#djbroadcast

(Originally published on DJBroadcast.net in September 2014).

“All good things must come to an end” a wise man once said - and that applies to your favourite record labels, too. DJB runs down ten of the most influential imprints to be sadly no longer with us…

Moving Shadow

Pretty much regarded as the daddy of all drum ‘n’ bass labels, Moving Shadow was founded by Rob Playford in 1990. Operating out of Playford’s home in Stevenage, the label initially traded in breakbeat hardcore styles - putting out future classics from the likes of Blame, Cloud 9 and 2 Bad Mice (one of Playford’s own projects alongside Sean O'Keeffe and Simon Colebrooke). Subsequent releases by Foul Play and Omni Trio helped to lay foundations for the emergent ‘jungle’ sound - doing away with the fairground theatrics of hardcore and pushing up the tempo in the process. 

More seminal records from Renegade (aka Ray Keith) and Dead Dred cemented the label’s reputation, as did forays into other forms of media. E-Z Rollers’ “Walk This Land” featured prominently in Guy Ritchie’s 1999 hit gangster flick Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, whilst Playford (as DJ Timecode) supplied music for Grand Theft Auto III’s MSX 101.1 FM radio station, acquainting scores of gamers worldwide with the sounds of Moving Shadow (and drum ‘n’ bass more generally). Into the new millennium, the label offered more contemporary techstep flavours from artists including Dom & Roland, Aquasky and Calyx, before shutting up shop in 2007.

Prescription

The quintessential deep house imprint, Prescription was established in Chicago in 1993 by Ron Trent and Chez Damier. Prior to starting the label the pair had collaborated on a number of singles and remixes - notably “The Choice” and “Don’t Try It” on KMS, the legendary Detroit label managed by Damier in conjunction with its founder Kevin Saunderson. They were inspired to produce Prescription’s inaugural release (“Be My” b/w a remix of D’Pac’s “I Wouldn’t”) following a trip to New York’s Sound Factory club, Damier told RA back in 2010. Their creative partnership (and respective solo offerings) came to form the backbone of the label’s early output - churning out classics like “Morning Factory”, “Feel The Rhythm” and “Sometimes I Feel Like” - though other artists including Abacus, Romanthony, Ralph Lawson (working with Damier as Chuggles) and Heaven & Earth (a.k.a. Luke Solomon, Rob Mello & Zaki D) contributed to the canon, too. 

Following differences in opinion between himself and Trent, Damier relinquished control over the label’s operations in 1995, opting instead to focus solely on its Balance Recordings sub-label. Prescription remained relatively prolific until around 2001, with the vast majority of releases coming from Trent himself (often in association with new partner Anthony Nicholson as USG or Konfusion Kidzz). A handful of represses aside, a 2004 EP from Aybee was the last record they put out. 

Basic Channel

The label that came to be synonymous with ‘dub techno’ - spawning countless imitations in the process - Basic Channel was the brainchild of Berlin’s Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald. With their first few releases in 1993, the duo wasted no time in defining their own unique and entirely new aesthetic: one that fused the beating 4/4 heart of the Berlin-Detroit axis (BC01 featured a furious Jeff Mills remix) with decayed reverberations and a warm analogue throb borrowed from their dub reggae idols. Even operating within these vague parameters, they maintained plenty of scope for variation - the label’s output ranging from the airy, plaintive ambience of “Radiance II” to the irresistible house swing of “Phylyps Trak II/II” and “Octagon”’s thunderous march.

The Basic Channel label itself was retired in 1995 (not to mention a recent vinyl outing for “Q-Loop”, which was previously only available on a CD compilation) but Mark and Moritz continued to manage a number of other labels - alongside running Dubplates & Mastering and Hard Wax. Chain Reaction provided an outlet for deeply dubbed-out techno manoeuvres from the likes of Substance, Vladislav Delay, Fluxion and Monolake, whereas Rhythm & Sound gave the two founders a chance to collaborate with their Jamaican heroes. The particularly succinct Main Street catalogue was home to vocal house classics like “New Day” and “I’m Your Brother”; Von Oswald’s Maurizio label, on the other hand, served to showcase his own unmistakeable brand of dubby minimal house.

Junior Boy’s Own

Born from the ashes of irreverent acid house fanzine Boy’s Own (and its subsequent eponymous label) JBO was founded by Terry Farley and Steven Hall in 1992. Its remit was largely concerned with straight-up house and techno fare - unlike its more liberally-minded predecessor, which was home to a myriad of ravey hits from the likes of Bocca Juniors, One Dove and DSK. No time was wasted when it came to recruiting top-drawer future stars to the label, something that co-founder Farley insists was largely down to luck: “we were just in the right place at the right time” he told DMC World. 

Rocky & Diesel (better known as X-Press 2) were already friends of the label owners - whereas former Boy’s Own co-chief Andrew Weatherall had happened upon meeting a couple of lads in Manchester going by the name of The Dust Brothers, who were quickly snapped up for a couple of releases prior to achieving world domination as The Chemical Brothers. Darren Emerson of Underworld was also introduced to JBO via the pair, before going on to enjoy a similarly impressive career in stadium techno. The label had other considerable successes with the likes of Black Science Orchestra, Farley and Heller’s Roach Motel and Fire Island projects, and a number of sub-labels (including the slightly deeper-oriented Jus’ Trax imprint) before going quiet at some point in the mid-noughties.

DJ International

Founded by Rocky Jones circa 1985, DJ International was one of the original first wave of Chicago house labels, alongside Larry Sherman’s Trax Records. Early releases from the likes of Sterling Void and Joe Smooth armed Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles with ample fodder for their legendary sets at the Music Box and The Warehouse, as well as providing a soundtrack for the acid house revolution across the pond a couple of years later. 

Further classics (all featuring the label’s trademark rimshots-and-repeated-vocal-samples) included Chip E.’s “Like This”, The It’s “Donnie” and Kenny ‘Jammin’ Jason’s “Can U Dance” - a record that recently enjoyed a renaissance, thanks to high-profile airings by the likes of Michael Mayer, Jackmaster and Optimo. There were also a number of excursions into hip-house, more often than not involving Tyree Cooper. 

DJ International’s sub-labels were equally illustrious: the short-lived Rhythm Beat (1991-1993) was home to QX-1’s haunting “Love Injection” and a handful of particularly jackin’ releases by Tyree as TC Crew. Underground, on the hand, ran from 1986 until 1995, trading in similar wares from such luminaries as Mike Dunn, K-Alexi, Fingers Inc. and E.S.P - furnishing a treasure trove of house gems from some of the Windy City’s finest.

Mo Wax

Founded in 1992, James Lavelle’s seminal Mo Wax label was a truly eclectic affair. Releases ran the gamut from conscious hip-hop and breaks to acid jazz and drum ‘n’ bass, all tied together somehow by an underlying aesthetic that was smoky, street-wise and sample-heavy. Early releases came from the likes of La Funk Mob (the Gallic downtempo duo later to be reincarnated as Cassius), Attica Blues, Palm Skin Productions and the nascent DJ Shadow, who went onto release one of the decade’s most critically celebrated albums, Endtroducing… via Mo Wax in 1996. 

There were also dusty leftfield beats from Japan’s DJ Krush, the demented and conceptual hip-hop of Dr. Octagon (formerly Kool Keith of the Ultramagnetic MCs) and of course, Rob Dougan’s “Clubbed to Death” - which reached no. 24 in the UK Singles Chart upon its 2002 re-release, following its inclusion in The Matrix that year. The label also served as a vehicle for Lavelle’s UNKLE project and its revolving cast of collaborators (DJ Shadow, Tim Goldsworthy, etc.). Their unmatched debut album Psyence Fiction was released on Mo Wax in 1998 and featured additional vocals from veritable superstars of rap (Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap) and indie/rock (Thom Yorke, Richard Ashcroft, Badly Drawn Boy). Musical output aside, Mo Wax was also a trendsetter in terms of its strong visual identity: Lavelle commissioned a number of collaborations with streetwear brands like A Bathing Ape, and worked closely with artists and designers like Futura 2000 and Ben Drury to produce striking artwork and other accompaniments.

Driftwood

Whilst maybe not quite as well known as some of the other entries on our list, for us Driftwood represents the very pinnacle of turn-of-the-century deep house: an almost sacred label spoke of in reverential tones by those who know. Norman Feller and Jean F. Cochois (aka Terry Lee Brown Jr. and The Timewriter) operated Driftwood with a firm emphasis on quality over quantity - putting out ten EPs of rich and refined house between 2000 and 2002 before retiring the label for good. The majority of Driftwood releases were produced by its founders, under a string of aliases including Elias, Jeremy, Drain Pipe and Da Kine. Other artists included Ronin, Robi Uppin and Håkan Lidbo (as Monsoon).

These days, second-hand copies of Driftwood records generally start at around €35 and go all the way up to €100+ for some releases (a copy of drift001 once sold for €170 according to the Discogs statistics): illustrating just how collectable and sought-after these tracks are. For those who’d like to get acquainted with the catalogue (without having to take out a second mortgage) we’d recommend Eric Cloutier’s excellent tribute mix - in his own words, “a long overdue homage to one of the best house labels ever conceived”.

Svek

It may have been founded by Stephan Grieder “for a laugh” (according to an interview with Jesper Dählback) but there’s nothing funny about Svek’s enviable track record when it came to putting out high-grade house and techno (not forgetting the odd bit of atmospheric drum ‘n’ bass). Based in Stockholm, the label ran from 1996 until 2003, with early releases comprised of knife-edge minimal and dubby tech house endeavours from the likes of Jesper Dählback, Chicago legend Gene Hunt and Stephan himself. But one of Svek’s greatest strengths was to be found in its diversity - the same period also featured chaste techno workouts from Alexi Delano and Ari Jukka’s own take on Dance Mania-indebted ghetto house, amongst further styles.

Svek had its fair share of bona-fide club hits: Jesper Dählback’s “What is the Time, Mr. Templar?” (as The Persuader) immediately springs to mind - a taut, serpentine roller of a track, a true masterclass in restraint. And then there’s Air Frog’s “Bon Voyage” (later licensed to R&S Records): devastating big-room techno with a bassline that could have been nicked from a jungle record. 

Skull Disco

Established by Sam Shackleton and Laurie “Appleblim” Osborne in 2005, Skull Disco (the name was Shackleton’s doing - “he is a lover of a good pun”, his label partner told RBMA) carved a singular path through the rapidly proliferating dubstep/140bpm landscape: marrying a murky and macabre aesthetic (both musical and visual) with a bass weight that’s even deadlier still. Skull Disco essentially released dubstep, but not as we knew it - heady, paranoid and intense music incorporating ethnic percussion, political references (track titles included Shackleton’s “Hamas Rule”) and occasional frenzied mutterings from guest vocalist Vengeance Tenfold. 

The label presented ten vinyl releases (plus two CD compilations) before closing its doors in 2008. Almost all of them came from Shackleton and Appleblim, save for collaborations with Peverelist and W. Scott Cree (as Gatekeeper). The Soundboy’s Gravestone Gets Desecrated by Vandals CD compiled a number of forward-thinking remixes of the catalogue, from the likes of Pole, T++ and Brendon Møller - acknowledging the techno influences detectable in the label’s later output. Post-Skull Disco, Appleblim immediately went about starting his own label - the excellent Apple Pips. Shackleton, on the other hand, released an album on Perlon before founding Woe To The Septic Heart! in November 2010.

Roulé

Launched by Thomas Bangalter in 1995 (a whole two years before Homework hit the shelves) Roulé laid the foundations for the emergent ‘French house’ phenomenon: disco-sampling dancefloor bombs with the filter resonance turned right up. The first release, Bangalter’s own Trax On Da Rocks EP, pushed a raucous, distorted and machine-driven sound, in apparent homage to the old-school Chicago greats later name-checked in “Teachers”. Later came the clattering funk of fellow Frenchman Alan Braxe’s “Vertigo” and further heat from Bangalter with “Spinal Scratch” - as well as additions from Roy Davis Jr. and the late, great Romanthony.

(Originally published in the official magazine of Amsterdam Dance Event 2014 in October 2014.)

Houston-born, California-raised Seven Davis Jr. has been turning heads for a couple of years now with his own idiosyncratic brand of “electronic future soul” - a fusion of radio-friendly R&B flavours alongside a pronounced US house influence. The brooding funk of 2013’s “One EP” (released via Jay Simon’s Must Have imprint) initially put Seven on the map, whilst subsequent releases on the likes of Classic and Apron have cemented his reputation as a rising star. We got in touch to talk Prince, Ibiza and socially conscious lyrics...

You’ve mentioned in the past that you were “groomed” for mainstream R&B/gospel success from a young age before pursuing a career in more underground styles of music. What were the factors that led you to make this decision? Do you ever think about how things could have turned out differently for you?

I answer this question a lot. Obviously, it would have been different in some way. Maybe I would have still switched to underground/indie music. Personally, I don’t think the “mainstream” world is ready for an artist/person like me or would understand it... or maybe they totally would get and love me just the same. I don’t really like to think about how it “would have been”. All my dreams are coming true and I’m happy now, that’s what matters to me.

At what point came your initial exposure to house music and electronic music? Was it always something that you’d taken an interest in?

Being an 80s baby, luckily I got to grow up in a time when music was making a transition into the more synth digital arena. I have always been an open-minded listener myself. I use to scan the radio stations when I was bored and if I heard something I liked I would stop and listen to it, which got me into all kinds of genres. However, my first exposure to house music was in underground clubs and raves in San Francisco.

Who would you consider to be your biggest influences? How do you feel about being compared to the likes of Prince?

I don’t mind being compared to Prince. It makes me smile. He’s a great artist but I am my own artist and in no way seek to copy him or anyone else in fact. There are a lot of other great artists that have inspired me. Also, I get inspired by many other things in life that have nothing to do with music.

What kinds of messages and meaning do you try to convey through your lyrics - are they all about loving and partying or do you have anything more socially-conscious on the agenda? Do you believe that music (and dance music in particular) ought to get a message across at all?

Being a socially conscious person, I feel like my music is naturally socially conscious. I write about how I feel at the moment or have felt or wish to feel in the future. A lot of my writing has double meanings. So you may hear a lyric that sounds like it’s about one thing but it’s really about socially conscious subjects. Love and partying is just a normal part of my life so it comes up a lot but even within those two subjects is a universe of other sub-topics. I think in dance music people should write about whatever it is they want to write about. That’s the good stuff, the honest stuff. Of course, there are more things I have to say in its right time and place. I’m also a poet and film writer so some subjects I feel are better explored through those channels.

Your One EP on Must Have Records was repressed earlier this year due to high demand - how do you feel about the contemporary practice of people selling on their copies of sought-after records to make a profit?

The fact that people listen enough to my stuff to buy it at an inflated price is really sweet, and I’m glad I can make someone somewhere in the world happy, but at the same time it is definitely a shame when your real fans have to pay above the normal retail price.

Do you buy many records yourself, or DJ at all?

Well, I’m fortunate to know a lot of DJs and artists so all the records I would buy are given to me before I even can go to a record store.

Recording vocals is something that a lot of rookie artists struggle to get right - could you go into some detail for us on how you manage to achieve such a slick yet distinctive sound when recording?

Practice, practice, practice. Since childhood I would practice day and night. Originally it started out with just singing to myself in my room to recording on a cassette tape, to a four track, to a digital 8 track, to renting studio time, to building a home studio. I never stop practicing.

‘One’ was featured on Defected In the House’s Ibiza ’14 compilation - do you feel much of a connection between yourself or your music and the island? Have you ever played there yourself?

I have never been to Ibiza but can tell you that I have always felt this connection to the Ibiza, even now. I feel Ibiza calling me, saying “Come here” and I’m all like “Okay”. One of these days I’m sure I’ll visit Ibiza.

I heard somewhere that you’ve got a ton of unreleased material from over the years just sitting around. Are there any plans to release it (Lost Tapes Vol. 2 perhaps?) or would you rather focus on recording and putting out new material?

(Originally published on DJBroadcast.net in October 2014).

With the advent of high-speed internet and websites like YouTube and Discogs, today’s DJs and record collectors are granted almost unprecedented access to a wealth of old and new music; a vast sonic treasure trove to be explored and excavated as one sees fit. This democratisation of digging has given folk the world over the opportunity to hear, buy and play records potentially released years before they were even born, or at least old enough to head down to their local record shop and pick up a new copy. Countless DJs pride themselves on their commitment to unearthing unknown gems - forgotten obscurities plucked from €1 bargain bins or the furthest, darkest corners of the ‘Cogs.

An inevitable consequence of this occurs when one of these records ascends from the realm of the obscure to become known and recognised more widely. This can happen in a variety of ways, but most often it’s because a particularly well-known DJ (or numerous DJs) starts playing it in their sets or includes it in an online podcast/mix, before some diligent soul manages to identify what it is exactly. Track IDs may be discussed between circles of friends and fellow DJs, requested and traded on clandestine internet forums, or occasionally bequeathed for public consumption in YouTube and SoundCloud comments. Fundamental laws of supply and demand assure that it’s not long before the Discogs resale value of said record begins to rise (that’s if there are even copies available to buy), and consequently its ‘secret weapon’ status may be regarded as unequivocally lost - in the opinion of more conscientious jocks, at least.

In many ways, Mark Nicholas O’s Low End Theory Pt. 1 EP was quite typical in following this time-honoured pattern. Four tracks of skewed and skittish house with a tangible UK garage influence, it’s exactly the kind of trippy, groove-laden afterhours fare that finds favour with DJs of a certain inclination. I first heard the EP for myself at an afterparty in Leeds, some time in September last year; I remember my mate Ciaran pulling it out of his bag before excitedly filling us all in on its backstory. He recently reminded me of my first words upon seeing the label: “That looks expensive”.

Allegedly, several copies of the EP were discovered in a small record store in Saarbrücken before eventually finding their way into the record bags of a handful of highly-regarded DJs in Berlin and elsewhere. It wasn’t long before YouTube footage surfaced of Perlon boss Zip (a DJ notorious for his cult following) playing a track from the EP at Paris’ Concrete club. As is often the case with such videos of Zip, track ID requests abounded in the comments, only to be answered by a user called “ringroserecords”. It was Mr. Nicholas himself, the artist in question and owner of the label, who requested the trainspotters get in touch via his SoundCloud, as he had spare copies of the record for sale (at a far more reasonable price than Discogs).

Hailing from Perth, Scotland, and now based in Northern Island, Mark ran the Ringrose label from 1998 to 2000 (when it became Rose2000 Recordings). His inspiration for setting it up came from “a desire to create an original sound” that could be pressed to vinyl and played by himself and his friends, he told us. The name of the Low End Theory Pt. 1 EP came from a night that Mark says he organised alongside J.M. Easy and Colin Patterson at Manchester’s Home Club; the name of the night itself was taken from a Strictly Rhythm record. The record was produced in a friend’s studio in Hull, before 1000 copies were pressed up and distributed.

Mark first became aware of his record’s newfound popularity thanks to a friend, who showed him the video of Zip playing “Sex 4 Daze” at Concrete. He says he’s pleased that more and more people are hearing his music so many years on, and is thankful for the compliments and messages he’s received from collectors and DJs worldwide. “Being played on French national TV by Ricardo Villalobos at Weather Festival in front of a gigantic crowd all enjoying the music was something I never thought I would see and that makes me very happy” said Mark.

He began contacting Discogs users who had commented on the listing for the record, or added it to their Wantlist, letting them know that he had a few original copies lying around available for purchase. As word spread, demand for the EP became so high that Mark repressed a further couple of hundred white label copies (featuring two new tracks in addition to the original four) and began selling these - not via the usual Discogs Marketplace but via private messages. He told us he enjoys the ‘personal touch’ of selling records this way: “I preferred that people spoke with me and then I dispatched the track for a price they could afford - I think it is essential to be able to contact the people and speak to each other to see if a deal can be made, rather than selling for a calculated price”.

Working outside of conventional mechanisms led Mark to operate on the basis of trust: he’d post out copies of the record first and request that customers pay him the agreed price upon receipt. Unfortunately, this system of buying and selling is also wide open to exploitation - Mark estimates around thirty people failed to pay him for the records he sent, some of whom went on to resell said records at a profit via the Marketplace. Somewhat surprisingly, he’s far from bitter about this: “I appreciate that some DJs can only keep playing new stuff by reselling after they have played it a few times, and some people will pay higher prices for owning their tracks - it’s not offensive to me at all… I have to sell equipment from time to time just the same, but I equally appreciate that so many people have told me that they always have it in their bag and never ever want to sell it - that’s a very nice compliment”. Mark’s more concerned about the “abysmal, rip-off” service offered by the Post Office, whom he says have caused countless records to be delayed, damaged or lost on their way to overseas buyers. But with regards to any money he may have made or lost through selling records this way, he remains upbeat and is keen to keep these issues firmly in perspective: “There are far more outrageous events in the world with people in poverty or conflict - they make me far more angry than this does”.

Geneva-based DJ and collector Eric Denis is the man behind the CMYK YouTube channel and was the first to upload tracks from the Low End Theory Pt. 1 EP to the site (prior to this, no proper audio was available to listen to anywhere online). Eric first became aware of Mark’s music after seeing his comment on the Zip @ Concrete video; whilst not initially a fan, he changed his mind after hearing the EP properly and in its entirety, following a recommendation from a friend. Eric made correspondence with Mark via SoundCloud, and told him about his YouTube channel. Mark was highly enthusiastic about this opportunity to reach a wider audience, and posted Eric three CDs of new and old material to be uploaded to YouTube.

“The main goal was to promote Mark's music, who has been very nice to me and I think everybody who’s interacted with him will say the same” said Eric of his intentions. “Mark was really grateful and told me he was receiving messages every day for a couple of weeks afterwards. The final outcome is that he’s now got back into production and DJing, and has signed a couple of tracks on new labels that will soon see the light of day”. Eric is quick to play down the significance of his role in helping Mark find new fans, insisting that the quality of the music made his resurgence in popularity inevitable. “It probably would have happened without my intervention as he's talented and people were starting to talk about him, but let's say that I accelerated the process”, he told us.

Not everyone was quite as happy about the record being on YouTube, however. In June this year, Eric received a couple of “aggressive” and “insulting” messages on his account regarding the Ringrose videos - from a member of the wider public and from a “relatively famous” fellow uploader. The messages attacked him personally for uploading "too much good stuff that were kept secret and played by the big DJs [sic]”.

Eric believes the messages he received are symptomatic of wider issues of secrecy and elitism within the house and techno community, and bemoans the “incredible hype” that inevitably ends up surrounding records played by the likes of Zip, Villalobos or [a:rpia:r]. In a statement he made on his CMYK Facebook page at the time, Eric advocated a more egalitarian stance: “I believe that the main role of a DJ is educating - and that only happens through sharing. I spend countless hours digging for music and I want to share my discoveries, not just keep it for myself or when I play in a club”. He added that those anxious to protect their ‘secret weapons’ ought to be more concerned with the wishes of the tracks’ creators: “Never forget that behind your secret track there's a producer who most likely wants to get his/her music heard”.

(Originally published on DJBroadcast.net in September 2014).

In a contemporary musical landscape frequently dominated by dusty and over-distorted ‘outsider house’, Boston duo John Barera and Will Martin provide the perfect antidote: straightforward, dancefloor-primed house tracks with bags of charm and an optimum amount of soul. After their disco-sampling stomper “Reality” was selected by Steffi for her Panorama Bar CD last year, it’s been a whirlwind twelve months or so for the guys - culminating in the release of their debut long-player, Graceless, earlier this month. DJB got in touch to talk day jobs, influences and their local Boston club scene…

What is it that you like about working with each other? 

WM: We have a good workflow at this point - there’s always an urgency with getting ideas out and we’ve both gotten to a place where we can push each other along. John is a really great riff writer, he has a knack for finding the right thing to play within the first couple of tries, whereas for me it takes a little longer to find a hook.

JB: I like Will's digging abilities, and how seriously he takes everything. I like his drum programming, engineering and sound design abilities. I think our skill sets compliment each other very well, and most importantly we have a lot of fun in the studio together. All of the things I’m lacking in as a producer, Will is good at - and vice versa. It's become more and more evident that we fill in each other’s gaps really well. 

Have you found that you each adopt your own distinct roles when you’re making music or is it more fluid?

WM: There is definitely a certain amount of fluidity when we're in the studio. Both John and I are hopping back and forth between the synths, drum machines etc… trying different things out, seeing what works. Generally though, John leans towards the keys and I stick to the drums and sound design, and then we both get in there for the arranging and mixing. Mostly whatever is working at the time - we just stick with that and keep the process moving forward. 

John - are you still working at Forced Exposure (distribution company)?   

JB: Yes, I am coming up on my seventh year there actually. 

How do you manage to strike a healthy balance between the day job and music (both in terms of making music and playing gigs?)

JB: Taking rest periods - what it comes down to for me is being efficient with the free time that I do have outside of work and gigs. For example, I don't watch TV or movies very much at all, we don't have a TV. I am almost always thinking about playing or listening to music around the house. The past years have seen a heavier workload on me in terms of making music, DJing and travelling, but I love every minute of it and just continue to try to stay balanced and rest up. I’ve started making and working on tracks on my laptop for fun while I’m travelling, and when I’m some place for a gig I like to work on tracks in a studio the next afternoon, if there’s an opportunity to do so. My day job is like a musical temple of the stuff I like. I am one of the people who is selling it and saying "hey this is a dope record!" so it feeds quite well into my life as a musician and DJ.

The majority of releases on Supply so far have come from you guys and Soren Jahan, but the latest record (SUPPLY-008) featured a broader range of talent. Do you plan on keeping the label a close-knit affair or are there further plans to expand the roster?

JB: We do have further plans to expand the Supply records roster, and the next two records we have coming up will be introducing three new artists to the label: an Englishman, an Italian and an American. The label is mostly known for our productions so far but I would love it to just be known as an all-round quality record label and build a nice family of artists - and we have started for sure! Our next release is the first full EP from an artist who is not one of the label founders.

Certain strands of your collaborative output evoke the spirit of the golden age of disco-sampling house records. I’m thinking labels like Henry Street, Cajual - perhaps even Crydamoure/Roulé. Would you consider that kind of stuff to be a significant influence on your sound? 

WM: Yes, very much. I think that the friends we have surrounded ourselves with were all rooted in that sound at some point. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the music that comes out of Boston in the future has traces of that in it. 

JB: Without a doubt, some of the biggest influences on me (and I think Soren as well) when starting Supply were the great artist labels. The likes of Cajual, Roulé, KDJ, Metroplex, Novel Sound - we were dorking out on those records in the process of developing our sound. 

How did the hook-up with Steffi/Dolly come about? 

JB: Much to my surprise, some of the early supporters of the Supply Records releases included Steffi. She just reached out to me about a track for her Panorama Bar mix - we didn't know each other before that. When did you meet in person for the first time?

JB: At Hard Wax. We both happened to be record shopping there one afternoon. The track “Reality” with Will had just come out and I said “hi” to her. I remember I was carrying a drum machine I’d just bought. We talked a little bit and she gave me a couple of good tips. I was playing a record for her and asking about the bass sound and she recommended some synths, including a Moog Minitaur. I ended up grabbing one of those and it’s all over our album.

To what degree are you guys still involved with your local club scene in Boston?

WM: We both put a lot of energy into throwing parties in Boston. I do a monthly called Gallery - we just had Young Marco play at an after-hours spot for a really amazing party. Apart from throwing my own events, I try to make it out a couple times a week to support my friends’ gigs and be out listening to music. John is resident at a weekly on Thursday nights called Make It New that is consistently hosting great guests from around the world. Roman Flügel was just there this week. Our friends Brenden Wesley and Alfredo Rico Dimas throw a party called Social Studies that just had Moodymann last month. There's an exciting and vibrant scene going on in Boston for sure and it's been growing pretty steadily over the last couple of years. Both John and I definitely have some stake in that and care deeply about supporting it and keeping it going. 

JB: I guess I just like to try and create my own world and in my world I have a lot of great DJ and producer friends here who are throwing cool parties and making interesting tunes. I have gotten the chance to meet and talk to many of my techno and house heroes because one of my pals here in Boston took the effort to bring them out here, and I respect the scene here a lot. I recently played at a day party with Omar-S and François K that was really special for me. I feel like the scene here has been growing in leaps and bounds actually. I also started Gallery originally and Will came in when I went to Make it New. Our other roommate does a weekly party called Re:Set that I go to almost every week. They consistently have good artists coming in, including Chez Damier last year which was amazing. There's a great group of Boston DJ vets (DJ Bruno, Bob Diesel, K Civ, Kon) that I admire - guys who have been DJing for 20-30 years. I’ve been working on a DJ mix that I hope to publish soon that’s documenting many of the great producers here. It's not a utopia for clubbing but there's a large group of people who are putting serious effort into making it a great city for house and techno music, and that makes it a rewarding place to be a DJ and club-goer.

How important do you feel it is for DJs to have the experience of those kinds of regular gigs and residencies, in terms of honing their craft?

WM: Super important. Becoming a really good DJ has a lot to do with repetition and exposing yourself to all of the different variables that can present themselves in a party. Playing frequent gigs, setting up parties, talking to promoters/artists/club owners, doing the ‘grind’ basically. It can be wearing but it can also have the effect of giving you a real deep appreciation and understanding about what it takes to create a special party. The more you throw yourself into those situations, the more your understanding grows and the better you become.