Artist Interview: Mike Shannon

Mike Shannon grew up in Kitchener in Ontario, Canada, perfectly situated between Toronto and Detroit. From this vantage point, he was able to dive first hand into the burgeoning house and techno scenes of those two cities during the 90's. One can feel Mike's influences from this era in his production which always has an underlying funk beneath the electronic and digital sounds. Always on the move, Shannon also lived briefly in Chile, Spain and currently resides in Berlin, thus soaking global influences. Having earned his dues through these years DJing, producing and running his Cynosure label (since 1999) and later on teaming up with Jeff Milligan on the Revolver imprint (2001), last year saw Mike's full length Memory Tree (his 3rd) released on Richie Hawtin's coveted Plus 8 records. Deep Transmissions caught up with Mike via email to find out a bit more about his history, living and DJing in Berlin and what the future holds...

DT: How did you first get interested in electronic dance music and what were some of your earliest influences club and musically speaking?
MS: There was always a variety of music in my house when i grew up. So I had influences from Blues, Jazz and Soul from my parents and my brother was the source for the psychedelic Rock. There was always the odd Electronic record my mom would pick up. Thomas Dolby and Soft Cell were always my favorite things to put on when I was really young... I got into House music when I went to my first all ages club in Kitchener, ON and heard my best friends brother djing. He introduced me to hip house (Rob base & Dj EZ Roc - Fast Eddie) and from there I was searching out more records like this. Eventually discovering Techno.

I can feel a sense of soul and funk in your work that was probably influenced by your experiences in the Toronto and Detroit House and Techno scenes back in the day. Is that correct and is it something that consciously influences you to this day?

Absolutely, those influences scared me for life. I think it was a good combination of what I grew up listening to and being a part of those of both of those scenes. I think when I stop feeling those influences I'll stop making tracks.

How did Cynosure get started and what is its ethos?

Cynosure recordings was founded back in 1999. J.Hunsberger and I were members of a KW (Kitchener - Waterloo) based arts collective that had an mandate to promote the arts coming out of the area. So we came up with the idea of a record label that would encompass a majority of the artists involved in the project. We thought the project was an ideal one to promote the artists involved but the director of the federally funded collective didn't really like the music. So when it came time to pay for our first release our funding was rejected. Claiming that the idea would only benefit myself and didn't seem worthy of the investment. This was a big controversy at the time considering a number of people had worked on the project already. So we couldn't let the idea die there... we had to scrape together what we could and fund the label. And we've been rolling slowly but surely ever since.

What is the theme or concept behind your latest LP "Memory Tree"?

A Memory Tree is just other words that express the concept of an album. A collection of creative works that can identify or recall specific memories. I wanted to release a collection of tracks that all had a timeless quality to them. My goal was to write some tracks that wouldn't be forgotten after one play. A record that you could play on the dance floor years from now and still get the same feeling.

What was the working process like? eg. Did you already have a strong idea of the overall concept from the start and built songs from it?

To be honest I didn't have a grand vision that shaped everything. Things started to take form as the process was happening. Tracks were slowly changing and morphing with each other depending on the order of things. I really wanted to keep the album interesting enough but still having a strong sense of continuity and synergy... so there is a good variety of sound on the album but a distinct sound signature holds it all together.

Has being in Europe changed your approach to dance music both in terms of DJing and producing?

I think it's changed my approach to djing a little. I think I take things a little easier these days. I tend to let the records do the work a little more than I used to. Growing up as a dj in North America you really had to have some skills to set you apart from the others. When I first started djing everyone had access to basically the same records and the amount of music released was dramatically less than what exists today. So you really had to do something special with those mixes to make your mark. But over here it's really all about a consistency of good tracks. Building momentum with the selections. That's what's influenced my style a little these days. For Production I haven't noticed any change in approach due to being in Europe. I'm still doing more or less what I was doing before.

Both Spain and Germany have been hotbeds of dance music activity for the last while (eg. Sonar, Popkomm, Berghain, etc). Are there other gigs or countries you have been pleasantly surprised with that has been under the radar and are upcoming?

The City fox club called Alte Borse in Zurich is the best club in Europe at the moment. Nothing comes close to the sound of this club and the feeling of this club. Built in the old Stock market of Zurich the acoustic treatment of the room is intense. If every club in the world took this approach to acoustics we would all be ten times happier to go out to club and our ears would be so much better off. Zurich has the best all around quality of parties that I've experienced in Europe. Nothing really under the radar about Zurich for me but for some that haven't heard about the scene there it's time to see what I'm talking about.

What is your opinion of the current scene in Toronto and North America in general?

I just came back from a few dates in Canada and the US and I have to say not that much has changed in a few years. It's seems that the frequency of minimal house/techno club nights has grown in the States a little... from I can see mainly on the West coast... LA, San Fran. Toronto's Techno scene still seems like it's fledgeling along but I think the underground after hours scene is starting to rise up again. I checked out a couple of cool parties when I was back and played a good one too... so who knows?

Is it possible to stay in North America and be a successful DJ or producer?

Yes. But you have to have enough demand world wide to be able to jump over the pond from time to time. I think surviving on the North American Circuit alone is tuff for most. I think if I was to move back to Canada I would have a hard time keeping things on the same level as I have them now. There's just not enough worthwhile venues to go around and travel costs in North America aren't getting any cheaper.

Will vinyl always be a vital part of the release plan for Cynosure? How has the digital market changed the game?

Vinyl is an integrated part of the process. What I've noticed is when a label goes a 100% digital only it looses a sincere amount of momentum. It's as if the shelf presence of physical product that fuels digital sales somehow. So we'll keep Vinyl in the loop as long as this still applies.

What are things to watch out for in the near future from yourself and from Cynosure?

I'm starting to work on a new project with my studio partner Deadbeat and I've got a new release of my own coming out Wagon Repair and Circus Company for 2009. As for Cynosure, it's our ten year anniversary this year so the plan is deliver heat one after the other. We've got a new Adam Marshall EP coming out 2009 as well as new EP from Brett Johnson featuring a Chic Miniature remix, a new EP from one of the original Cyn producers Matt Thibideau and an EP from one of the original Montrealers Horror inc. aka Akufen. The tracks are all hot and most definitely an exciting line up of releases to start off the year.

Memory Tree is available here
Cynosure Recordings on Myspace

Artist Interview: Tokyo Black Star, Innervisions

To say that Alex Prat is an international artist would be an understatement. Born in Paris, growing up in Tokyo (with a short stint in Bangkok) and now residing in New York, Alex is practically a world citizen. All of these experiences and influences are of course crucial to his sound when producing music (with partner Isao Kumano) under the Tokyo Black Star moniker. Theirs is a sound which I would call deep modern dance music: it could loosely be defined as house music, but it is obvious that they have many other influences. With their debut full length coming out on the Innervisions at the end of March (they also had the distinction of being Innervisions first release when it was still a sub-label of Sonar Kollektiv), we asked Alex a few questions about his interesting history, the Japanese scene and what to expect on the upcoming album.

DT: Let's start from the beginning. You were born in Paris, how did you get to Tokyo and now New York?
AP: I was born in Paris. I went to Tokyo when I was 4 years old with my family after living 2 years in Bangkok.

When and how did you first get interested in Club music?

I got interested in club music around the mid 80s through my dad and some friends at school in Tokyo before house music. I was listening then to American music through my Japanese friends and I was listening to all new European music through my french and European friends. I was into all kinds of stuff, top 40, the beginning of hip hop, new wave, funk, disco. I started to go to clubs from a very early age in Tokyo at around 14 years old thanks to my best friend Tommy.

Who were some of your early influences from this period.

All the hip hop and club music from NYC were huge in Japan at that time! It really influenced me. Sugar Hill records, Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Prelude records, all the US big disco funk hits. New wave was a big influence too, New Order, Factory records, Depeche Mode.

Who were some of the earlier influential Japanese DJs in the house scene?

The first real underground house club I went to was this club called "The Bank" in Roppongi. It changed my life! It was so different from all the other clubs. Some of the Japanese pioneers house/techno DJ played there: DJ Hiro, DJ Katsuya, DJ Wada. Living in Tokyo, I got influenced first of all by Japanese djs. Hiroshi Fujiwara, DJ Marbo, DJ Nori, DJ Heyta and Toru Takahashi who was the resident DJ at the legendary club GOLD in Tokyo in 1990.

With the lost (at least physically) of Dance Tracks, Vinylmania on one side and the lost of Cisco and Manhattan Records (not to mention the club Space Lab Yellow) on the other, are the New York and Tokyo club scenes still alive and well? How would you compare them?

The Tokyo club scene was very influenced originaly by the NYC club scene. They are still today very connected. Culturally and historically speaking, Japan has been very influenced by the US after the War. Japan became very Americanized. Black music has a real tradition in Japan too. Tokyo has always been very diverse and very open to all the trends from all around the world too especially when the economy was good in the 80s and early 90s. The Tokyo club scene is still very alive today, the club culture is still pretty strong, and the tradition and culture of the music are still there. Japanese people pay a lot of attention to traditions. Like everywhere in the world, the past couple of years, the Influences of music from Europe are big in Tokyo and in New York to a certain extent, we have seen a whole European wave, and the emergence of new cultures like lounge culture etc. Tokyo right now has lost a bit of its energy. It is a bit sad after Cisco and Yellow closed down. Commercialism and money changed everything in New York, the club scene is not the same anymore. There are still great things happening but it is very underground.

What made you decide to start DJing and producing?

I was fascinated by DJing from the very first times I started going to clubs. I started playing records with friends around 1989 in Tokyo at international school dance parties. We then started to organise our own little warehouse parties in different kind of rental spaces in Tokyo. I moved back to Paris for my university studies and met with the whole Paris scene which influenced me a lot. I teamed up with Dj Deep and Gregory in the early 90s and we started our "A Deep Groove" unit playing house and garage on radio FG 98.2fm and clubs in Paris. I always wanted to produce but never got the chance and the time to focus on it then. When I went back to Tokyo after my university studies in 1995, this is when I said to myself that I want to live by doing music. My very good friend a well known hip hop DJ in Tokyo back then I was working with for the Mr. Bongo disorient label gave me my first opportunity to produce. My first experience was a remix of a Ashley Beedle track "Urbanisation" on disorient.

How did Tokyo Black Star get started and what is the idea behind it?

In the late 90s I met Isao Kumano who was working as an engineer in this big studio in Tokyo. He was in charge of a dance music radio show on a Japanese digital TV channel. We became close and we started to work together. One of our first record was a remix of a track by Big Moses on a new sub-label of Soundmen on Wax. Kerri Chandler was part of the label and was in Tokyo then. He listened to the mix with us, he liked it very much and he was joking and calling me Tokyo Black Star because he knew that I loved champagne referring to "Black Star champagne"! The remix we did together was called then "Tokyo Black Star Dub". We liked the name Tokyo Black Star! It had lots of meanings. Tokyo Black Star is the collaboration project of Isao Kumano and myself.

How does the creative process work between yourself and Isao Kumano?

Isao and I work together in his studio in Tokyo every time I am back in Japan. Isao is at the control of the technical aspect of things, I have more of a direction role but we do play and make everything together from scratch to finish.

What is the concept or theme behind the upcoming Tokyo Black Star album on Innervisions?

One of the main idea behind Tokyo Black Star is to revive within people their imagination and the richness of their heart through our music. We consider ourselves as artists. We have collaborated on the album with the NYC based Japanese painter Tomokazu Matzuyama for the artwork. The album is going to come up as a special CD package which will look like an art book. "Black Ships" is somehow our nonfiction travel diary for those 3 past years, and at the same time is is a fiction of traveling through the world of imagination.

How did your relationship with Innervisions begin?

My relationship with Innervisions started before Innervisions existed. I met Dixon on the Bossa Tres Jazz project I worked on around 1999. We became close to each other. Dixon was visiting NYC in 2003 and I gave him a CD-R of our new track "Blade Dancer". I wanted to release it on Sonar Kollektiv. He emailed me straight away saying that he loved the track and that he wanted to release it on Sonar. Finally after more than a year, Dixon decided to start his own label Innervisions and release it as our 1st and as Innervisions' 1st release!

I know you also do some interesting work outside of DJing and producing. What other projects have you worked on recently?

I am working closely recently with the fashion brand Y-3. I help them for fashion show and I do the music of their stores worldwide. I do a lot of coordination work too between Paris, New York and Tokyo connecting artists, labels to each other for special projects. I translated 3 years ago Laurent Garnier's book "Electrochoc" from French to Japanese which was a huge project.

What can we lookout for in the near future from yourself and Tokyo Black Star?

Our first album "Black Ships" is coming out worldwide through Innervisions on March 30th. We are so looking forward to it! This is a big priority for us. We are thinking to start a Dj/live performance for the release of the album sometime this year. I hope I will be able to visit your beautiful country Canada very soon!

Tokyo Black Star's "Bit Commander ep" is now available through Juno on vinyl here and download here.

NYE with Osunlade, Jason Palma, Dirty Dale & More

A special NYE event for the Toronto people brought to you by Solid Garage & Footprints (if you're wondering, I am part promoter/DJ of Footprints)... Featuring:















Osunlade
(Yoruba Records, Greece)

Samba Elegua with the Uma Nota Ensemble (live)

Dirty Dale
(Twisted, Warehouse Jacks)
Footprints DJs:
Jason Palma (Higher Ground)
General Eclectic (Uma Nota)
DJ Stuart aka Basic Soul Unit (Deep Transmissions)

Groove Institute (Solid Garage Residents)

Hosted by Lybido

$25 Limited Earlybird tickets (Until Dec 19th) $30 Advance tickets More at doors

Tickets available at:
Play De Record, 357a Yonge St
Rotate This, 801 Queen St W
Soundscapes, 572 College St
Cosmos Records, 607 Queen St W
Online tickets: http://www.wantickets.com/unitedsoulevents

info: Facebook event page
http://www.unitedsoul.ca
http://www.myspace.com/footprintstoronto
http://www.deeptransmissions.blogspot.com

facebook groups:
footprints
united soul

OSUNLADE
The organic and soulful deep house don from Greece (via New York) helps us ring in the new year. Osunlade is the head of the acclaimed Yoruba Records exploring Soul, African, Latin, influences with a modern palette. As a producer, He has worked with renowned artists such as Patti Labelle, Roy Ayers, Salif Keita, and Cesaria Evora. Osunlade has provided us with dancefloor classics like Cantos a Ochun et Oya, Don't Change, April among many other original and remix works. Besides Yoruba, he has released music for many top dance labels like Strictly Rhythm, Defected, Soul Jazz, & BBE.

SAMBA ELEGUA w THE UMA NOTA ENSEMBLE
(Led by Dave Arcus & Jonathan Rothman w Scott McCannell, Ty & Kensington Horns) A live Brasilian Percussion Ensemble with live horns and band. They've been in part responsible (along with General Eclectic) for hosting the amazing Uma Nota events fusing live music and DJing together into a rhythmic body movement inducing experience.

DIRTY DALE
Always a local favourite. His dance background gives him the insight into what make people move on the floor. Dale has played along side some of the biggest names in house music and is currently at Toika every Thursday night.

FOOTPRINTS
The Footprints crew of Jason Palma, General Eclectic & DJ Stuart have been bringing the funk as well as jazz, soul, latin, afrobeat, ska, house, hip hop and whatever else their fancy to the dance floors of Toronto for 6+ years. Over the years they've brought distinguished guests like Mr Scruff or Bobbito but really, its all about the 3 local DJs giving it to the loyal crowd they know best!

GROOVE INSTITUTE
The trio of Yogi, Anand and Mark behind Solid Garage recently celebrated their 10th year anniversary proving their status as one of Toronto's solid foundations of the house scene. All have a deep knowledge of soulful dance music from boogie & disco to house that gives their sets a timeless quality. They've held regular events over the years bringing in top talent to the Toronto crowds like Byron Stingily, Robert Owens and Kenny Bobien.

Artist Interview: Jackmate/Soulphiction

Hailing from Stuttgart in Germany, Michel Baumann (aka Jackmate, Soulphiction and also part of Manmadescience) has been steadily churning out quality electronic music since 1996. Baumann has released music on many respected labels such as: Morris Audio, Perlon, Freude Am Tanzen & Sonar Kollektiv. Although his various guises take him into different directions (from house to techno to hip hop), the trademark behind all his sounds is the skillful interpretation of soul and jazz in a modern electronic context. Melding Detroit and Chicago influences with modern German house and techno sensibilities. On first listen, one can hear the attention to detail and technical care Michel puts into his work, but his sound is far from sterile and dry. Baumann's songs never forgets the groove and in this sense, coupled with the fact that he was doing this way before the current deep house revival trend in Europe, Michel's music has a depth and authenticity not found in many of his contemporaries. Besides the aforementioned labels he has released for, Baumann also runs the Philpot and Phil E labels with partner Tobi Ettle ("Philpot" being Larry Levan's real last name is more soulful and open format while Phil E is more techno based) releasing his own work as well as like-minded producers such as Reggie Dokes, DJ Koze and Move D. We asked Baumann a few questions about his influences and his creative process...

DT: How did you get into club music and what gave you the inspiration to produce?

MB: In the early 80s I got some tapes from a friend to copy. There was a wild mix of disco, early electro and new wave stuff on them, so i started to buy stuff like the "Street Sounds Electro" Compilations and the "Funk You" Compilations. These were my first encounters with Electro and HipHop.

My father played the Piano and bought me Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer and a Roland DrumMachine when I got 14, and I was playing along my favourite tracks and recorded that on tape. When i was mixing tapes for friends to practice breakdancin, there was always an additional synthline or an "extended" beat on the mix that I did myself...guess thats when it started.

What was the Stuttgart scene like at the time that you got into house and techno?

Your typical mix of RnB and cheesy Disco in the bigger clubs..., also the Italo stuff...you name it. EBM and Belgium Acid was still very popular. And there was an American Nightclub called Maddox, where I first heard tracks by Frankie Knuckles, Lil Louis and such, but my presence in this club was more of the obscure..:) It closed down in 1991 and was re-opened as the famous On-U Club, where the Djs played Hip Hop and Reggae until 4am and then they changed to House and Detroit Techno....so when the first straight kick came in, the crowd went nuts!! The Anthem then was Bobby Konders "Dis Poem"....there was tears and some of the best times in my life!

Even though you are mostly known for house and techno, your tracks have heavy soul and jazz elements. Who are some Jazz or Soul artists that have really influenced you?

Surely too many to name here, but mainly Producers like Weldon Irvine, Norman Whitfield and Bob Thiele are big Influences when it comes to certain aesthetics in sound and orchestration, even if those aesthetics are sometimes hard to combine with the electronic components of actual club music, that´s the challenge!

Who are some contemporary producers that are catching your ears?

Electronica-wise my man Koze is always a great inspiration and Mr. Reggie Dokes, who is now part of our Philpot label family, changed my view on club music a lot. you just have to dare to play it!...:) same counts for our young blood Tim Toh, look out for this one...seriously!! Martyn was outstanding this year, NWAQs "Dead Bears" was great and Kenny Larkin's last album is my new testament of Detroit techno!, ...imho...too many to mention too...oh, i love BSU!...check this guy!

As your label name suggests, Larry Levan must have been an inspiration for you. What makes a great DJ set in your opinion and who are some of your favourite DJs to hear in a club?

S/he takes you through the whole night while entertaining and educating you musically. I want to be surprised, hear some new and old stuff , and, most important of all, change the tempo and the style now and then! Every Minimal DJ is a House DJ nowadays, so what???...that´s not surprising!! I guess, I like djs who have a grown musical personality, like a musician. Just for example, the Krause duo or Theo Parrish are always a challenge, because...really good djs also sometimes suck!..:) not like Beatport-driven dj-machines who just deliver...

Explain for those that may not be familiar with your work ,the differences between your monikers, Jackmate, Soulphiction and Manmadescience.

Well, Jackmate was how i started, more Chicago-influenced, tracky style, as well as chord driven techno....straight for the club! SoulPhiction is musically open and doesn´t have to be particularly floor material, more Hip Hop and, like the name suggests, Soul-influences here. ManmadeScience is my band-project with longtime friends Nik Reiff and Benjamin Lieten aka Phlegmatic...Disco and House is the Teacher!

How does the creative process work for you? e.g. do you mess around with sounds and samples till you find something or do you start with an idea in your head and try to create that sound?

Mostly I start programming a beat and a bass-line. From there I add instrumentation and maybe vocals. Sometimes i also start with the recording of an instrument, like a cello or a guitar and do a little song-like arrangement, before i decide to add beats or anything else. I also do a lot of field recordings and while i edit them I might find some samples to start a track with or get in a certain mood while listening. So i don´t really have a plan mostly, for me, there has to be an initial sound or pattern to create a track-idea .

Do you use analog and/or digital for production and what gear or software do you use?

Mostly i use analog equipment, as long as you would call MPCs or Nordleads analog. There´s also some antique synths and organs in my studio like the Sixtrack, Alpha Juno, Korg CX3, Wersi..etc. and there´s lots of percussions and a Jazz Kit from Tama. Actually i try to use my computer for recording and post-arrangement only, so i can play live without it in the next future. The only Software I use besides Cubase and Live, is the NI Kontakt , so i can use the Vienna Sound Collection for proper orchestration.

What can we look out for in the near future from Philpot or Phil E?

We gonna start on Philpot in 2009 with my new SoulPhiction 12" called "Underground Railroad", followed by the forementioned BSU having his first release on Philpot in march 2009. Till june we´ll have releases by Tim Toh, Reggie Dokes and the long awaited Break SL album! On Phil e there will be a new 12" by Lump, followed by a new Jackmate 12" and a surprise release, i´m not allowed to talk about yet.

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/jackmateakasoulphiction
http://www.philpot-records.net/
Reggie Doke's Rain Redemptive Love Ep on Philpot is available now on http://www.dancetracksdigital.com/

Promoter Interview: Box Of Kittens

For over a year, the DJ/promoter crew Box Of Kitten (DJ Hali, Jamie Kidd, Mike Gibbs & Fabio Palermo) have been responsible for re-energizing Toronto's underground with a series of highly successful loft and warehouse parties. No chin strokers and wall flowers here, the party's ethos is about good music and having a good time. Just in time for their upcoming big bash with like minded promoter alienInFlux featuring Seth Troxler, Deep Transmissions asks the boys a few questions about the secret to their success and where the name Box Of Kittens came from...

How did you guys meet each other?

HW: We all knew each other through the music scene but I think what actually brought us all together was playing at alienInFlux events, like the Harvest Festival, for the last 3 or 4 years. Afterwards, DJing together only seemed natural.

FP: I met everyone in 2007. Mike at Boreal, Hal at Cherry Beach and Jamie at our first party.

Why did you start the night and what is the concept behind the night?

HW: Mike and I had many conversations about the state of the scene and how Techno was becoming marginalized and, well, too serious. There was no 'party' at techno parties. We had envisioned a different type of party that would be fun and sexy, but still retaining strict ethos to the underground. We had been talking about doing something all of the previous summer, but nothing really materialized. And then, suddenly, the 4 of us got brought together to DJ at a friend's going away party, and it was literally the big bang that ignited Box of Kittens.

FP: We felt Toronto was in need of something fresh. Rather than use the DJs as the draw, we want the event to be the draw. The four of us is what Box of Kittens is all about. Our styles can interbreed with each other. Basically, a warehouse party meets a house party with killer techno!

How did you come up with the name "Box Of Kittens"?

FP: That is a Mike and Hal question! LOL

HW: It was an inside joke that we had for a year. Mike came up with the term which was an offhand remark about a girl. I think he said 'Look at her, it's like looking at a box of kittens'. And then when we were searching for a name, we thought of it. It was so leftfield, sexy, fun, and unusual, it was perfect. I think it fits our type of parties perfectly.

What can people expect musically?

FP: Amazing techno of all kinds. The sound has progressed so much into many different sub-genres that allow the night to flow smoothly. You get the housey side, the glitchy side, the progressive side, and the funky side.

HW: The great thing about our crew is the dynamic range and the different angles we all take towards Techno. You can expect to hear 4 on the floor techno but that's a really broad stroke. From my side, I tend to play on the deeper side of Techno. I love organic elements so you would definitely hear some Soul, Funk, and Jazz undertones, but I love the trippy shit as well, just as long as it's interesting. My musical influences are Detroit Techno, Chicago House, New York Garage, and Berlin Minimal, so you are bound to hear some of those influences come through my Techno sets.

JK: From my side expect things to change and cut up a bit with music that incorporates elements from many styles. Sexy, glitchy, bass heavy minimal, tech house and techno with some electro and fidget house – although I’m not typically into anything that is sample laden. I’m usually more on the raw, dark tip, but these days I have definitely been getting deeper with some (dare I say) strong tribal influences coming back. I’m also really into the cosmic disco scene now, so I incorporate those sounds whenever I get the chance (which is not often enough!)

As a bassist, I’m always tuned in to how the bass and drums are working together to create an overall pulse. I come from a live music background; studying and performing jazz for years, as well as playing, recording, and touring with rock, funk, dub, and live drum & bass groups. I’ve always been able to hear the similarities between styles more than the differences, and I try to bridge those similarities in my mixing. My main influences historically have been innovators like Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, and Parliament to Amon Tobin, Cari Lekebusch, and Matthew Herbert.

MG: I come from a live music background as well, having sung and played guitar and bass in numerous industrial bands that toured the states, Europe and Canada with bands like Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, Meat Beat Manifesto.....

Like all of us in Box Of Kittens when I spin I like to incorporate different styles of electronic music, though I generally lean towards the more 'tweaky' and trippy end of things, lately I'm enjoying the deeper, housier sound that's been emerging from Europe as well. I also like to throw in a couple of curve balls, like the odd dubstep or vocal track.

I would consider my musical influences to include Funkadelic, Autechre, Einsturzende Neubauten, Barry White, Plastikman, Gang Of Four, Primal Scream, Hardfloor, The Sex Pistols, Ricardo Villalobos, The Meters, Aphex Twin and others too many to mention lol. As long as it's got the funk I'm looking for I enjoy bringing new sounds and rhythms to new audiences, everything depends on the particular vibe of the party and where I think I want to take the dancefloor ; )

What would you say is the current state of the House or Techno scene in Toronto?

HW: I think people are starting to get a little tired of regular club nights, I know I am. But, the underground scene is thriving, and there's a demand for 'different' types of parties. You just have to be in-the-know. Look at the success that Promise Cherry Beach had this summer. Or that crazy packed party on that disused bridge over the Don Vallley. And even the success of Nuit Blanche proves that people really don't want the same. So, I think this is representative to what people want. More unusual settings, less of the same. Box of Kittens has been aware of this and, we always like to keep our parties and venues fresh and new.

FP: Well, I am not a fan of the clubs right now and I don't go to them to know what the current Techno/House scene is all about. I see it from the Internet picture world and live vicariously through friends who still go out and party. We have a lot of local promoters doing great jobs of bringing in NEW talent, which I applaud and think is most important to the scene. I'd go out and listen to someone new rather than someone in town every couple of months. Our scene is still thriving -- you just have to go to the right events, hint hint :)

I know you guys each have musically related projects (e.g. production, radio, etc. Can you describe for those that don't know what else you're involved in)?

HW: Apart from event production, and even some music production, I'm known for my work with Netmusique. I founded and operate it which is a high-volume, international Internet Radio station. I started doing it as a simply way to play music for my friends. In doing that, it literally became the world's first Deep House netradio, which is known as Housemusique. Now it's grown to include Electrique and Flaresound which have been hugely popular in their own right. But, I have to admit that I'm simply amazed at what was created and what it's become. This year, it really hit me as we are going into our 10th year of operation. You can find Netmusique highly ranked on AOL/Shoutcast, or on iTunes radio, or the site itself at netmusique.com, if you want to check it out.

JK: On the production front, I’ve been very busy over the past couple years producing with my good friend Frederik Hatsav under the name Metalogic. Most of our releases have been edgy, percussive techno, but lately we’ve been branching out a bit. We’ve had 2 twelve inch EP’s released thus far; one for New York’s Addon, as well as one for Brooklyn’s Hidden Agenda, which we were proud to have supported by some of our favorite artists including Someone Else, John Selway, Extrawelt, and Frankie Bones. We are excited to have a new 4 track EP coming out this November on London’s Perc Trax called ‘Surge Stimulation’, as well as a few more digital singles and remixes.

I also produce under my own name for Toronto's Thoughtless Music, and California's Monism -- but for the most part I devote my time to Metalogic's productions and our live p.a. I'm really feeling the itch to get a new live band together these days but there's never enough time for everything.

MG: I'm currently working on projects with the other guys in Box Of Kittens, plus Gaz Mellen and Lachlan Bleackley.....I'm hopeful we'll start seeing stuff released in the new year. Gaz and I have just had a remix released on a new album by Spiral Into The Storm. Released by Decibel Palace ( http://decibelpalace.com/ ) it's available on iTunes and most mp3 sites.

And recently Transformantra a live four piece techno act that I was involved with in the late nineties has had two albums re-mastered and re-released also on the label Decibel Palace. Transformantra and Transformantra 2 have stood the test of time pretty well. Lol, don't be mislead by the name as the music is in what would now be considered more of an electronica vein. Both albums are available on iTunes.

FP: I've worked on production for years with so many different amazing people. I started working with Xstatic Records back in 1998, helping them promote and sitting in on many studio sessions. That later developed into DMT Records with two of the partners from Xstatic. I've played radio shows on 1groove.com and hosted one on Global Groove, and produced radio shows with Chris Sheppard that were syndicated across North America. I have a few releases out with Sydney Blu that are available on Beatport, and am currently working on some remix and original projects. My hectic day job makes it very difficult to stay in touch with my musical side at the moment, but I think that will change in 2009 :)

Will there be any "official" or club nights from "Box Of Kittens" or will it always stay underground?

FP: We actually branched out with "Sourpuss." It was/is our club front and it started with a one-off Friday at Circa. Things behind the scenes did not work so well for us that night and we feel we didn't belong in that environment. Knowing this, we will (if we decide to) make sure the club and us are a perfect match for us to do it again!

HW: I want things to stay underground, but that's something we need to discuss. The thing about the future is you never really can quite tell. :)

What are upcoming "Box Of Kitten" events to watch for?

HW: We are actually partnering with the one that brought us all together to begin with. On December 6th, we team up with alienInFlux to bring the latest Box of Kittens event at a brand new space at 1610 Bloor West. This time, we have 3 rooms and several headliners, which is a first. As well, we are representing different music genres including different shades of dub, and not just Techno, so we are really excited about it. Headlining is Seth Troxler from Detroit/Berlin, and a live PA by Komodo from Montreal, as well as our own, the Gates Foundation, and of course, all of us. All the ingredients are there for it to be the best one yet. Can't wait, can't wait!

FP: December 6th, 2008 and scattered events through 2009. All our events are ones to watch for!

For more info on Box Of Kitten's upcoming event on Dec 6th, check here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95643395513

Vintage: A Brand New Bag Radio mix 11 18 08

The crew at Deep Transmissions also host events and a radio show (via netmusique.com) under the Vintage: A Brand New Bag name, Check out our show this week, the usual mixed bag of deep electronic niceness from including tracks from Deadbeat, Move D, Reggie Dokes & Martyn....

Vintage: A Brand New Bag Radio Show Nov 18 08


Tracklisting:

Alister Johnson / Invitation / CDR
Deadbeat / Rise Again feat Paul St. Hilaire / Wagon Repair
Beat Pharmacy / Time feat Damon Aaron / Deep Space Media
IMPS / Almost Live But Definetly Plugged (Move D remix) / Mule
Reggie Dokes / Love /Philpot
Martinez / Day By Day / Moon Harbour
IMPS / Uncle Limps (Minilogue mix) / Mule
Mikael Stavostrand/ Crushed (Mike Shannon mix) / Imprime
Guilluame & The Coutu Dumont / Le Tigre / Olso
Aroy Dee / Life Of Raw / M>O>S
Tantakatan (Shed mix) / Rekids
Martyn / Velvet / 3024

Label Interview: Simple Records/Aus

Will Saul's Simple Records and Aus imprints and claim to be one of UK's more successful independent electronic dance labels today. Noted we did not say Deep House and Techno even though that's what the labels are known for. He was well into Breaks and Broken Beat among other things before a stint working at the venerable Phonica Records Store in London turned him onto House and Techno. Will also had a gig working at Sony starting from the position of intern and working his way up to A/R and product management before deciding to go it on his own to pursue his vision. His two labels release quality music from the likes of Motorcitysoul, Lee Jones, Sideshow and his own productions as well. We asked Will a few questions about the in ands outs of running 2 successful labels...


DT - Why did you decide to start a record label?

WS - As an outlet for my own music. Also I have loved the process of creating an entity – the visual identity of record labels has always fascinated me and I wanted to get stuck into all aspects of creating a brand.

What are the differences between your 2 labels Simple and AUS?

Simple is aimed at the deeper end of the peak time (discerning) house and techno dance floor whereas Aus can be more experimental/home listening and is open to a wider range of sounds. You could get a disco/dub record from Sideshow, a quirky deep house record from Lee Jones or a jacking techno record from Sian. Both labels have their core artists and they define the sound of the labels. However, fundamentally both labels are A&R’d by me and my love of a good soulful hook/melody hopefully shines though in both labels.

What are some of your musical influences both in and outside of dance music?

I love interesting melody and grooves that hook you in and don’t let you go. This can be in any genre and from any period in time - from Teddy Pendergrass to Interpol to Carl Craig to Vangelis to Tangerine Dream to Sly and Robbie and beyond.....

Simple has recently ventured into album territory with Motorcitysoul's Technique. What makes a great artist album in your view?

A range of styles, lots of memorable hooks, great songs and a fresh and coherent ‘sound’. Not much to ask for really :)

You worked at Sony as A/R in the past, how has that informed the running of your labels?

I did bits of A&R work which in the context of the music I was A&R’ing at Sony doesn’t really inform what I release now, which is very much from the heart. However, I was also a product manager for Sony International and this really taught me the nuts and bolts of how to release a record right from the details of generating an ISRC code for each track to promoting the record to radio.

How do you manage a label successfully in such a challenging time for the industry?

I run Simple and Aus by myself so my overheads are non-existent. You also learn quickly from your mistakes and successes and after over 50 singles across the two labels I’ve pretty much nailed how to release a 12” effectively. Well I bloody well should have after that many releases! Keeping the sound of the labels fresh and cutting edge is the biggest challenge as what’s popular within dance music changes so quickly. My approach is to never associate yourself too heavily with one sound and attempt to build a core roster of talented artists that will evolve with the labels/trends. Trying be know for releasing good music rather than ‘minimal’ or ‘deep house’.....It’s a double edged sword - if you become one of the hot new labels and have a very unique (but often one dimensional) sound that everyone wants for 6 months then your sales will shoot up in the short term but the music buying public is very fical and they will move onto the next ‘hot’ sound very quickly.

Will you always release on vinyl?

As long as it’s financially viable and I’m not loosing too much money on the format....which sadly doesn’t look like it will be for very much longer.

Lastly, what are upcoming releases and projects to watch out for from Simple and AUS?

We have an Album from Sideshow on Aus in Feb which features vocals from Cortney Tidwell and Paul St.Hilaire. Remixes across the two EP’s from this are from Chateau Flight, Appleblim, Sebo K and Lee Jones. I’m currently putting together a double CD compilation called ‘Aus Music...All Night Long’ which will feature a CDs worth of new tracks from the core Aus artists and some friends of Aus (MyMy, Appleblim, Roland Appel, Shur-I-Kan) plus 2 remixes from I-Cube and Lawrence. The second CD will be a DJ mix of the back cat by me. This will be out in May 09. In between these two albums/Eps we’ll squeeze out an EP from Sian which will have a remix from Minilogue. For Simple we have EP’s coming from Ian Pooley, Mike Monday and me in early 09.

Motorcitysoul's album Technique is now available from Simple Records and Lee Jones' Soon EP from Aus Music
listen / buy