Jamie Odell has proven a remarkably durable figure in the fast-changing world of dance music. Having grown up around synthesizers and drum machines as the son of musician — and having witnessed house music’s many evolutions since the late 1980s — this stuff runs deep in Odell’s being. It’s evident in his time-tested productions as Jimpster and Audiomontage, which first arrived on the label Freerange Records he started alongside friend Tom Roberts, encompassing a wide swath of electronic music before eventually coalescing around house music. Alongside a fruitful DJ career, Freerange is Odell’s calling card, as well. Its consistent and thoroughly melodic catalog includes records from Kenny Larkin, Kirk Degiorgio, Andre Lodemann, Manuel Tur, and regulars Milton Jackson and Shur-i-kan. Freerange also spawned the Delusions of Grandeur sub-label in 2009 with a wider stylistic remit and an excellent cast — Recloose, Tornado Wallace, Session Victim, and two Craig Smith/Graeme Clark projects, for example. 2013 sees Odell release his sixth Jimpster album, the deliciously homespun Porchlight and Rocking Chairs, which utilizes years of experience and a keen ear for deep house songwriting to realize perhaps his best LP so far. LWE reached out to Odell to discuss how the new album came about, some of the most potent recent trends in dance music, and the depths of his A&R practices. He also delivered LWE’s 165th exclusive podcast, a wide-reaching and thoroughly entertaining summary of the sounds which have made Jimpster such an enduring presence.

Download LWE Podcast 165: Jimpster (71:44)

Tracklist:

01. Tim Souster, “Surfit” [Transatlantic Records]
02. Marnie, “Floor Of Soul” (Instrumental) [Sinistral]
03. Spymusic, “No Track Title” [2000Black]
04. Glenn Astro, “Together” [Big Bait Records]
05. Daniel Wang, “Like Some Dream I Can’t Stop Dreaming” [Balihu Records]
06. Synchrojack, “Is It” [Vibes And Pepper Records]
07. Audiocad, “Snap To Sea” [Between Us]
08. Ideal, “Matisu” [Chicago Bad Boy Records]
09. Island Noyze Productions, “Vision’ De Paraiso” [Island Noyze Records]
10. STL, “Silent State” (Milton Jackson Edit) [*]
11. Dark Sky, “Rare Bloom” [Mister Saturday Night]
12. Cabaret Voltaire, “Invocation” [Les Disques Du Crépuscule]
13. Jack Dejohnette, “Epilog” [Prestige Records]
14. Balil, “Island” [Rising High Records]
15. Stanley Clarke, “Concerto For Jazz/Rock Orchestra” (Pt I)
[Nemperor Records]
16. Jimpster, “Porchlight And Rocking Chairs” (KiNK Remix) [Freerange Records]
17. Sandy Rivera, “Float” [Distant Music]
18. Palm Skin Productions, “Them That Help” [*]
19. Tim Souster, “Surfit” [Transatlantic Records]
* indicates tracks which, at the time of publication, are unreleased

The last time I interviewed you it was late 2007. What would you say have been the three biggest changes for you as far as dance music is concerned?

Jamie Odell: I can’t even really remember what was happening in 2007 ‘cos it seems like a lifetime ago. But if we’re talking about the last five years in dance music, then a couple of key things that come to mind would include the rise, and more recently, the backlash against the likes of Beatport and the resurgence in the popularity of vinyl. Of course, there were always those who never even defected from vinyl, but I did get out of the habit of buying it for a little while. So I’m currently enjoying a renaissance, finding more elusive and exclusive bits to play out which hopefully helps make for a more interesting set. Another seemingly important phenomenon in recent years has to be Boiler Room. From something seemingly so simple and in many ways at odds with what could or should work in club music the Boiler Room sessions have become a calling card for DJs, an invaluable resource for promoters and an X Factor-style opportunity for wannabe club dancers providing strangely compelling viewing from the comfort of your armchair! Talking of which, we’ll be doing a Freerange takeover on June 27th with myself, Detroit Swindle, Nebraska and Mic Newman so tune in please!

Unlike the great majority of producers who have begun to make 90s influenced sounds, you were actually producing at that time. How do you feel about the extent to which dance music has become obsessed with trying to recreate its past? Do you think there are still bits worth mining for new material?

I don’t really have any issues with the obsession of recreating the past. For me, the best club-focused house music is nearly always the simplest. But with developments in technology giving us more and more options to do crazy stuff you had never been able to do in the past, it’s often a case of really working hard to strip things back, refine and simplify ideas to get to the point where your music grooves and has enough space to make an impact. I see it as inevitable that many of us house music producers choose to focus on the best music from the golden era as inspiration for our own stuff. It’s pretty obvious that the best house music from back in the day will stand the test of time and still sound fresh and current in the same way that great jazz from the 60′s and 70′s does.

I often enjoyed your releases as Audiomontage in the past. That alias has been silent since 2006. Does Jimpster suit all your musical needs as a moniker?

Well, I started up my aka Franc Spangler as an alternative to my old Audiomontage guise for my material on Delusions Of Grandeur but I’m really not as prolific as I was seven years ago, partly due to having kids as well as being far busier with gigs. Generally I find most of the remixes and original material I’m working on does fit into the Jimpster vibe, but I’m really hoping to get more stuff going on in the studio next year. I like the idea of starting up a new pseudonym for new stuff and definitely feel like it’s the right time to push myself in some new directions.

You’re no stranger to making albums, but it’s been many years between your last two long players. What accounts for the gap?

Having kids, playing every weekend, and trying to keep some kind of family life happening all play havoc with studio time. I also find that the label stuff seems to be getting more and more time consuming. All these excuses don’t make up for the fact that sometimes you just go into the studio and don’t seem to have much inspiration or bang your head against the wall trying to find the right direction. Gone are the days of being able to justify spending a whole day choosing and EQing a kick drum. I think that extra pressure doesn’t always work in my favor and often slows me down even more.

Your sixth album, Porchlight and Rocking Chairs is the kind of album I hoped you’d return with. How did you decide what the final sound would be after so many years of working on it? How has a slow pace made the album what it is today?

I knew I wanted to make an LP in keeping with my previous LP’s rather than deviate too much. When I was getting some initial sketches, sounds, loops and stuff together I had in mind that the overall vibe should be slightly dusty, crunchy, compressed, and a little glitchy, as I think my previous Jimpster LP’s veer too close to being overproduced and clean sounding. My main focus was to try and dirty things up a bit but within my normal style and sonic sphere and bringing more analogue hardware into the picture certainly helped this. Just trying to work quickly was key to getting the sound I was after once the initial ideas were in place and as always, the tracks that came together the quickest and with least effort are my favorites!

The album’s title seems to hint at the pleasures of home life. Would you say this has helped shape its sound?

I sometimes wish my home life was all about sitting out on a porch on a beautiful balmy evening with nothing but fireflies and cicadas for company, but I live in the UK! I have to make do with my imagination. The title came to me after watching a really nice documentary on bluegrass music from the Appalachian Mountains, which on paper seems like polar opposites to deep house and electronica being made by an English geezer from Essex. Hopefully the music hints at the kind of crepuscular imagery and open plain expanses the title conjures up.

“These Times” with Jinadu is rather beautiful song. What can you tell us about how it came together.

The backing track of the original version of “These Times” came about through me pushing for some new sounds to get outside the standard deep house hits and stabs and into something far more organic and live sounding. I found some really nice dulcimer notes and loops which I sampled up to make up the main chiming riffs and when I got the track to a reasonable level I sent it to my friend Jinadu — who I went to at college with and who I’d already worked with on some previous things — to see if he had some ideas for it. He’s a great vocalist and melody writer in that classic Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers kind of vein, and the next day he came back with some really excellent stuff. Rather than include the original version on the LP I wanted to get the guitarist Barney Morse-Brown to reinterpret the arrangement for acoustic guitar, making for a much more album friendly version and a perfect closing track.

There are a number of compelling vocal performances on the album. Is this part of an effort to make more musical, song-oriented productions?

Yeah, I’m a sucker for a nice vocal and think it helps keep the listeners attention across an LP so I knew I wanted to try and get at least two or three vocal orientated tracks on there. Jonatan Backelie is someone I’ve known for years through the Gothenburg scene but we’ve never done a track together. There’s also a track with myself and my wife singing on it which seemed like a good idea to try after too many bottles of wine one night. Sometimes it’s just enough to have a couple of little vocal elements even if it’s quiet in the mix just to bring in a human element which really catches the ear.

Delusions of Grandeur (which, by the way, is the best name for a sub-label specifically I’ve ever heard) is where you release music which doesn’t fit the Freerange sound. I wonder, how far are you willing to push the style of what it would release? I’m always curious what kinds of boundaries label owners set on themselves.

I can’t take the credit for the name as that was my partner Tom’s handy work but we’re really happy with how the label has grown and we’re putting a lot of work into developing long lasting relationships with the artists on the roster. In theory, I love the idea of really being able to push things musically and having Delusions as an outlet for producers to really experiment and with no genre confines. But in reality I use the same remit for my A&Ring as for Freerange, which is if it’s something that I’d love to play out then it’s something we’d like to release. And for the most part my DJ sets tend to stay within the confines of house and disco without ever straying too far from what works on the dance floor.

Running a label often requires more than just picking tracks and committing them to vinyl. At times, A&R means working with the artist to fine tune their work. How much of this do you do, and to what extent do you think it’s a good idea to involve the label in the artist’s work?

Yeah, I definitely get quite involved and hands-on with the A&R side of running the labels, which probably drives some of our artists mad, but for the most part I think it’s accepted and in some cases even appreciated. I know myself the value of having an extra, unbiased, and fresh pair of ears listen to your stuff, and it can often be very simple mix or arrangement tweaks that can really help finish off the track and get it the best it can be. At the end of the day, it’s really just about me being a meddling git trying to satisfy my own ego and justify my own position at the label!

What are a few of your favorite older Freerange releases which you think are still relevant today?

There are a few of the older bits that still get an airing from time to time. My Audiomontage remix of Dyadic Shift by Yennah from 1999 still sounds pretty fresh. The Subjekt and Switch stuff of Dave Taylor’s from 2003/4 proved to be a pivotal time for the label, with releases like Get On Downz and Be My Chicago still sounding really innovative, as well as being able to wreck a dance floor ten years on. Black Joy’s “Untitled,” including the Kerri Chandler and Stefan Goldmann remixes, is another release I’m really proud of and still gets played regularly by a lot of people.

I understand the Freerange back catalog was lost in a fire at the Sony/PIAS warehouse caused by riots. What was it like having to comes to terms with not having access to those records anymore? Are there any plans to re-press past work that was lost?

It’s quite depressing to think about what got lost in that fire with so many great labels such as Ninja Tune and Warp all being effected. We have the last remaining few copies of some releases left at our office, and every time someone buys something from our online store and I bag one up and send it off. It feels a bit sad that there won’t be any more after these copies disappear. We did commemorate the loss and go someway to making some of our more classic releases available again by producing the Out Of The Ashes box set. This was a limited edition five part collection containing some of the labels highlights from the back catalog. We pressed extra copies of the individual 12″s so that we always have vinyl copies of certain tracks available.

Tell me about the mix you made for LWE.

It’s a bit of a mish-mash of stuff really. Some recent clubby bits mixed up with some fairly random favorite old bits and key, influential tracks which have been an inspiration in my own music making. Hopefully a few less well known bits as well as a couple of underground classics and some beautiful ambient interludes including some unreleased stuff from Palmskin Productions and an exclusive airing of KiNK’s remix of my “Porchlight And Rocking Chairs” track not out till September. All mixed with a combination of decks and CDJs through my A&H Xone 22 with the additional help from some nips ‘n tucks in Logic afterwards to help match the volumes and get some of the transitions sounding nice and smooth.

What’s coming up from Jimpster and Freerange for the rest of 2013 and beyond?

I’m currently working on finishing off a new Franc Spangler EP for Delusions, which I hope makes it out before the end of the year. Been finalizing and confirming the Boiler Room takeover this week as well as some other label showcase parties including Get Physical and Zoo Project in Ibiza in July. Got the new Shur-i-kan release just about to drop which is an absolute beauty and comes complete with a Kim Brown remix. Also got a new artist from St Petersburg called Kito Jempere coming with his debut EP including a stunning Jacob Korn remix. There will also be a remix package of the Jimpster LP coming in September including KiNK, Andre Lodemann and Deetron remixes. Look out for new Toby Tobias, Soul 223 and 6th Borough releases on Delusions Of Grandeur.

Put simply, The Black Dog is one of the most enduring techno acts in electronic music, having released in excess of ten albums over a career history that spans four decades. The Sheffield act has had Ken Downie as its central member since the beginning, though with the addition of Richard and Martin Dust in 2001, The Black Dog has become more prolific than ever. The three producers issue a constant stream of music that revolves primarily around techno, with excursions into more ambient realms occasionally as well. Far from the vaunted youthful pursuits of fame and endless touring, the three spend the majority of their time in the studio, which goes a long way to explaining both the high quality and quantity of material they release. Little White Earbuds got in touch with the trio to talk about studio duties, trolling the RA forums, and how an unfortunate airport incident left Ken with a lifelong disdain for aviation authority (but garnered us an album in the process). The guys were also kind enough to put together our 164th exclusive podcast — an hour of compelling techno that gathers some of their favorite tunes of the minute with cuts from their new album, Tranklements.

Download LWE Podcast 164: The Black Dog (59:11)

Tracklist:

01. The Black Dog, “Internal Collapse” [Dust Science]
02. Markus Suckut, “Path” [Figure]
03. Ucleden, “At Peace” (Live Mix) [Broque]
04. Murmur, “Rumah” (James Fox Remix) [Church]
05. Exium, “Massless Particle” [PoleGroup 16]
06. Cosmin TRG, “Defeated Hearts Club 1″ [50 Weapons]
07. Forward Strategy Group, “Code 3″ [Perc Trax]
08. Inland, “Solstice (Lost)” [Counterchange Recordings]
09. Markus Suckut, “Rigid” [Figure]
10. The Black Dog, “Pray Crash II” [Dust Science]
11. Stutter, “Rumah” (Apes & Seb Wildblood Remix) [Church]
12. Ucleden, “What We Are” [Broque]
13. The Third Man, “Double Dawn” [EPM Music]
14. Joran Van Pol, “Conscious” [M_nus]
15. Exium, “Nucleoid” [PoleGroup 16]
16. Diamond Version, “Get Yours” [Mute Artists Limited]

So to start, perhaps Ken you could tell us about starting up the motors of The Black Dog again. How long had the project properly been in hiatus and what was it that lead you to revive it?

Ken: Eh? I never went anywhere! With the previous lineup, we made the decision to concentrate on remixes for other people. Maybe some folks do still wish that I had buggered off on a hiatus. But that’s not the case. I’ve been busy with TBD since 1989, in one way or another.

Martin and Richard you guys came on board for the Radio Scarecrow album, but you had known each other for quite some time hadn’t you? How did you all originally meet?

Martin: We joined TBD in 2003 and started work on Silenced and started the label Dust Science. We took our time with those releases, there was no rush and Silenced was eventually released in 2005. Radio Scarecrow was our second album together and that was released in 2008. I knew Ken from running BBS sites at the start of TBD and before “The Internet”; we’ve been friends for a long time now. We get on really well and we’re mates more than anything. We’ve nothing to prove to each other so we do what we want and enjoy what we do, easy really.

Had you ever previously worked on music together? How long did it take before you were all happy with what you were making with each other?

Martin: Well like most things, we are friends first. We all love technology and games so our friendship grew from there. We’d still be friends if we didn’t make music together. We would talk about things for a long time and we used the Bite Thee Back EP as a way of finding a working method and to find the directions we all wanted to take.

Richard: It was an easy relationship from the outset. Nobody makes big demands or has unrealistic expectations. I don’t think any of us would tolerate any over-sized egos.

Ken: I was very happy when Martin and Rich joined. It’s harder being a solo artist, because you have nobody to bounce your ideas and experimentation off of. Friends and family often tell you what they think you want to hear.

In terms of being in the studio, do you each have specific talents? Do you kind of have separate responsibilities or strengths you play up to?

Martin: Not really. Richard is much better at mastering and sorting levels than me or Ken but that’s about as far as splitting the work up goes. We have a large server where we share all of our tracks, parts and samples so we’re all free to dip into anything. It’s pretty easy really when you are working on things on a daily basis.

Richard: Sharing the work in that way can be very rewarding. One of us could be at a dead-end with a set of loops or a rough demo track. However, that rough outline could be a source of new ideas once handed over to everyone else, it can easily turn into something completely different. You just have to avoid being precious about your own half-baked ideas.

Ken: I don’t mind admitting that I can wander off on sonic flights of fancy, sometimes. I was into musique concrete, and avant garde composers before I owned a computer. Martin and Richard know what works on the dance floor and what doesn’t, which has helped to keep me grounded.

So you’ve made six albums together over the past five years as well as a bunch of singles and EPs. That’s a pretty healthy work rate. In terms of the albums, have you been working in a similar way for each one?

Martin: We don’t have a fixed working method; we’re in the studio five or six days a week so it’s really easy for us to work on things together. We also do lots of stuff that never gets released or deleted as it’s just part of the process of being an artist.

Ken: I think we’re all the sort of people, who, if we did discover a formula, would rip it up and try something completely different. Running around in the same old tracks for ever and ever must be stultifyingly boring. Like a stuck record.

With an album like Music for Real Airports, there’s obviously a bit of a theme going on. Are all your albums approached with a collection of surrounding ideas?

Martin: Everything starts from one idea and expands from there. Some have stronger themes and bonds than others but there’s a point where great music just wins out over some elaborate back story. We’ve read a lot of press releases and sometimes the back stories are better than the music, but a lot of [music] writing these days just copies the text from a press release. It’s lazy but you can see why it happens. It was one of the reasons we kept the PR on Tranklements to a minimum, just to see what would happen.

For the Airports album specifically, was this strictly homage to Eno’s album or more of an updated look at airports, incorporating the coming of less-than-glamorous air travel and cut-price airlines?

Martin: It was a contemporary and artistic reply with a load of political statements about the way we are treated in that environment. We pay for the pleasure of being just another blob of meat in the eyes of the PLC’s that run the airports and airlines.

Richard: The title and subject matter was about as far as the comparisons go, the end result and our intentions are very different. The reality of modern air travel is very different to the 70′s ideals in Eno’s work.

Ken: Brian’s album didn’t investigate the clusterfuck of security that paying customers now have to endure. I choose not to fly now, since some fascist in a brown shirt yelled at me to “take my shoes off.” What I wanted to say, was “Do I look like a shoe-bombing terrorist, you twat?” But we would have been escorted to the naughty boys room and probably missed the gig. That incident incensed me so much, I burnt my passport. Music for REAL airports.

Can we talk about your new album Tranklements? Tell us about the recording process and what informed the writing of it?

Richard: The idea behind Tranklements was to actually try and remove the big ideas or concepts, which is a bit of a contradiction. We wanted each track to be more individual, personal and exist in its own right. Each one should work as part of the album or on its own.

You don’t seem to favor remix work very much. What are the criteria for TBD to take on a remix?

Martin: We only take on things we want to do and we also wanted to keep a lot of the ideas we have for our own projects. A lot of artists take on or do remixes to climb some imaginary career ladder; that’s not something that interests me a great deal.

Richard: We can get carried away with a remix and spend far too long on it, but it can be interesting to dissect someone else’s work for a change.

Ken: As mentioned above, TBD has done plenty of remixes over the years. Most of them were fun. But when you have their record company execs breathing down your neck with slipped deadlines and “suggestions,” the enjoyment factor evaporates somewhat. It’s more entertaining writing our own material at the moment. Not saying that I won’t ever work on another remix. but they aren’t top of the list at present. Been there, done that.

You’ve all been around long enough to see plenty of changes in the world of techno. How do you feel about techno and where it’s at right now? What significant changes, if any, have you seen in recent years?

Martin: I think it’s in a pretty good place; there’s still a healthy underground that takes care of its own and there are plenty of artists doing some great work. I do wonder who’s buying the shite in Beatport’s Top Techno 100 charts though? It sounds like it’s been the same 20 loops for the last five years and I’ve never been in a club where they play it.

Richard: The younger generation of producers, promoters and clubbers coming through seem to be more open to new ideas and influences. They’re just not caught up in the in the elitism that was so prevalent in electronic music a few years ago. Musical styles are getting mixed up far more now, which suits us perfectly.

Ken: I’m very happy that techno is a still a valid musical genre all these years down the road. Splintered into many fragments, which all have a life in their own right and still it’s survived. People were telling me that it was a fad, and that it would soon pass, back in 1993. I’m glad to be able to say they were talking out of their bottoms.

Judging by recent on-line threads, you’re not influenced by Kowton, amongst others. What are TBD listening to at home?

Martin: Ha-ha that was me trolling up a lazy comment on RA. We’d been sat in the pub with the laptops having a laugh at the comments. We love a lot of electronic artists but I’m not sure that we look to them to be or as an influence. I’m more influenced by art and politics than other artists in music. That said I do love a lot of work by Beneath, Happa, SDC, et al. There’s a lot of great stuff out there and it’s great that the younger generation have taken to it and are kicking some arse, more power to them. If you check our Darkwave mixes, these are the artists we’re into and we tend to play a lot of new artists in our DJ mixes.

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve put together for us?

Martin: It’s some of our favorite new releases and the stuff we’ve been playing in the studio and when we get booked to do DJ sets. There’s a lot of great music out there and we like selecting the stuff that’s doing it for us.

What can we expect from TBD over the next year?

Richard: We’ve got a couple more singles ready to go and are looking at a few other projects too, so we’ll just have to see what lands first.

When Vakula emerged in 2008 with the instantly arresting Night In Konotop EP, it was a minor hit for the burgeoning Quintessentials label who had already featured an early EP from the hotly-tipped Anton Zap. There was no doubt that the four tracks on Vakula’s first release owed a debt to the likes of KDJ and Theo Parrish, but as a steadier stream of releases started flowing from the artist in 2010 it quickly became apparent the Ukranian producer was never out to ape anyone’s sound. It somehow didn’t seem possible, but as his discography grew, it seemed so too did the impressive nature of his production. Ranging from raw, subterranean house tracks through to erudite, mechanical techno, Vakula’s output is ardently anticipated, but fortunately for his fans there has thus far been a steady stream of it, whether under his Vakula handle or as V, Vedomir or Vedagor. A long time fan of the producer, Little White Earbuds set out to conduct an in-depth interview with the artist born Mikhaylo Vityk, but with language differences getting in the way this proved to be a somewhat fruitless task. His sentiments however shone through via his preferred method of communication: ethereal, tripped out house that makes up LWE’s 163rd podcast.

Download LWE Podcast 163: Vakula (110:25)

First of all can you tell us about your association with the band MySpaceRocket, of which Nina Kraviz was also a member?

Vakula: I do not have anything to do with this group. Initially, I was involved with it with Nina Kravitz but she acted dishonestly and in my absence this track has been published under a different name. I do not like it when people do that.

When did you start working on your own material?

About eight years ago.

Where does the name Vakula come from?

The roots of the name Vakula are from a story by Nikolai Gogol. I love this Ukrainian writer. He was a profound man, full of mystery and mysticism.

Right from the start you were releasing on some very respected labels. Did you have contacts with these labels through DJing or were you sending out demos to them?

These labels found me on MySpace, I do not like imposing. Even now, having two of my own labels I never send demos out.

Certain releases of yours seem to follow a certain aesthetic. For example your Leleka releases seem to have a jazz and funk undertone throughout them, whereas your releases on Shevchenko seem to be more about dub. Can you tell us about what these releases represent to you?

The desire to experiment, to not stand in one place, and to be in motion. I lose interest in artists who each year keep the same style.

What is the bird on the Leleka labels? What meaning does that hold for you?

It is the bird of happiness. It makes sense, naturally. I want to give happiness to people, like this bird does — an aist (stork) is mythically, the creature that brings babies into the houses of those who need them.

Your tracks often make use of samples — and from the sounds of it, from a pretty incredible wealth of jazz, funk and soul records. Are the samples taken from your record collection? If so how did you get into buying this stuff?

I rarely use samples. To be more precise, I have done in the past. At this time for about the past three years I have been writing with live musicians.

How would you say your sound has progressed, or perhaps how do you feel you’ve grown musically since your first releases?

I was just experimenting in the past, it’s so different now.

Can you tell us about your different pseudonyms, Vedagor, V, and Vedomir? Your work as V is obviously musically quite different to your other material, but does the music you produce under the other names differ for you from the Vakula tracks?

Aliases appeared only because the old tracks are not like me and I did not want to publish them under the name of Vakula.

On your Vedomir project, you’ve got a few people playing instruments. Is this a direction you want to pursue more, to have live elements in your music?

Yes, my music tends to a more acoustic sound and I like this direction.

You have put out an incredible amount of music in the last few years. How often are you in your studio? Do you have a fast work rate?

Every day that I’m not on tour, I spend in the studio. But to create a lot of tracks doesn’t mean anything to me. It is better to focus on a single song and get it right.

What can you tell us about the mix that you have put together for us?

In my mix I wanted to reproduce the memory of my last dream that I had before recording the mix. At this point I was in the apartment with friends in Sydney. There was a really good mixer E&S DJR-400 (thanks Karim), and two turntables Technics 1210 + my DJ bag clogged with vinyl for a tour of Australia and also about 12 records that I had bought recently in Melbourne.

What can we expect from you and your many musical aliases over the next year?

Music.

His productions may be charged with the feeling of urban decay and a certain malign outlook, but much of the incubation of Recondite’s pensive style actually happened during time spent in the mountains. It was almost a decade ago that the now Berlin-based artist starting producing music. Spurred on by hearing Superpitcher’s Today CD, he started amassing equipment, turned his mother’s basement into a makeshift studio and began teaching himself how to produce. Initially pitching his demos to Dial, rather than being discouraged when he didn’t hear back, he simply decided to set up his own label instead. The first Plangent release in early 2011 struck such a chord that he immediately become a closely watched artist. More Plangent releases followed, the artist really hitting his stride in 2012 with an artist album for Acid Test and an EP for Hotflush. It was the album that properly established Recondite, his take on acid translated in long form finding its way into many end of year lists and garnering the producer a solid following. 2013 has already seen the fifth installment of the Plangent series and an EP for the fledgling Berlin label Dystopian. Wanting to delve deeper into the world of Recondite, Little White Earbuds got in touch to talk about his studio, why he’s not likely to be remixing many other producers, and just where German cock-rockers Rammstein fit into his work. He was also kind enough to put together a live set of his own productions for us that makes up our 162nd exclusive podcast. He suggests you listen to it in the back seat of a car, high on summer sun and natural combustibles, but we think its brilliance is likely to hit you no matter where you hear it.

Download LWE Podcast 162: Recondite (59:25)

So you first came to attention via your releases on your own label Plangent. How long had you been working on your productions before you released your first record?

Recondite: Nine years ago I got my first day job as a physical therapist in Munich, and I moved there from the countryside. It was a good clinic, but for me the job was not easy to handle. The time, the environment and the work itself was very difficult to deal with. I went to Austria to work in a five star hotel; after eight months as I desperately wanted to get out of the city again. Up at 1400m I had enough nature and the environment I needed at that time. I had been collecting hip-hop and electronic music like a mad man for a couple of years at that time. Anyways, I was able to save up some money (awesome tips) in that hotel to take a small world-traveling trip.

After I came back the first thing I did was move in to the basement of my mother’s house and built a studio in there. To be honest, since that day EVERYTHING I did was tailored towards being able to vent and concentrate certain moods into music. A couple of months later I got my own place with an awesome sounding garage, put a studio in there and had great days/nights in there. It was so far out in the sticks — 100% nature — it was awesome. I had the perfect surrounding to learn the techniques to be able to produce music in a way that does not really feel like work. Actually most of the time when I do a “good” track it is the product of a soothing and calming session for me.
In 2009 I had to be in Berlin, as is a very common step for people with my vision. It was the right thing to do. Although I have to say that I miss my home quite a lot and I go back there AT LEAST every season, as it’s only a six hour drive. In late 2010 I had the first test pressing of Plangent 001 in my hands.

Tell me about setting up Plangent. Was it out of necessity to release your own material? Had you shopped your tracks around to other labels?

I shopped a couple of tunes towards one other label, yes. That was Dial. But there was no response, so I said screw them, let’s set up something new. Plangent was a logical step.

Are you planning to release other artists on the label or is it strictly for your own productions?

I hope I won’t get killed by a couple of people who sent me promos, whom I told that Plangent is Recondite only at the moment as it is almost safe to say now that Plangent 006 will be done by one of my best friends. Actually he was part of the “Unterholz” track on PLAN001!

I understand you kind of got your start in producing via your mother’s boyfriend. What happened there?

When I set up the studio in my mom’s basement, in the house her new husband had a studio also. He does productions and compositions for commercials mostly and he had this old school set up with a huge outboard mixing console and a tape machine. It’s stuff he does not use anymore as they moved to a smaller place now, which forced him to minimize his set up. But yes, he was a huge help! He gave me Cubase and a keyboard, I think it was some old Yamaha sampler, but I used it as a midi keyboard mostly. I started working with field recordings right from the start, and it was passionate from the first day. I just enjoy doing tunes so much. I spent an enormous amount of time with doing music since 2007.

From there what was your own first studio set-up like?

At my flat I got after that time my set up was a Jomox09 an Access Virus A, still that Yamaha sampler, two Yamaha HS80M which I still use, and some M-Audio midi controller.

Tell us about the recording of On Acid. How did you find working within the parameters set out by Acid Test?

That was pure fun! As at first we intended to do an EP I did not have any pressure to come up with a load of tracks, so I just enjoyed myself with the 303 sounds and put my mood stamp on there. So basically it was my personal take on acid.

To date you’ve only remixed Scuba’s “The Hope.” Do you have any more remixes coming out soon? Has it been a matter of not being asked so far or that you don’t want to remix too many people?

To be honest I do not like doing remixes so much. I feel limited sometimes. I get to the point where I find the remix not sounding like the original at all very often. There will be some more remixes out though. I think I will do one for PLAN006 and also for another artist.

So you’ve just been on a bit of a tour. Where have you been and how did it go?

The last couple of weeks have been busy but up there with the best times of my life. My girlfriend and I went to Asia. I played ORGANIK festival in Taiwan which was mesmerizing; Taiwanese rain forest, mountains, and pacific — ALL IN ONE SPOT. It was a great experience to get to know the country and especially all the persons around SMOKE MACHINE. Smart, friendly, tasteful and honest people. After that laid back I played on a Sunday morning with all my deep, chilled, cerebral tunes; it was a total contrast to play in Singapore. First I had an awesome host again, the guys behind Midnight Shift — the record label that hosts two of my recent tracks. They showed us around and they took us to the good spots, then introduced us to great food and made an awesome party work at Singapore’s very new up and coming club called KYO. Obviously there I did not play chilled and laid back. I sensed I had to generate some action on the floor, which perfectly worked. Shortly after that I played to the biggest crowd I have ever played to, in Lyon at Nuit Sonores on an outdoor stage again. 5000 people vibin’ — what an experience! Now Output NYC and the Klockworks party during Movement in Detroit is the next thing!

Do you generally play live when you do a show? Did you start producing or DJing first?

Yes, I generally play live at the moment. I started out with DJing though and who knows what happens in the future. Right now I love the idea of being a DJ with my own productions. Obviously I do edits of my tracks and add a sample here and there, but I’m not a big fan of not respecting the intentions of a track I did, with all its architecture, by rearranging it on the fly just for some dogmatic cause. At this point I can act as a DJ with his ability of adaption and flexibility (Taiwan and Singapore was the best example) without being boring and still play for 90-120 mins. That is a huge achievement, and that lets me enjoy my sets a lot!

What were some of the producers or tracks that you remember that first got you into electronic music?

I think it was MF Doom, RZA and J Dilla as their MPC skills generated interest in beatmaking in general!

And what are some of the less obvious musical influences we might hear in your tracks?

Rammstein definitely, I think you can hear that in my track “EC10,” for example.

What can you tell us about the set you put together for us?

I was thinking about it for a couple of days, whether I should do a set like I would play it to a big dance floor or not. In the end I decided to make one that comes in very nicely when you sit on the backseat of a car with a decent sound system — after a long summer bathing day on a nice lake, maybe a little high of the sun or some herbs and you sit back and enjoy a deep ride with minor peaks, an occasional fist pump here and there included

And what can we expect from Recondite over the next year?

This year there will be the first genuine non-concept Recondite album in the second half of 2013. An LP which I’m very proud of as it is the most personal thing I have done until now. That does not judge the subjective quality of the tracks. It’s just that the content, the used sounds, the atmospheres, the cover, everything, is basically me. It will be released on Ghostly International in the 2nd half of 2013. Next year should also hold releases for Dystopian, Hotflush and Acid Test.

Releasing “Think About It” as Etat Solide on her own UK House Records in 1990, Kelli Hand became one of the first female producers of house and techno in the world. To avoid the confusion of origin that the label name created, Hand re-titled her imprint Acacia Records after a street in her hometown of Detroit. On Acacia she championed her own early work with Claude Young as Rhythm Foundation, her solo productions as K. Hand, as well as giving talents like Sean Deason and Wamdue Kids a home for their first releases. Continuing to also release on other labels around the world, she became the first artist to release an album on the lauded Studio !K7 label, and has gone on to release more than 50 singles and seven albums in a career that spans three decades. LWE tracked down Hand to find out more about her career, her formative influences, and what’s going on with Acacia Records. She also mixed our 161st exclusive podcast, which shows off her particular tastes and incredible skills on the decks.

LWE Podcast 161: K-HAND (90:44)

Tracklist:

01. Doruk Ozlen feat. Raquel Dwyer, “I Love You” (Doruk’s Bonus Tribal Drums) [Gotsoul Records]
02. Zoo Look feat. Amy Lyon, “Over Me” [Morris Audio]
03. K-Hand, “Love Games” (K-Hand Dub Mix) [Acacia]
04. Andy Rojas, “Talengue” [Vamos Music]
05. K-Hand, “Outta Yo Mind” [Third Ear Recordings]
06. Audiowhores, “Chains” [Noir Music]
07. J Paul Getto, “Different Folks” [Guesthouse Music]
08. Startraxx, “I Feel Nu Luv” [Mena Music]
09. Strokin, “Disc Jockey Snack” [white*]
10. Lauer & Canard feat. Max Williams, “Looks Like Love” [Porno Star Music]
11. Greg Stainer, “Keep It Real” (David Jones Mix) [Stained Music]
12. Miss Divine & Jon Kong, “No Grace” [Nocturnal Groove]
13. K-Hand, “Feel” (Original) [Acacia]
14. Adam Port, “Someone To Love” [Keinemusik]
15. Toby Montana & Dan Caster, “Mama Say” [Light My Fire]
16. Daniel Stefanik feat. Cassy, “Keep On” (Version II) [Cocoon Recordings]
17. Tale Of Us, “Another Earth” [M_nus]
18. Gonzak, “Rock Bend” [Bedroom Muzik]
19. Carl Cox V Yousef, “I Want You (Forever)” (Deadmau5 Remix) [Cr2 Records]
20. Rework, “Werewolf” (Magda Remix) [Meant Records]
21. Daniel Portman, “Something In The Air” [Unreleased Digital]
22. K-Hand, “Dusty” (Andrew Duke Remix) [Gorsch*]
23. Gaiser, “Some Slip” [M_nus]
24. Valentino Kanzyani, “Woodoo Samba” [Cadenza]
25. Adam Port, “Black Noise” [Cocoon Recordings]
* denotes tracks which, as of the time of publishing, are unreleased

What was it that originally made you want to be a DJ?

K-Hand: Frequenting the Paradise Garage and Shelter in New York back in the day.

Did you have any girlfriends doing it as well?

Saskia Slegers (Miss Djax) from Holland and Queen Latifah, although she’s in a different genre.

And what was the moment where you decided to start producing your own tracks?

My moment began when I became a resident DJ in a small Detroit club. It was a good time to test our $50 acetates, ha!

Did you have anyone mentoring you at this stage?

As far as the club scene, the late Ken Collier. Derrick May was the first person I can remember asking a whole bunch of questions. Then later I was introduced to Mike Banks. I already knew Jeff Mills from a couple of residencies in Ann Arbor.

I understand that Jeff Mills had spoken to you about releasing on Axis or UR, but you chose instead to start your own label. What was your reason for doing this rather than having your first release out on an already established label?

Ha! Yes… that was so long ago, however, thinking back, I wanted to see exactly what the full process entailed in releasing my own first record.

I’m interested about the vocalist on a couple of your Etat Solide releases. Who was Zoey? It looks like those are the only records she performed on; do you know what happened to her?

Not sure what happened to Zoey. She probably still is walking down the streets of Acacia in Detroit waiting in line to record her next record. Etat Solide was the first release on my label… it’s still around.

Another of your early releases on Acacia was by Broad Mix Music. Was that an alias of yours?

Not at all, it was a company name I founded, at the time to use for forthcoming music projects collaborations, with other music and DJ producers based in Detroit.

Things have been quiet on the release front for Acacia for some years. Is the label still active?

We Just finished revamping Acacia to date, it’s all a continuation of bridging the gap. Everything is a work in progress, in progression.

I’ve read in other interviews that you got to experience the Paradise Garage in its hey-day. Since then have there been any particular clubs you felt had a similarly magic vibe?

Yes, that is correct, and ha, no similar vibe seen yet as I travel DJing the world. If I’ve missed something please send me a post of the name of the club.

You are one of the first female house and techno producers in the world. You’ve released a crazy amount of records in your career including seven albums. I can’t help but feel that you’ve been criminally overlooked. What are your thoughts on this?

Hahaha! Ray Charles and Stevie wonder can see this, also. As a business woman, multi-media artist, and DJ, I really haven’t even thought about it. Everyone will have their time when that time arrives. Perhaps this may have something to do with an over-saturated market?

Your Rhythm Formation project with Claude Young had some great releases. Tell me about the “Flash Back” track. Did Joey Beltram endorse this release?

Thank you, appreciate the compliment for myself and Claude! Nah, that “Flashback” track was something I was just playing around in my studio and it just so happened I came up with the same sound as Beltram — although it’s a great track of the “original original.” Nothing was pre-planned, endorsed, or planned for “Flashback” to my knowledge.

In terms of your studio, what gear were you using for your early releases, is that what your studio set-up like now?

An Atari computer, Casio keyboard, and a mixing board with amp. You can tell by some of the wonderful tinker sounds that came out of it. No way I am using same equipment these days, ha! I have updated some of everything and actually use different equipment for whatever I like to use. It’s kind of like a kid in a candy store for me, love new software, gadgets, and gear!

You featured on Jacob Korn’s track ‘Dance Away’ as a vocalist. Had you provided vocals on any of your own tracks before, or where you mostly using samples or other vocalists?

Yes, “Roots” on R&S records in Belgium, and a few others. New projects are in progress. I use my own voice, or grab a vocalist on the Acacia team.

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve put together for us?

Thank you for all your support! Really look forward to this podcast release on Little White Earbuds, hope you all enjoy! The first half of my mix is housey and the second part is minimal electro. I like to give a mixture of everything, for everyone’s listening pleasure to enjoy.

What can we expect from K-HAND over the next year?

Traveling touring, bridging the gap, work in progress, where progress is always work.

Some artists work tirelessly on honing a certain sound, becoming known for their defined, polished take on a particular genre. Others though, are content to keep their options open, making house one day, hip-hop the next, or combinations of many different styles. Brian d’Souza is one such artist who likes to mix it up. Having already built up Highlife, a successful night in Glasgow, the Scottish producer released the infectious Goan Highlife 10” on the freshly minted Huntleys & Palmers label at the beginning of 2011. Its strains of African percussion, Indian flavors and an unmistakable nod in the direction of the UK funky sound earmarked it as an instant club hit. Little did we know at the time that this was just a taster for a full length album that would come out a little over a year later on the Huntleys label, and one that would further turn our expectations of what the producer could do. Since then EPs have followed for Kompakt and Mule Musiq, further widening the scope of what people consider d’Souza’s music to be. Wanting to quiz the producer about his artist name, his penchant for African music and a whole lot else, LWE opened up the lines of communication. As well as filling us in on all of our queries, we were also rewarded with a stunning mix that spans continents, refuses to sit still, celebrates the 3rd birthday of the Highlife party and is also our 160th exclusive podcast.

LWE Podcast 160: Auntie Flo (53:57)

Tracklist:

01. Romare, “The Blues (It Began In Africa)” [Black Acre]
02. Drumtalk, “Time” [Huntleys & Palmers*]
03. Christian S, “Die Durch Die Nase Lachen” [Cómeme]
04. Sofrito vs Tabou No2, “Tabou For The People” (JD Twitch Edit)
[Autonomous Africa]
05. Mr Raoul K ft. Atito Kpata, “Ayoka (Joe Claussell Dub)” [Baobab Secret]
06. Prophets of the South, “Ek Maak Julle Dance” [Tief*]
07. Matias Aguayo, “El Suco Tuco” [Cómeme*]
08. Heatsick, “No Fixed Address” [PAN]
09. Auntie Flo, “Hey Don’t Make Trouble” [white*]
10. Auntie Flo, “The Doodle Edit” [Huntleys & Palmers*]
11. Charanjit Singh, “Raga Bhairav” [Bombay Connection]
12. MMM, “MMM meets Tshetsha Boys” [Honest Jon's Records]
13. Shackleton, “Test Tubes” [Woe To the Septic Heart]
14. Sophie, “Bipp” [Numbers*]
15. Actress, “Actress Meets Shangaan A” [Honest Jon's Records]
16. Cut Hands, “Black Mamba” [Blackest Ever Black]
* denotes tracks which, as of the time of publishing, are unreleased

Auntie Flo is quite a distinctive name. What made you call yourself that?

Auntie Flo: Well it’s not because of the time of the month thing if that’s what you mean by ‘distinctive’?!… Auntie Flo is an actual relative of mine, from Goa. When I was growing up my mum always used to say “You’re just like your Auntie Flo” so I decided to call myself that. (I later found out about the other meaning but it was too late…)

You’re of Scottish and Indian descent. Where did you grow up and what are your musical experiences with each country – perhaps if you have spent time living in each, what is some of the music that first stuck with you from living in each country?

I was born and grew up in Glasgow so unfortunately didn’t really have much exposure to Indian music. My mum was actually born in Kenya so I always considered myself half African – it wasn’t till I left home that people pointed out that wasn’t quite true. A lot of people ask me if my heritage has influenced my music and it’s a really tricky question. Music is a massive part of my life and as well as the enjoyment of listening, I also enjoy the insight it gives you into different cultures. Maybe if I hadn’t had parents from different parts of the world I wouldn’t have had the same desire to explore musically, but who knows?

There’s an obvious love of African music in your work. What turned you on to this?

It’s been a pretty recent thing, I’d say the last five years or something. I remember getting a package of CDs sent to my company Open Ear (http://www.openearmusic.com) from the World Music Network. It contained their whole back catalogue of musical primers from loads of different countries and part of my job was to listen to them all and put them into categories. I remember discovering some gems such as Hanggai’s ‘Flowers’ (which i went on to edit) and lots of music from Africa. I’d been to Kenya a few years before and bought a few tapes, but nothing that was any good. Hearing this WMN selection really caught my attention and I started to seek out more music from Africa, quickly discovering South African house and kwaito which has so many similarities to the UK funky sound that was emerging around that time. That to me was really interesting as the two genres had come about completely independently of each other.

As Auntie Flo you’ve been releasing for the past few years, but you’ve been doing this for quite a while haven’t you? How did Auntie Flo start?

I’ve been DJing, producing and putting on parties for over ten years. Around 2002 I made an EP under the name Auntie Flo which we toured around Scotland but it never got released. I kinda gave up producing under that name to focus on finishing my degree and then I got more into really experimental sound art stuff, remixing orchestras and sound design for films. It was only a few years ago I got back into making dance floor stuff and the name re-surfaced.

Have you always played live sets or is that more of a recent thing?

I’ve been playing live sets under different guises for over ten years but this wasn’t anywhere near the same as what we are doing now. I’ve done solo laptop sets, band stuff, AV stuff, live remixed orchestras using Max/MSP, sound diffusion multi-speaker ambi-sonic stuff over the years. However, Auntie Flo live as it is now only started in 2011 when I teamed up with Esa Williams and we worked out how the set should sound; no laptops, all analogue gear and live percussion.

I understand your album was actually made up of material from the early 2000s. Tell us about the original writing of these tracks and to what extent were they remixed or remastered for the actual release?

It was actually mostly made in 2010. I had finally got my act together and basically wrote the whole thing in one month, with most of the ideas being laid down in quick succession. Most of the final version was exactly as it is, other than we added the Mamacita vocal for La Samaria and Esa did some additional percussion and vocal elements. Huntleys & Palmers originally wanted to release it in 2011 but as they were a new record label they decided to release the dance floor singles first before the album.

You’ve been running your Highlife parties for a few years now. What are the parties about?

Highlife is all about exploring strands of dance music outside of the typical house/techno/ disco/dubstep canon, but at the same time avoiding what is classically referred to as ‘world music’. There is nothing wrong with any of that, just our mission was to do something different. We’ve been lucky to be able to bring DJs and live acts from all over the place, which has meant every night has been really different and really unique. Looking back, we’ve had acts from Mexico (Rebolledo), South America (Matias Aguayo, Ale Paz, DJs Pareja), Africa (Raoul K, Shangaan Electro, Mim Suleiman), the US (Awesome Tapes from Africa, Nicolas Jaar), and India (Charanjit Singh). We’ve also brought loads from Europe who we think fit our afrofuturist ethos: Actress, Cut Hands, Shackleton, Romare, Optimo etc.

We want to challenge the western canon and show that truly original, ‘future’ music is getting made all around the world now and it can be enjoyed by everyone. Above all, the events have to remain as a ‘party’ and that’s the bottom line.

When you think of the Glaswegian music scene your mind doesn’t immediately think of the vibrant, feel good strains of afrobeat. Judging by the fact your parties are still going I’m imagining it was quite well received.

We don’t just do ‘feel good’ music. With the likes of Shackleton, Cut Hands, Actress et al we tried to show a darker side to the Highlife sound. In general though, Glasgow likes to party and is a really open minded place, so as long as we keep the dance floor going, people go wild. We wanted to take risks with Highlife; I remember talking to Keith from Optimo before our first party and he said it was ‘the night he always wanted to do but never had the balls to do it’.

How did you originally meet Esa and when you play live what do you each do on stage?

We met at a MOBO event in Glasgow which I was helping to run. Esa was speaking on a panel and doing some drumming after, and I got chatting to him then. At that point I only had an idea in my head what the new music I wanted to make but we exchanged details and I said I would be in touch. It took me two years but eventually I got back to him when I had some of Future Rhythm Machine written and glad he remembered!

Is his involvement in Auntie Flo strictly on a live basis or does he also contribute to studio sessions?

Esa is a top class producer in his own right and has had various releases out and more coming up. We spent a year living together and only managed to spend one day trying to make tracks together! But we’ve got some stuff down and maybe there will be some more in future…

You started a series of releases last year called Rituals. What’s the idea behind it?

I don’t produce music all the time, I tend to go through phases. So I’ll spend 2-3 weeks making tracks and then do nothing for a few months due to other commitments. Rituals was a name to tie together a series of tracks I made last summer. I made Sun Ritual for our annual ‘Sun’ Highlife party (where we get all these massive audience blinder lights and give out sunglasses to the crowd to protect their eyes. The other tracks Kisumu and Mela were made around then. They all fit together to a more organic techno kind of sound, which was different to the stuff I made previously. I’ll definitely make some more tracks for the series at some point.

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve done for us?

This mix is the Highlife 3rd Birthday mix. It exclusively contains tracks by artists who have played at Highlife over the past 3 years and is meant to show the breadth of the sound we play, from straighter dance floor stuff such as Twitch, Romare, Matias Aguayo to more experimental stuff from Shackleton, Cut Hands and Actress etc. I’ve put a few unreleased things in there too so you get a couple of forthcoming tracks from me, the first play of Esa under his new Prophets of the South guise, new Sophie coming on Numbers and the huge Drumtalk ‘Time’ track on H&P, as well as some big Highlife anthems from the past three years. It follows on from the Highlife 1st birthday mix I did which is available here: https://soundcloud.com/auntie-flo/auntie-flo-highlife-mix

What can we expect from Auntie Flo over the next year?

We’ve just revamped the live set for 2013, so hopefully playing that out a lot more. We’re doing a few of the summer festivals and playing at H&P showcases at venues like Fabric (18th May) and Razzmatazz (23rd August) I’ve got a release via Innervisions’ Philomena label dropping in early June, various other remixes, some new stuff on H&P and a release via Cómeme coming in the 2nd half of the year.
We’re also moving Highlife to London; the first party is on the 15th of June in at Corsica studios with Heatsick and Awesome Tapes from Africa, as part of James Holden album launch and we’ll also be doing our 3rd annual ‘Sun Ritual’ party at some point over the summer.

When James Priestley and Giles Smith kicked off their secretsundaze party 11 years ago, they couldn’t possibly have foreseen the impact it would have on the city of London. Slowly building their brand, their daytime parties grew from the confines of 93 Feet East to spread to other clubs around the capital and further afield, to the rest of the UK and Europe. They have long championed their personal tastes, something that is reflected in their peerless lineups and more recently their record label as well. Previously known for his work with Dan Berkson, like Smith, Priestley has himself been contributing to the label. First appearing on their mix CDs and album samplers, he last year released two well received 12″s with MarcoAntonio Spaventi. LWE got in touch with Priestley to see how you keep a party popular after 11 years, what some of his personal highlights have been along the way, and how he collaborates in the studio. He also put together our 159th exclusive podcast, which — if you were in attendance at the secretsundaze summer opening party yesterday — will be a familiar reminder of Priestley’s expertise behind the decks.

LWE Podcast 159: James Priestley (54:55)

Tracklist:

01. Typesun, “Heart Maths” (Peverelist Remix) [Root Elevation]
02. Julian Neumann, “Unbearable” [Kann Records]
03. Lady E, “Seems To Me” [Thug Records]
04. Orpheus, “Waiting For Your Call” [Sequencias]
05. Steven Tang, “Verged” [Aesthetic Audio]
06. Mr. G, “Conscious Mindfood” [Phoenix G]
07. A Guy Called Gerald, “Groove Of The Ghetto” [Bosconi Records]
08. E.R.P., “Lunar Ruins” [Harbour City Sorrow]
09. BLM, “Sudden Death” [Secretsundaze]
10. Amir Alexander, “Don’t Go” [Secretsundaze*]
11. Ron Jason, “Cosmic Paradise” (Larry Heard Underground Remix)
[Thug Records]
12. Soul Capsule, “Lady Science” (NYC Sunrise) [Trelik]
* denotes tracks which, as of the time of publishing, are unreleased

LWE interviewed Giles in 2011 and he mentioned that you guys have known each other since about the age of 15. Did you both share a love of dance music back then?

James Priestley: Yeah, that’s right. I was around 14 when I first started to discover dance music. Before then I was quite heavily into jazz, both playing and performing and going to quite a few gigs and concerts with my Dad, but it was around that time that I got the bug and made a move over to dance or electronic music really. A lot of my discoveries came initially from a pretty rampant scene of swapping mixtapes with people at school, checking out some local radio stations and then making my first forays into going to clubs and raves. Some locally such as the Love of Life parties at Cambridge Corn Exchange (later at Kelsey Kerridge) and further a field to places like Club UK in Wandsworth, Labyrinth on Dalston Lane, Milwaukees and The Sanctuary in the Milton Keynes area. At the time I had absolutely no idea how this music was created which was all part of the charm and attraction really. I would avidly collect flyers for the parties, I have a dope collection somewhere probably in my dad’s attic. I spent any spare money I had on going to these parties and soaking it all up. It wasn’t until 2 or 3 years later that I actually bought turntables and started playing and collecting records.

Your secretsundaze parties have been running for over ten years now. When they started were you holding down a regular job? How long before you knew that doing the parties and music could be a career?

I’d considered studying some kind of music course at university but in those days, if you wanted to go to a decent university, which I did, you basically had to study classical music, which obviously wasn’t very appealing to me. So I studied Economics and Business at Nottingham University but within the first term, I began to get heavily involved in the music scene within the university and the city as a whole, and it was from that time that I knew somehow I would forge a career in music. I still graduated but all the way through university, music was my life really, and my studies were on the side. So I was putting on parties, DJing a lot, doing some production courses, I even set up a magazine/fanzine with my friend George, called Big Daddy. Keb Darge was our first major interview, it was mind-blowing speaking to him, such a dude. That was back in ‘99.

I worked at Selectadisc record store in Nottingham all through university and when I moved to London, I started working at their store on Berwick Street before getting a full time job at a record distribution company called Timewarp. That has been my only ever regular job since university. I started working there the same week we launched secretsundaze, which was every week at the time. It was pretty hardcore holding them both down. I would come in every Monday having lost my voice, like clockwork, around 8pm on the Sunday. My job was selling records over the phone to stores so, not having a voice, that didn’t go down too well with my dragon of a boss. I lasted there a year before deciding that I could support myself on my DJing and the little money that was coming in from secretsundaze then. Haven’t ever looked back since.

What have been some of your personal highlights of the party over the past decade?

Oh gosh, so many. I have to say in those early days, when secretsundaze was quite small and I was generally partying a lot, I knew or was hanging out with a ridiculously high percentage of the people coming to the party. Those days in Shoreditch were really something else in my mind; I’m talking around 2003-2004. I also lived in the area and it just seemed like a massive adult’s adventure playground — mad days. The feeling of playing records at your own party to so many people you know and rocking it with them, well, that was pretty special. I remember Johnno from Bugged Out came up to me one afternoon at The Poet when I was warming up playing loads of Lindstrom & Prins Thomas records, which I was heavily turned on to at the time, smiling saying, “I think you must have the best job in London, James.” It really felt like that. The days at The Poet were glorious in my eyes and the place and times will always hold a special place in my heart. Similarly some of the bigger parties we did on the roof of Canvas. For their scale and audacity, they were off the hook too.

Internationally, some of the first parties we held in Ibiza were incredible as well. They came a couple of years later but so many people traveled for them from London/UK; they still retained that intimacy despite the numbers. There was one special party where Ricardo Villalobos played for us in September 2005 at the Blue Marlin. Unsurprisingly the place was absolutely road blocked. We had 2500 come, all the roads around were literally blocked and I closed the party after him. That was definitely a highlight too. There was this massive street party we organized in Shoreditch for a few years, they were off the hook too and certainly the biggest crowd I’ve ever played to — more than 5000 people. It was pretty insane, that shit would never happen now. It’s easy to think of these early days but the party is still going so strong and there are still so many amazing moments. The 10th anniversary party we did in 2011 with Moodymann was in my mind, some of the craziest and strongest energy and warmth we’ve ever had in the last few years — testament to all the older heads and fresher faces that have embraced what we do.

Your first tracks were with Dan Berkson, who you had already done a few remixes with. Had you been producing on your own before these remixes?

Not really, no. During uni I used to go to on these courses at Hyson Green Boys Club, which was in the area I lived. I was the only white kid to go there and it was around the time that UK hip-hop was really exploding. Big up Courtney! I did two courses I think, one learning how to use an Akai sampler, and one basically learning how to use a big mixing desk. Through various means, mostly my DJing and promotions I managed to save up about £5k that I wanted to put towards a decent computer and studio equipment. At the time, things were moving quite quickly technology wise, particularly soundcards. I was not all that technologically savvy (and still not) and I found it hard to get my head around it to be honest. Stupidly, in fear of spending the cash on the wrong gear and it becoming quickly obsolete, I never got around to buying anything and sadly never really got the production bug myself. That again was in 1999 so quite a shame really. I’ve since done a few basic edits in Ableton, etc, but nothing of any note. So in terms of production, I’m totally reliant on working with people like Dan and Marco.

How did you and Dan meet?

We met in Shoreditch, I think at a secretsundaze party first. He had recently moved to UK and to London and our paths just crossed. We had a lot in common, musically as well as other interests; we got to know each other better and decided to start doing some music together.

More recently you’ve released a couple of 12¹s with Marco Spaventi. How do the two differ in their approach in the studio?

They have a lot of similarities but also a lot of differences. Both of them have a penchant for vintage synthesizers and gear which I find much more satisfying working with, not only for the process but for the results too. I think the main difference is the speed with which they work. Dan, like me, is quite a perfectionist and some of those early tracks we did, both “Chariots” and “The Source,” we both labored over. I definitely think you can hear that in some of the details and the final result, Dan does get a really quite polished high-end sound.

Marco is a bit more of a jammer — he just loves to jam! In fact, I have to really reign him in sometimes as otherwise we could just be in the studio for hours wigging out on tracks. That’s great fun but then going back through some of these super long takes and trying to find bits that work, and editing them, can be quite tedious. I think Marco is possibly more into the use of samples than Dan and is a bit free-er in his approach, whereas Dan is more into editing and sound design. So two quite different approaches. The other main thing is that Dan and I were working in Logic for our writing whereas Marco and I were using Ableton; that’s a totally different mindset and vibe.

I’m interested in the Speed release that you did with Marco for the secretsundaze label. I understand the release was homage to the club night Speed at Mars Bar. What are your memories of the club?

Actually I don’t think I ever went to any of the Speed parties at Mars Bar. I was more of a Swerve boy, which came slightly later and which I went to fairly religiously. The naming of that track was quite retrospective really. In the writing process the Maya Angelou sample popped into my head and seemed really fitting. Plus to me that track does have a lot of the same elements of the Speed/Swerve-esque music of that time, albeit with different drum patterns and tempos. But in a world that is so house, house and more fucking house, as the Faith crew and Dixon coined — which don’t get me wrong, is great — I just wanted to give a nod to a different era and world and one that was certainly very inspirational to me as an artist. I can’t underestimate what I gained from the likes of Fabio and LTJ Bukem at quite a crucial turning point in my life, and that is certainly one of the reasons I’m sat doing this interview and mix for you guys today.

Can you tell us a bit about the label? Do you and Giles curate the label exclusively? What are the criteria for the releases on the label?

The label first started back in 2007 as a platform for the compilation series that Giles and I did. But more recently we have started to release singles and yes, the two of us curate the label exclusively. There is no fixed criteria as such. Of course, both Giles and I have to be really into it. We don’t compromise on that; i.e. one of us might chose to A&R one release, the next the other etc. We want the music that we release to be a reflection of the scope of sounds that form what we do and that secretsundaze stands for musically. Whether that be the more classic deep house of Brawther, that was our first release, or the pairing of that material to the George Fitzgerald remix which has a definite more modern/UK slant. We’re definitely keen to move the music forward and certainly don’t want to release a sleight of deep house records for example. We’re definitely looking for something more edgy and contemporary but that will also hopefully have some kind of timeless appeal to it.

Up until now we’ve worked exclusively with artists signed to our sister booking agency, The Secret Agency. We see the label as a platform to further their development as artists, while strengthening the sense of family around what we do. We’re also keen to release music by UK artists. Over our history as a party we’ve always championed music from non-UK artists, booking many for their first performances in UK, whether from U.S. or Europe, but we feel there is a lot of home grown talent these days, right here in UK and we wanna support and nurture that as best as possible. You only have to look as far as Ethyl, Flori, BLM, and Youandewan, who have all released with us to wide acclaim on the label, to see that. That said, if we were to hear, be sent or pick-up something that didn’t fall within the above and we were both really into then we certainly wouldn’t be shy of releasing it.

As for the party, secretsundaze is held these days at different locations. How do you ensure that each party fulfills the same standards and meets everyone’s expectations?

Planning is key really. Developing close, strong and trustful working relationships with the venues themselves, as well as building on our experiences and learning from over the years. I have to say that despite semi-spearheading the off-location scene here in London, we’re actually turning our backs on this now. When we started we could get away with murder but these days we live in a very different society here in London. Although the process of Temporary Events Notices made using off-locations for small numbers of people easier for a while, doing events on a larger scale was difficult, and now the authorities are reining it in. It’s a real shame in many ways but hopefully it will mean we will get some more decent clubs opening in London again. Only this week Cable was the last in a long list of high profile club closures here.

If you’re organizing an outside party, pretty much anywhere in the Western world that I know of, of course you are going to sometimes have to compromise on the level of sound that you can run to compared to an inside venue with no windows etc. — that’s the deal right? Most people aren’t stupid and realize that, although you always get a few of course. We always strive for the best we can, but there has to be a certain level of responsibility if you’re ever going to get any longevity out of a space or spot. You could really push it the first time you do a party there, but cause such a fuss that you might fuck it up, not only for yourself as a promoter, but also for the venue too. As a venue owner in the past myself, I’m obviously sensitive to that.

I have to say that our good friend Kristophe who was one of the founding fathers of secretsundaze, still looks after all of our event production and does it damn well. Plus we have a great team with Jozef, Ali, and the guys helping run the events. This takes the pressure off Giles and I, allowing us to concentrate on spinning ourselves and hosting the party.

There are always new parties and crews coming through in London too. What does secretsundaze have planned for 2013 to make sure they stand out from the rest?

For the first time ever, we made an announcement earlier in the year detailing our whole summer season, in terms of the line-ups, dates and venues. We’ve always veered away from doing this as we wanted to keep the excitement levels up, not knowing when and where the next party is. But in the UK, and London especially, there is now a very strong culture of advanced ticket sales and people are announcing and selling their events far longer into the future. So we decided to go along that route this year and to have all that information out there at once. It looked and felt great; people can really see where we are at musically, in terms of our bookings and the way we get across the breadth of the music we love and want to push.

I think something that does set ourselves aside from other promoters is, especially over the last few years where we’ve been booking more than one or two guest artists, that we’ve developed a real curatorial aspect to our programming. We very rarely for example would have more than one artist from any particular crew or label perform at the same event for us. We think very hard about the programming of a party from the opening to closing sets, the flow is key to us. It’s not just about booking X, Y & Z DJs, throwing them together and hoping it will work. We select artists that both can contrast as well as compliment each other, often from different territories and even of different age. For example for our opening party (yesterday) we have Derrick May, Soundstream, then London based, relatively young guy, Midland playing during the day.

A lot of other London promoters are just booking label showcases perhaps, which while it can be cool, I feel doesn’t show much imagination and doesn’t always have that range of appeal. If you’re booking quite different artists the crowd you’re going to appeal to that will come will be quite varied too, and we all know that diversity within the crowd of a party is paramount.

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve put together for us?

I actually put the mix together, in terms of selecting the tracks and order of them, two or three months ago. But because of other commitments, I only got around to recording it yesterday. That part came pretty naturally and I really just selected from some favorite records I’ve been playing for the last year or so. I certainly wasn’t trying to be too upfront with it or anything like that. Artist-wise it’s mostly drawing on UK and U.S. artists, which is very much where I’m at the moment; some younger dudes and some more heritage guys still at the top of their game.
The third track is by Ben “Cozmo D” Cenac with his wife Yvette “Lady E” Cenac on vocals. It’s called “Seems To Me” and whether it related to their own relationship or not, I’m not sure, but it’s a tale of a man being a naughty boy, staying out, getting into trouble and basically getting kicked out the house. The record or song is amazing and it formed the basis of the inspiration for the rest of the mix. It’s not something I necessarily set out to do, but from that cue, I felt a real narrative in the mix, a back and forth between an imaginary couple. For example the next track is this fairly muscular yet emotive acid thing that I feel is his response to her words and which eventually drowns her out! There’s a lot of sensitivity in the records I’ve chosen, and once I got that idea in my head, I couldn’t get it out and so on that level, it totally works for me. There’s quite a few vocals in there, like “No More Mind Games,” “Don’t Go,” etc. Hopefully you’ll get the picture. If it was to finish on the penultimate track, this Larry Heard remix which is quite dark in it’s tone, I feel it would have been somewhat of a depressing ending but with “Lady Science” it definitely resolves things on a positive note. The mix was recorded at home using 2 x Technics SL-1200MK2s, Vestax PCV-275 mixer and 1 Pioneer CDJ-1000MK3 (used for the unreleased Amir Alexander track).

And what can we expect from James Priestley over the next year?

Maintaining my focus on everything secretsundaze, so the events, label and our booking agency, The Secret Agency. Quite a lot of touring is already booked in for the second half of the year with a number of shows in Ibiza already confirmed, including secretsundaze on the main terrace of Space on Tuesday May 28th with Efdemin, Portable live, and Tama Sumo. We’re also busy working on the next edition of Go Bang!, the mini-festival we launched last year which again will take place on Sunday August 25th here in London, day and night. Other than that, I hope to find some more time to head out to Amsterdam to continue my work with my production partner there, Marco Antonio as well as maybe forging some new partnerships here closer to home. And on a more personal level, I’m getting married towards the end of the year so I’m definitely gonna have my work cut out keeping my wife-to-be happy over the next few months.

The passion for their craft is almost palpable in some creative people. For Brendon Moeller it’s visible through his incredible stats: in the past 11 years, there have been eight albums, more than 40 singles and over 120 remixes credited to his various monikers. And that’s without looking at his work with other artists or what he puts in to running his own label. It is that passion that made Moeller leave his native South Africa in the early 90′s and relocate to New York. With the price of music equipment in his homeland making producing near impossible, Moeller moved somewhere where it was affordable. After cutting his teeth working for François Kevorkian’s Wave label, Moeller went on to become almost the sole contributor to the legendary producers Deep Space Media label. Having contributed singles for an array of cutting edge labels, Moeller started his own in 2009, Steadfast becoming another outlet for more of his own productions and increasingly those artists he curates for the label. For many, Brendon Moeller is inextricably linked to dub techno, and while the genre is definitely prevalent in his catalog, the producer has never simply tried to duplicate the essence of Rhythm & Sound. His dub influences also reach back to King Tubby, Scratch, even the digi-dub of Rockers Hi-Fi, but are always applied with a fresh take in his own work. LWE got in touch with the producer to find out more about his label, what’s exciting him in his studio right now and the joys of playing live. He also put together our 158th podcast, a stunning hour of techno ranging from the ethereal to the menacing, the tripped out to the industrial. Download it now and feel your weekend kick back in.

LWE Podcast 158: Brendon Moeller (67:32)

Tracklist:

01. Cosmic Jokers, “Raumschiff Galaxy” [Kosmische Musik]
02. Joey Beltram, “Step” [Visible Records]
03. Logan 5, “Believe” [Electronic Encounters]
04. Alva Noto, “Uni Iso” [Raster-Noton]
05. Roland Bocquet, “Exotique” [Calm In Tees]
06. Spacetime Continuum, “Transient Generator” [Astralwerks]
07. Sirko Müller, “Submission” [wandering]
08. Octa Octa, “Pitch Black” [100% Silk]
09. Reese & Santonio, “The Sound” [Kool Kat Music]
10. Jeff Mills, “Metaphysical Reaction” [Third Ear Recordings]
11. 04LM aka Oswald, “Young Planet (Brendon Moeller Remix) []
12. Minilogue, “Clouds and Water” (Rrose Remix) [Enemy Records]
13. Ryogo Yamamori, “Black Spray” (Unjin Remix) [Torque]
14. Regis, “Reclaimed 4″ [DN]
15. Echologist, “Head On” [Prologue]
16. Sawf, “Skotos” (Henning Baer remix) [M_REC LTD]
17. Developer, “Revisited” [Modularz]
18. DJ Slip, “Everytime It Takes Awhile” (Falko Brocksieper Remix) [Sub Static]
19. Declo, “Fluty” (Dub Mix) [Monique Chronique]
20. G-man & Rob Strobe, “Skotch” [Sonic Groove]
21. Ctrls, “Socket” [Token]
22. Surgeon, “Krautrock” [Tresor]
23. Oscar Mulero, “46″ (Antagonists Mix) [Warm Up Recordings]

Your move to New York in the early 90′s was a new beginning for you. It was your new life away from South Africa and it was the beginning of your career into electronic music. Do you look back on your work like a photo album of the last 20 years?

Brendon Moeller: Honestly, I rarely look back at my own work unless I stumble across it by accident or am working on a version of something for my live set. However, I can definitely conceive of my discography serving a biographical purpose.

Your first releases were on the Sm;)e label in 1997. How did these releases come about and who were some of the artists and the clubs that were influencing you at this time?

I began sending DJ DB, A&aR head of Sm;)e at the time, a huge amount of demos until one day he called me up and said, “Lets do it!” At the time I was a becoming a hardcore clubber, so what I was hearing at Sound Factory, the Tunnel, Save the Robots etc. was heavily influencing my work. The stuff I released has a dark dirty industrial frantic/cocaine-fueled vibe to them. I was buying a ton of music at the time, spending hours each week in the East Village listening and researching. Touche, Junior Boys Own, R&S, Instinct are but a few of the labels I was exploring.

LWE first spoke to you back in 2008. At that stage you were doing A&R for Francois Kervorkian’s Wave Music. How did you meet Francois and what were some of the things you feel you learned from your time there?

I submitted a demo to Francois’ then-A&R assistant via a colleague. Some nine months later I finally heard back from Francois that he had been listening and felt there was sufficient material to start working toward an album. Naturally I was over the moon. I met up with Francois a few days later and we had an immediate musical connection. I was looking at fusing dub, Afrobeat, house and electronic music — that was right up his alley.

I owe much to Francois for his amazing input and experience that led to that material becoming what it is. I recall at times getting frustrated because he would not settle on something if he felt it could be better and ultimately he was always right. As an artist one is always eager to get your work out there at the expense of getting it down properly. Francois’ patience and commitment was strong. His willingness to share his knowledge and experience helped me acquire a ton of production skill and sensibility. He also got me back into DJing by affording me the opportunity to play at his Deep Space party.

As FK’s A&R assistant I learned a lot and made a bunch of new friends, and also made some enemies. Rejection is a bitter pill for most artists to swallow. It either makes you more determined or more jaded. We received a ton of demos and I must say it was always tough to say no, but unfortunately there was never enough time and money to take on everything.

To what extent do you feel that position prepared you for starting Steadfast Records?

I guess it was an inevitable and natural progression to want to start my own label. At first it was only going to be an outlet for my own material but as it developed I decided to work with some friends as well. Working as FK’s assistant taught me a lot about the process of signing something and working with an artist toward releasing something great. Patience and perseverance are essential.

What is your aim with Steadfast? Is it something you run with a commercial/financial end in mind or is it purely motivated by passion?

Steadfast is purely to have some fun and hopefully not lose money. My aim is to try and release music that makes me happy and will hopefully resonate with a few like-minded individuals out there.

Among your different monikers you have racked up an incredible amount of remixes. How many are you typically working on each month?

I love being in my studio, so I’m always happy to work on remixes as it affords me an opportunity take a break from my original material. I guess I average a remix a month, occasionally more.

Do you find that remixing other people’s work so much influences what you make yourself?

Not at all.

Being one of your oldest monikers, your Beat Pharmacy output really charts your musical growth, though at the moment your releases focus on your Echologist material and that under your own name. Musically where are you at right now with what you’re making?

My recording studio is set up better than ever and everyday I wake up I just wanna rush in and experiment/jam. Musically I am very much into the experimental and deeper sides of techno, but overall I’m still all over the map in pursuit of my voice, my mark, my signature.

What’s making the studio better? Do you have some new pieces of equipment inspiring you?

I have spent the last two years getting back into hardware and now have the perfect combination of hardware and software. I also assembled a modular synth that is the source of much fun and inspiration at the moment. My favorite bits of kit at the moment are Ableton Live 9, Elektron Machinedrum UW mkll, Elektron A4, Grendel Drone Commander, Boss Space Echo, Moog Minitaur and Zebra 2.

That modular synth looks pretty incredible. Can you tell us a bit about that? Did you build that from scratch yourself? Where did you learn to do that?

I assembled it. I wish I had the skill to build synthesizer modules, but alas… I began lusting after a modular synth a couple years ago and began doing the necessary research, mostly via Muff Wiggler and some friends. I then began planning and ordering the necessary case and modules. It’s not as complicated as it sounds or looks if you put in the necessary research.

It sounds like there’s a shift in your music — not so much away from the dub influences, but more towards harder techno. Do you think that’s true? If so is this a conscious move?

I think it is just the result of me listening to and being inspired by the genre. My first official DJ gig was in 1987 in an industrial/punk nightclub in Johannesburg. I loved this gig to death and was sad to see it come to an end when somebody jumped up into the booth and threatened to stab me for not playing a particular Conflict song. I’m enjoying the resurgence of harder industrial sounds happening in techno. Hopefully live techno is the future of techno!

Speaking of live, when you play live do you actively try and make a bit of a show for people, where you’re playing melodies/sequencing on the fly etc?

I want to connect with people in the audience, I want to entice them to come on an adventure with, an adventure that isn’t predetermined. So much of what we hear in clubs now is formulaic and predictable, so for me, the element of surprise is a vital weapon in my attempt to try and shake things up. It’s a journey and I feel I’m improving every day. I wanna feel justified about calling myself a musician.

And do you find that crowds interact differently with your music when you’re playing live as opposed to DJing?

Definitely. I have realized this more than ever at a few gigs I have done over the last few months. Once people realize that everything is happening in real time, there’s a palpable magic in the air. I guess you can equate this to the anticipation a crowd feels waiting for the DJ to mix in his next tune.

You mention calling yourself a musician. You have come from bands in the past, but do you feel that it’s a natural progression for any electronic producer to shift towards being more organic in their work — to want to use more hardware, play live, record live instruments for their productions?

Well, I can only speak for myself here, so yeah, I feel this is part of my evolution. There’s so much great hardware for electronic musicians, they’re not only meant to be used in a studio. These instruments are made to be played, to jam.

You’ve been doing this for a long time now. How do you feel about the shifting trends in dance music, when all of a sudden attitudes change towards a style of music (ie the rise and fall of minimal techno or people becoming cynical about the proliferation of dub techno)?

Trends have always come and gone. I picked up on this phenomenon even before I began seriously producing myself. Change is good and healthy. Now trends built on hype, well that’s another story! I never set out to be the “dub techno” guy. I try and let my muse lead the way via whatever inspiration, conscious or sub-conscious, comes my way.

Can we expect to hear any further collaborations with Area or Ramadanman?

Yes, Area and myself have some plans and schemes coming down the pipeline. As for Ramadanman, does David Kennedy still use that moniker?

Oh, now that you mention it, it doesn’t look like he does. In terms of collaborations, how do you usually work with other people? Get together when you’re in the same town or send each other files?

If it is possible, I enjoy a good jam session such as the one I had with Speedy J in his Rotterdam studio, which ended up becoming our project called The Watchers. Mostly collaborations end up being a combination of Skype and Wetransfer.

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve put together for us?

Well, as you can see from the first few tracks I had a hankering for some good old 90′s ambient vibes and then decided after I dropped the Jeff Mills track to work things up into a frenzy of techno rhythms and psychedelic frequencies. I think there’s a good balance of old and fresh vibes here.

What can we expect from you and Steadfast over the next year?

As far as Echologist, there’s an EP and album dropping on Prologue as well as a vinyl only EP on M_Rec’s Grey Series. As Beat Pharmacy there are 2 EPs, one on Throne of Blood and the other on Fred P’s Soulpeoplemusic. There will also be a Brendon Moeller EP on Pomelo later this year. As for Steadfast, we have an experimental album by a newcomer dropping later this year or early next year! I hope to be playing some live shows around the globe, but being based in upstate NY has a massive impact on how regularly I can make it to Europe. I’m very much looking forward to performing my live set in Detroit at Movement on May 27th.

LWE’s Curator’s Cuts podcast series features our staff mixing together recent favorites and providing explanations for their selections. LWE’s associate editor, Chris Miller, compiled Curator’s Cuts 29. We will post the tracklist later in the week, as the curator discloses and describes it as part of the podcast.

Curator’s Cuts 29: Chris Miller (131:54)

Tracklist:

01. Pye Corner Audio, “The Ever-Present Hum Part 1 (Motorway)”
[The Tapeworm]
02. Chasing Voices, “Awoken By Tears” [Preserved Instincts]
03. Fred P., “Open (Mars Mix)” [Soul People Music]
04. Orpheus, “Waiting For Your Call” [Sequencias]
05. Terekke, “Bank3″ [L.I.E.S.]
06. Hieroglyphic Being, “A Time Warp Synthesizer” [Mathematics]
07. Morphosis, “Flash” [M>O>S]
08. Bass Clef, “Dawn Chorus Pedal” [Idle Hands]
09. Xosar, “Elixir Of Dreams” [Rush Hour Recordings]
10. Shed, “Increase That” [Soloaction]
11. James T. Cotton, “The Drain” [Spectral Sound]
12. 808State, “Narcossa” [Creed Records]
{airbreak}
13. Vril, “V9″ [Giegling Staub]
14. Levon Vincent, “Stereo Systems” [Novel Sound]
15. Function, “Against The Wall” [Ostgut Ton]
16. Fiedel, “Andreas (Bonus Beats)” [Fiedel]
17. Trevino, “Forged” [Klockworks]
18. Cheap and Deep, “Beautiful” [Modular Cowboy]
19. Mathew Jonson, “Typerope” [Itiswhatitis]
20. Young Male, “Black Satin Fan” [White Material]
21. Daso & Pawas, “Det” (Schatrax Remix) [Spectral Sound]
22. Jabberjaw, “Girlfriend” [Perlon]
23. Shawn O’Sullivan, “Security” [The Corner]
24. MMM, “Re-tics” [MMM]
25. Thomas Bangalter, “What To Do” [Roulé]
26. Delroy Edwards, “Feelings” [L.I.E.S.]
27. Marcel Dettmann, “Push” [Ostgut Ton]
28. Conforce, “Last Anthem” [Delsin]
29. Anthony Naples, “Moscato” [Mister Saturday Night Records]
30. Florian Kupfer, “Feelin” [L.I.E.S.]

They’re not hand-stamped or issued in perilously endangered runs, nor are they shrouded in mystery or trading hands for criminal sums on Discogs. Though they may not fit into the same mold as many other popular labels of the minute, Hypercolour continue to prove their position in the competitive world of electronic music with a constant stream of quality releases. Now in their seventh year of operation, Hypercolour started out modestly; just a few EPs planned from some friends and a deep love of house music was all that started the label. Owners Alex Jones and Jamie Russell wanted to address a lack of quality music they saw other labels releasing at the time. Rising names like Tom Demac, Kris Wadsworth, and Maya Jane Coles initially helped to earn the label due recognition, while standup EPs from Huxley, George FitzGerald, Groove Armada, Mosca, and Maxxi Soundsystem last year cemented their reputation. In 2008 the label started a digital division, and two years later they launched Losing Suki, an off-shoot label that has seen its own share of success in its relatively short life. With both owners having their fingers in various other pies (Alex is also one half of Dense & Pika), the label count between them currently stands at eight. LWE got in touch with the pair to talk about the rise of the label, fostering their talent and how they tackle the workload that eight different labels gives you. They also put together Talking Shopcast 17, which provides a tantalizing peek at some upcoming Hypercolour and affiliated releases.

First of all how did the two of you meet?

Jamie: We met through a mutual friend, big Lee Smith. Alex was DJing as part of a duo called The Insurgents. I used to work with Lee in a recruitment office and he used to rave about how good his DJ mates were. I was putting on small parties at the time so eventually was convinced to book Alex after listening to his “Wot Do U You Bench Mix.” I used to get away without paying him usually, as my parties were always badly promoted!

Alex: Jamie owes me money come to think of it.

You guys started Hypercolour in 2006. In terms of the stuff that you guys were listening to and clubs you were playing at, what was lay of the land at that point? Where did you see yourselves in the market?

Jamie: I guess at the time, this was the height of the minimal explosion; Minus and Hawtin were huge, Ricardo was idolized, etc. I was buying records from the likes of Robag Wruhme, DJ Koze, Gabriel Ananda, and Perlon. But also lots of house stuff still from Classic, NRK, etc. Our first record was Glimpse’s Talking To Girls EP which I still think is a great record now. We were lucky to launch the label with Glimpse, he was up there alongside what was going on at the time, his “%” series vinyls were all great records.

Had either of you had any experience at labels before? Was it a matter of learning as you went along?

Jamie: We had no experience whatsoever, it was really a matter of learning it all as we went along (or not!). Still lots to learn! Alex was a dab hand at graphic design so we knew we had that covered; we both had some loose change to invest in nice remixers and stuff. I think we had a vision, and was 100% keen. There’s a lot to be said about enthusiasm!

Alex: Long uphill struggle springs to mind!

Glimpse was your first artist that you released. When you put out this release, did you already have a number of others planned? What was the vision for the growth of the label at that time?

Jamie: We had the first three EPs planned. Alex did the second EP which featured a Jamie Jones remix (not his best unfortunately, sorry Jamie!). It was enough to get the label noticed though I think. The third EP we put out was from long-term friend, Shenoda. We didn’t have much of a plan beyond that to begin with.

And how did that change as you started releasing more?

Jamie: Again, we were just making it up as went along. We got introduced to Tom Demac through Chris [Glimpse]. Tom was making deep techno at the time, but it was obvious he knew what he was doing! We got sent a really interesting demo from Sebastien Bouchet who had done a few out there bits on Freak n’ Chic, we had a cool Jens Bond remix on that release. I guess from the off, we always knew it would take us a while to establish ourselves, and our artists. So the choice of remixer was always a great way of drawing attention to the label, and associating yourselves with artists who you may not necessarily be in a position to get some original material from. Choice of remixers is all part of your overall vision I think.

2012 was a big year for you. You released more than you ever had before and added yet another label to your growing list of affiliated musical outlets. Is it just the two of you working on the labels? How do you share the workload?

Jamie: Yes, 2012 was a big year for us. I’ll break the labels down for you. Between Alex and myself we run Hypercolour, HypeLTD, Glass Table, and Losing Suki. Alex runs Initials with Ste Roberts and is half of Dense & Pika with Chris Spero. Separately, I run Sneaker Social Club and Space Hardware. The workload share is we all muck in with A&R decisions. Alex is in charge of art direction and does all the graphic design. I deal with press/marketing. We have a network of people around us who help with label management (admin/accounts etc), social media stuff, events and so on.

Sneaker Social Club is one of your newer labels. Jamie, which has had some interesting releases. I’m interested to know how the two latest releases came about, the Zoe Zoe and the Neil Landstrumm ones.

Jamie: Zoe Zoe was literally a demo that landed into my inbox. It’s a young Lithuanian producer called Mantas Stonkus. We’re looking to put together his next release as we speak. “Church,” for me, was a huge track and one that I played pretty much for the last year or so. Maya also included that on her DJ Kicks comp, which helped push that out there. Neil Landstrumm is someone whose records I have a lot of, early Tresor and Peacefrog stuff, not to forget his albums on Planet Mu. I just contacted him to see what he’s up to, and I’m doing an album with him on Sneaker this year. Exciting stuff!

There is a bit of crossover between all the labels the two of you run. Does having so many sub-labels get confusing at all? Is there competition between you on signing certain things to your own labels?

Jamie: Nope. Egos don’t get in the way here at Hypercolour HQ

Alex: We’re pretty big on figure skating, so any arguments get settled on the ice.

I understand Hypercolour was built up around the releases of your friends and peers. What’s the A&R policy as regards the labels at the moment? Are you actively out there searching for new releases or are you inundated with piles of demos to choose from?

Jamie: We still try to listen to as much new music as possible, so we’re not missing out on any new and interesting artists breaking through. Quite simply, if we hear something we like from an artist we may approach them to do a 12″, obviously not if they’re signed to x, y, or z. We’re busy enough also, with the stable of artists and friends we’re currently working with. We’ve got some super cool stuff happening this year, albums from Luke Vibert and Solid Groove on Hypercolour amongst many others!

As I’m writing these questions I’ve just got another promo from Hypercolour in my email. This is your forthcoming one on Hype Digi Alex with BareSkin. To what extent to you guys foster your signings? Do you try and help the newer ones establish themselves and their sound?

Jamie: I’d like to think that we’ve been quite an important part in the recent development of Bareskin & J.Wiltshire in particular. Both have been sending me music for some time now, and we heard enough in what they sent us, to strike up a relationship, and I’ve been inadvertently advising/guiding them for the last year or so. Their style has changed in the last year and I have certainly seen this change. It’s mad inviting these lads to their first ever club event, or festival and then receiving amazing music, which was clearly inspired by their recent clubbing experiences. I’ve got high hopes for both Josh (Bareskin) & J.Wiltshire, who are also in a band called Wire People. The band is making some incredible, standout music right now. I’m pretty certain they will be BIG.

Alex: That track in particular was a good way for us to kinda cement our relationship with the guys. They came down to London and wrote it in my studio with me. It’s great working with such talented creative and young people. I actually learned more from them than I’m sure they did from me! I’ve been giving them bits of kit for the studio etc that I had knocking around that weren’t being used and various plugins. I can honestly say I’ve never heard a bad demo/song come from either of them. They’re our current not-so-secret weapon

You’ve experienced some great successes on the labels. What releases or moments are you most happy with/proud of?

Jamie: All of last year I guess. Hard to pick out one or a few moments. Putting out back to back bombs in Tom Demac’s Critical Distance and Maxxi Soundsystem’s Regrets We Have No Use For was quite a statement I think. Releasing records from our heroes, Groove Armada. Getting the best label award from DJ Mag. That was a tangible way of showing my parents that I wasn’t just a dosser!!

Alex: Yeah, Tom’s Critical Distance was my fave thing we put out last year. An instant classic; he’s a super talented guy and he doesn’t take himself too seriously which makes him even better in my opinion. You can expect to hear some big things from him later in the year.

And what has been the hardest part of running the labels or the biggest obstacle you’ve faced?

Jamie: Hardest part is trying to keep everybody happy!

Alex: For me it’s Jamie.

Jamie are you going to be releasing as well or do you stick to the DJing?

Jamie: Who knows? Maybe one day. Right now I don’t have enough hours in the day to relax and do nothing, let alone play around with music software. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, to be honest. So I’m sure one day I will write that tune, then my work will be done. I love DJing though, and always get a kick out of it, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

Alex: I’ve offered him on countless occasions to work in the studio together. I think before the year is out I’ll make sure we see his name on a record.

You guys recently started doing a weekly show on Rinse FM. Playing on the radio is very different to playing in the club, how are you enjoying it?

Jamie: It’s great fun, and I think we’re falling into it quite comfortably. We take it in turns now to do a show, as we both have different styles of presenting. But yeah, you get to play all those records you might not get to play in a club. Or if you’re Alex you just pump out techno at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, same as he probably did the night before!

Alex: I like techno.

It seems quite natural that you have a show on Rinse as the labels represent that large crossover area between house, garage, techno and a lot of other genres. Where you see yourselves within all of that?

Jamie: I always saw us as a good fit for Rinse; I kind of knew we’d get a show at some point if we continued to put out a high quality of releases, they couldn’t ignore us I thought. We are very UK in terms of our wide appeal with the different labels. As DJs we’ve been playing a broad cross section of styles, which includes lots of the labels Rinse have on board, Hessle, Numbers, Swamp 81 etc. I see us as a good fit amongst all those labels, perhaps representing the housier side of things though?

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve put together for us?

Jamie: It’s a mix of stuff that both myself and Alex have been playing recently, so it represents us both. There’s a few label bits in there, including the first outing of a Luke Vibert track we’re putting out. It includes Losoul’s “Sunbeams And The Rain,” which is a HUGE personal fave of mine. Alex has put in House of Black Lanterns’ remix of “Ghettozoid” forthcoming on Fabric’s new Houndstooth label; we’ve also just signed an EP from HOBL which excited about. He’s also treated us to an exclusive of the new Dense & Pika remix of Foals’ “My Number.”

With your many different outlets for music, what can we expect (perhaps more fair to ask what can’t we expect) from Hypercolour and its many branches over the next year?

Jamie: As mentioned, it will be our first foray into albums this year on Hypercolour. So we’ve got Luke Vibert and Solid Groove lined up so far. Singles from West Norwood Cassette Library, Tom Demac, Eliphino, Shenoda, Bareskin, Alex Jones, JoeFarr, Braille (on Glass Table), Trikk, and many more. On Sneaker Social Club, an album from Landstrumm, an EP from Bass Clef, and a label comp after the summer. Space Hardware has EPs lined up from Blacksmif (with a Dexter remix) and Zoe Zoe.

Alex: And on Initials we’ve got a new EP from Blue & Green (Bareskin & J.Wiltshire), some stuff from me, and a collab between Will Azada and Ste Roberts.

Talking Shopcast 17: Alex Jones (56:37)

Tracklist:

01. Stubborn Heart, “Two Times a Maybe” [white]
02. Losoul, “Sunbeams And The Rain” [Playhouse]
03. Sonarpilot, “Radar” (Trevino Remix) [Sonarpilot Audio]
04. Perc, “Submit (Collapse Tool) [CLR]
05. Terrence Dixon, “Minimalism” (DVS1 Remix) [Thema]
06. Foals, “My Number” (Dense & Pika Remix) [Transgressive*]
07. A Sagittariun, “Eye Against Eye” [Elastic Dreams]
08. Blagger, “Strange Behavior” (DJ Koze AKA Swahimi Remix) [Perspectiv]
09. Manmade Science, “The Blues 1997″ [Philpot]
10. Sia, “Littleman” (Exemen Works) [Long Lost Brother Records]
11. Ghettozoid, “Boy Toy” (House of Black Lanterns Remix) [Houndstooth]
12. Huxley, “Little Things” [Hypercolour]
13. The Mole, “Beaver Club” [Fur Trade Recordings]
14. Herbert, “No More Borders” [Phono]
15. Luke Vibert, “Hypercolour 06″ [Hypercolour*]
16. Unknown artist, “DMT???” [white]
* denotes tracks which, at the time of publishing, are unreleased