasgow’s Sub Club in 1997, saw the rise and fall of various dance music fads and scenes, before Twitch and his DJ partner JG Wilkes eventually called time on the party in 2010. Their skills and selection talents remain in high demand, and they have relented to their own desire for a hometown party, recently announcing the bi-monthly return of the night to the Sub Club. Of course Optimo is more than just a club night and name for a DJ duo; it’s a name that conjures up images of a whole musical ethos, which is why it came as no surprise when Optimo Music was born in 2009, a label which would allow Twitch (working independently from Wilkes) to indulge in his own musical taste to release records that reflect that ethos. But meeting Twitch in a café close to his Glasgow home to talk about the label, it soon became apparent that Optimo Music was just the latest incarnation of a project Twitch has been experimenting with for almost 20 years.
Ask any house music lover what record label comes to mind when they think of Amsterdam and you’ll invariably hear two words in reply: Rush Hour. Yet a brief glance beyond the presence of one of Europe’s most revered electronic music empires reveals a city bubbling with talent; it’s here you’ll find the headquarters of techno specialists Delsin and M>O>S, hip-hop, funk and boogie influenced labels such as Kindred Spirits, and Dekmantel, the label and party run by Thomas Martojo and Casper Tielrooij.
Sometimes a label will surprise and confound you in equal measure, delighting with a release schedule that comes across as dizzyingly schizophrenic. Permanent Vacation is one of those labels.
Since setting up shop in Munich five years ago, label founders Benjamin Frolich and Tom Bioly have repeatedly dodged easy categorization. Initially interested in releasing material that swam in the glistening, clear waters of contemporary Balearica, they’ve since gone on to put out everything from next-level touchy-feely deep house and fashionable New York disco to crunchy krautrock, shimmering synth-pop and left-of-centre space funk.
Along the way, they’ve also scored some notable successes, not least Tensnake’s undeniably massive “Coma Cat”, Midnight Magic’s noughties disco anthem “Beam Me Up” and Azari & III’s early hit “Reckless (With Your Love)”. Over the last couple of years their focus has shifted a little more towards house ‘floors, too, with the recent If This Is House, I Want My Money Back Zwei compilation (the follow up to the well-received 2009 original) proving their commitment to the cause.
As if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also shown a massive commitment to the album format, putting out well thought-of long-players from the likes of Woolfy, Sally Shapiro, Wolfram, Gianni Rossi and Polyester. Given their impressive track record and faultless commitment to releasing a wide range of music, we thought it was about time we phoned Munich for a chat. With business, DJ and production partner Tom on vacation (somewhat fittingly), it was Benji who sat down to field our call…
In the space of less than 10 releases, Long Island Electrical Systems (or L.I.E.S, for short) has already established an enviable visual and sonic aesthetic. The first thing you notice about the label is the name – it immediately conjures images entirely appropriate for an imprint purveying the deeper, darker end of house and techno. Those who tuned in to the early L.I.E.S 12″s will not be surprised to learn that label chief Ron Morelli is a firm admirer of the raw electro and techno that emanated from Holland in the 90s (often referred to as the Hague sound); indeed it was the arrival of the Bunker Records crew on US soil that pushed Morelli’s musical taste in the direction of raw, analogue dance music. The recent appearance of Legowelt on a L.I.E.S 12 inch – making him the only non-New Yorker to appear on the label so far – testifies to that.
Launched in 2010 with the Roule Records-esque sounds of Malvouex (aka the fiendishly talented Jason Letkiewicz, a key figure in the L.I.E.S family), records from Steve Moore, Willie Burns, Two Dogs In A House (a side project for Letkiewicz and Morelli) swiftly followed. This month saw two more releases – a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it white label from Runaway’s Marcos Cabral and an ace EP from Steve Summers (another alias of Letkiewicz). A quick look into the label’s futures plans suggests it will not only maintain its impressive release but branch out into hitherto unexplored terrain. Aaron Coultate called up Brooklyn to discover the truth behind L.I.E.S – we also managed to procure a mix from Morelli which includes forthcoming label material from Terreke, Professor Genius, Max D, and Steve Summers.
Fine Art Recordings chief Nitzan Hermon clearly has a sharp eye for concepts. One of his most intriguing ideas to date was the 2009 MVSICA project – pronounced ‘musica’ – a CD compilation of downtempo music from producers known primarily for their 4/4 techno output. The CD, a collaboration with Sawdust studio, was released on a special ‘scratch off’ surface on hard laminated paper, meaning that the cover would evolve over time – much like the music contained within. Those who bought one of the 200 copies made could either keep it in pristine condition or subject it to the rigours of regular use and thus earn something genuinely unique.
Sometimes, inspiration comes from the most banal situations. For Micky, owner of the [Naked Lunch] label, the decision to name his label after the infamous drug-fuelled William Burroughs novel came about because he happened to be staring at a rack of DVDs in someone’s apartment.
London based Pictures Music began life in 2010 with a dubstep and garage infused EP from fast rising trio Dark Sky. This was closely followed by the Tourist EP from Seams, filled with colourful and minimal electronic tones in the vein of Four Tet or Gold Panda, and the debut release from Chairman Kato, a more claustrophobic EP of expansive bass-filled techno. These three releases couldn’t have been any more disparate, and quickly set out the label’s position as one that was not going to settle releasing one style of music. The release of Koreless’ 4D/MTI single, championed by Gilles Peterson and Jamie xx, saw the label propelled into the consciousness of a much wider audience.
The three members of the Aniara gang – Alexander Berg, Nils Krogh and Fabian Bruhn – have created something special with their record label, party and production collective. They’ve caught the ears of some very respected artists who might have dismissed Sweden as belonging to the staid, manly sounds of Techno with a capital ‘T’. The austere yet psychedelic music of Genius of Time and Dorisburg combine an understanding of the past with a yearning for something new and space age. It’s for these reasons that we singled out the Gothenburg-based imprint to be the first in a new feature focusing on our favourite record labels. And while the guys can seem reserved or shy at first, a few drinks in, they can party with the best of them – just as Berlin-based Juno Plus scribe Pablo Roman-Alcalá found out. (Scroll down to the bottom of the article to hear a stream of the recent Genius Of Time set at Swiss club Dachstock.)