Results tagged “Little”

Regular readers of Fun in the Murky who bother to wade through my long-winded hack articles may have noticed a trend (aside from the same recurring questions) - namely that a lot of the time I'm also working with the interviewee on something for my label IF?, they may have just (charitably) done a remix for me, or I'm doing something myself for their label.

This isn't always the case, but as I say it is a trend, and I've even noticed this myself - god forbid.

The reason is simple. Because I'm in close contact with them working on the musical angle at the time, these people are finally vulnerable to me to hit up for an interview - and given that my other day job is hack journalism, and I only really want to work with people I (a) respect, (b) am hugely influenced by, or (c) I've become mates with and want to sing their praises, the interview/article thing seems appropriate. Luckily these people are usually too nice to say no, so they indulge me, and we end up with some interesting written fodder to browse through here.

Justin Berkovi was the latest such 'victim'.

I first stumbled across Justin's music when I picked up his Crouton vinyl on Mosquito, and it became a pivotal member of my DJ sets and my patchy radio show on 3PBS back in Melbourne just over a decade ago.

I've been a huge fan since, keeping an eye on his stylistic tangents as much as I've tried to follow up on his releases through other labels like Music Man, Force Inc., Sativae, Drought, Pro-Jex, Djax, Neue Heimat, Harthouse, and Berkovi's own Predicaments.

"I've never released anything for Tresor," he quips, "although for some reason everyone thinks I have!"

So when Simon Nielsen (aka DJ Hi-Shock from Elektrax) approached me late last year to suggest we release my Little Nobody track Metropolis How? as a vinyl release with remixes, I couldn't think of a better practitioner to suit the moment... along with, of course, two other another canny remixers in Hi-Shock and James Ruskin.

We actually released this wax at the beginning of this week (that's unsubtle hint #2, in case you're wondering).

So far as I'm concerned, biased and all, Justin's remix is revelatory - he picked apart the slow, grubby, vaguely distorted acid slant of the original track and made the journey his own entity; think a mesmerizing remix defined by little incidental noises and hisses, the occasional snare, and a subtle, slightly dark orchestral flourish.

"It's pretty laid back," Berkovi himself assesses. "I didn't want to do a slamming techno track for this one, just something a with some tech-house influences and more subtle than an out-and-out banger!"

So, as per my usual wont and as you can probably guess by now given the artist bytes (above) and the title to this story, I did something I'd wanted to do since the late 1990s - I finally interviewed Justin Berkovi.

The following is the simple Q&A; his answers are stand-alone gems.

I didn't want to bury them in more rambling text, as I figure you've copped more than your fair share of that in this introduction. Big thanks to Justin for his remix, his words of wisdom, his time - and his cracking sense of humour.

I've been into your stuff since the year dot, but a little bit of research indicates you've been producing your own stuff, first off with Mosquito or Sativae, since about 1997. Is this correct?

"I did my first tracks before this but my inaugural release was on Mosquito in 1997. My first ever track - I think! - was 'Tonight', which ended up released on Mutter a few years later in 2001."

The stuff on Force Inc. was quite mad; I loved it, of course. How do you feel about that early stuff now?

"The Force Inc. period was when I was first starting out so I loved doing these early EPs. I still like what I did back then, they were good times! The Force Inc. EPs gave me good exposure - one was an NME Dance Single of the week - and allowed me to produce my first album [Charm Hostel] quite early on."

What inspired you to set foot in the studio yourself?

"I was originally into old electro such as Mantronix, and then old school techno, Detroit stuff, early Djax-Up-Beats, and so on. I'd always wanted to produce music so it was just a question of trying to get more gear than an old drum machine I had knocking about. I was just desperate to produce music, whatever it was going to be."

Where exactly were you born, and what's it famous for?

"I was born in Watford. It's fairly famous for Watford Football Club, which was at one time chaired and funded by Elton John. However, in the main Watford is a total shit-hole and I avoid it at all costs. It's full of rich chavs who want to fight each other."

You've remixed Cristian Vogel, Subhead, Hardfloor, Digital Primate, DJ Rush, and now this Little Nobody track for me. How do you approach the rejigging process and how do you go about personalizing it with the Justin Berkovi stamp?

"Usually I'll just grab all the parts and then create my own track. If the track though has a unique thing for me such as a crazy bassline or just some element I really like then I'll work my mix around that. I don't have a set remix style and I'll often create two remixes, one harder one and one more introspective."

You've been producing music and interacting within the music industry for a long time now. What's most changed in the electronic/experimental music related music industry over that period?

"That's a big question! So much has changed. Years ago I think vinyl played a very important role in the industry - people had to wait for white labels or promos, a buzz was created, and then the entire process of selling or buying a 12" was played out over time. Now everything is so instant. You've got a zillion digital labels releasing all kinds of crap and sifting through everything is really time-consuming.

"It's just a completely different landscape now, not as rock and roll in some ways as before - I mean I'd never have predicted seeing techno DJs Twittering about what Wagyū beef they're eating or how many times they've been to fucking Nobu - hilarious!

"But techno goes round and round, in and out of fads - from the minimal explosion has come a general acceptance of a much broader style of techno, so whilst the narrow fads might piss people off they often lead to things evolving later. Which is a good thing!"

What else keeps you motivated?

"Good, clever music and sounds that blow me away. I've always been a sucker for producers that use innovative and unique sounds - I'll often hear something in a track, it could be some strings or an effect or anything, and that will inspire me. My motivation now comes from producing again - I'm about to release my first music in over four years, so am excited about this and just keep wanting to produce tracks."

What gear/software are you making most use of in the studio at the moment?

"I still have a few bits of hardware left, but mainly sample it. My main production tool is Logic and my live tool Ableton. I'd like to make the switch to producing only in Ableton but keep going back to Logic. I prefer the timing of Ableton; it reminds me of my old hardware sequencers I used to produce with."

Which part of your studio is the most vital facet?

"Hmm... tough one - I'd say some of my outboard because it's now taking the flatness out of computer music and warming up my sound, making it more like my older productions."

Which current crop of artists and labels are grabbing your attention?

"Too many to mention! I still follow all the old guys but like a lot of well-produced stuff by Gary Beck and newer artists from minimal and tech-house to techno. I don't really listen to one or two genres or artists - I just go by what I like when I hear it."

If you were pressed into a corner and forced to confess under great duress, how would you define the sounds/styles you're currently making?

"That's easy, really - I'm doing deeper stuff under my Nightrax thing, and tougher, darker techno."

What upcoming Justin Berkovi productions/collaborations/events we should know about for 2010?

"I'm putting together two mixes for some artist podcasts - they'll be a trip down old school techno memory lane, and then a special preview of my new live set. I've got a Nightrax-style EP coming out on Eevolute, the imprint run by Terrace and Estroe, I have a remix for Jurek Przezdziecki coming out on Germany's Whirlpoolsex Music, and I'm in the studio working on a series of EPs for different techno labels. I'm planning on releasing a lot of stuff in 2010 as well as starting touring again with my live set."

You've also run your own label Predicaments - is it finished by the way, or just taking a nap?

"Predicaments is finished. I loved running the label but because I did everything it was just too much work in the end - you need help with running a label! Saying that, I'm actually thinking of starting up Nightrax again for my deeper music."

You released Subhead, Dave Tarrida, Steve Glencross, DJ Rush, Adam X and Miss Kittin on Predicaments, along with records by yourself. What were the label's perimeters, and how did they change over time?

"To be honest the label didn't really have a 'style' as such; it was just good techno by people I liked and got on with."


What's it been like releasing through all the other cool labels you've worked with over the years?

"It's been great - you meet like-minded people who want to release your own music! All the labels are different and it meant a lot to me to release stuff on labels that I'd respected so much in the past."

CDs are a disappearing facet of the music industry, and a fair amount of people in electronic/dance music circles are cutting back on vinyl these days because they say it just doesn't make back the money invested. How do you feel about this?

"It's just the way it is. We could chat about the demise of vinyl till the cows come home - of course I feel it's a shame, I love vinyl! There is just nothing like it and I have to say that I miss seeing DJs use vinyl out... but times change. Vinyl can still be a wonderful way to add kudos to a release, though."

Either way, is digital download really the future of music?

"I guess so. I wonder how this will evolve, because there are so many 'digital labels' out there at the moment. Is giving everyone a chance to release music easily a good thing? Who knows! There's certainly less quality control than before!"

How do you foresee techno and electronic music in general developing over the next 12 months?

"Well, techno has just gone from strength to strength in the last few years - a big plus for me because it's made me return to producing and wanting to play out again. I think it's simply going to be a good year for techno and electronic music in general, there is some great music out there with real guts and soul."

Lastly - how do you like your mushrooms cooked?

"Well done with no water. Preferably as part of a great breakfast in Melbourne with a great coffee."

...care to add anything else?

"Just to say thanks for everyone who has supported me over the years and I can't wait to come back in 2010 with my new live set, releases, and immerse myself totally back into techno - bring it on!"

For me, over the past 18 months, one of the more inspiring label bosses and foresighted individuals working within the techno/tech-house realm of things has been Simon Nielsen, aka DJ Hi-Shock, who's based in Sydney, Australia.

He runs several labels including two I've worked with myself (Elektrax Music and Hypnotic Room) and two I haven't but which I really dig (Android Muziq and the newly-established Gynoid Audio imprint) - as do a lot of other people, if you check out their comments pages and the responses they're getting to their new releases.

Probably it helps that he's pushed through tracks, remixes and EPs by the likes of Dave Tarrida, Patrick Pulsinger, Luke's Anger, DJ Warp, Donk Boys, Steve Stoll, Wyndell Long, Ben Pest, Jammin' Unit, Si Begg, Shin Nishimura, Paul Birken, Orlando Voorn, DJ Wada, Captain Funk, Bill Youngman and V1NZ among others.

Hype, hyperbole and biased plaudits aside, you've got to hand it to Nielsen for his tireless perseverance in an industry that's pretty much flat-lined sales-wise over the past year, and in which he has to deal with Beatport on a day-to-day basis. Luckily for us he's currently branching out from digital download and back into the loving embrace of vinyl, with some killer wax out this year from Takashi Watanabe, Wada, Bitch Shift and Hi-Shock himself, and a lot more planned for 2010 - including some juicy mixes by Justin Berkovi and James Ruskin.

Nielsen is also a hard task-master to work with at times; he's not the kind of guy who lets inferior fodder appear in his catalog listings on Discogs, and if he thinks your latest demo is crap he'll let you know it - which means that some of my own inferior numbers were actually tweaked into far better shape than they would've been if I'd released 'em through IF?

Anyway, enough already. With the Naughties almost over and 2010 sitting on our lap, I decided to pitch a bunch of questions at this label head-honcho to find out things to come.

Over all, how was 2009 for you - for Elektrax Music and for its associated labels/artists?

"2009 was a really busy year for me and the labels - people think that running a digital label is easy, but believe me it's much harder and time consuming than it seems. The good thing is that 2009 was over all a positive experience and the labels and artists have started to receive recognition for pushing the sounds we believe in. Getting our tracks charted by guys like Luke Slater or Dave Clarke really means a lot and gives us the belief
that we are on the right path."

How many labels will you be running next year and how do you define each one?

"With 2010 you'll see five labels under the Elektrax Music umbrella, and we'll also continue to work together with the super-cool Tokyo label IF? Records." [nah, nah, I didn't bribe him to slot this in, honest.] "It's not always easy to put things into genres but I'll will try my best: Elektrax Recordings is hard-edged, funky, tribal, dark, heavy, acid techno with a typical BPM in the range of 130 to 140. Hypnotic Room deals with more tech-house, deep house, slower techno sounds, with a BPM averaging 118 to 128. Android Muziq focuses on deep, minimalistic, dark, futuristic, cyber, artistic, emotional and techno - typical BPM 120 to 128. Elektrax Progressive is progressive house, Goa, uplifting 'non-commercial' trance ranging around 120 to 135 BPM.

"Finally, Gynoid Audio will be dark, phat, dubby, dirty techno and electronica that ranges in BPM between 120 to 130. Yes, a new label is coming in 2010 - Gynoid Audio is the sister label of Android Muziq, but it's not as minimal as Android; instead it will be slightly fatter and dirtier in sound."

What would you most like to achieve in 2010?

"Continue on with where we left off in 2009, pushing the sounds we love and keep on supporting our supporters. 2010 will see the beginning of our artist agency Elektrax Bookings, so one of the big tasks will be to get this off the ground and get our artists some gigs! I also have a wish for 2010 - less music piracy!"

In which directions do you foresee techno, electronica and dance music in general taking itself over the next 12 months?

"Well, I don't see that much change and I'm sure the usual suspects will keep on appearing in the charts as they did throughout 2009. It is a bit disappointing that a lot of buyers and DJs don't spend enough time to search for their own unique sound, but just give in to whatever is right in front of them - and at the same time give up on being original. However, there's a vibe in the air that the serious, proper techno will be finally making a come back; the darker sounds are also being much more appreciated. This is
definitely something to look forward to in the next 12 months."

Who's lined-up for 2010?

"This year our labels did a lot of work with DJ Wada, Dave Tarrida, Roman Zawodny, Steve Stoll, Gayle San, Virgil Enzinger and Ree.K amongst others - so for 2010 we have a lot of fresh material lined up from the same guys, plus tracks and remixes from Chris Finke, Bas Mooy, James Ruskin, Go Hiyama, Glenn Wilson, Dave Angel, Ken Ishii, Space DJz, Commander Tom, Octave, Audio Injection, Pacou, Justin Berkovi, and... a few other surprises."

Who're the 'resident' artists you work with most and are keen to develop?

"The list keeps on growing but across all our labels the resident artists who release most regularly are Takashi Watanabe and Dich on Hypnotic Room, DJ Warp and DJ Hi-Shock on Elektrax Recordings, Stereo Underground and Nicky C on Elektrax Progressive, Virgil Enzinger and V1NZ on Android Muziq - and then there's of course the local [Australian] crew with guys like Little Nobody, Bitch Shift, Koda, Enclave, Alkan, Son Of Zev and Zen Paradox."

What do you look for in fledgling artists hoping to sign up with you?

"Firstly, quality tracks and top production skills; a good fan base and web presence is also a must these days for any artist, but also an awareness of the current musical trends, how the scene operates, and of course the right attitude."

Who were the real movers-and-shakers, musically speaking, in 2009?

"Takashi Watanabe was stealing the show for us in 2009 - he can turn any track into gold; same goes for his alter ego DJ Warp. Other highlights on our labels were the amazing production skills of Stereo Underground, the emotions found in tracks by V1NZ, the funky grooves from Dich, our latest discovery Raditz Room is top quality, and I can never get enough of the darkness produced by Virgil Enzinger! Finally, our own Bitch Shift [Ben Mill] also deserves a mention as he's really found himself as a producer at the end of 2009. Expect big things coming up from Ben in 2010."

Digital download vs. CD vs. vinyl. You're now doing all 3 formats. How do you differentiate between them, decide which releases appear in which format, and which one is set to be Number 1 in 2010?

"Digital will still be the main format for our releases. Let's face it, digital is here to stay and - the piracy aside - more DJs are trying out the latest gear and are falling in love with that format. We will still continue to push vinyl, mainly out of respect for the format and people
who still haven't abandoned wax. CDs are not doing very well - not many distributors are interested in this format - but we might still do a couple of DJ mixes and few promotional projects with our label artists."

What DJ Hi-Shock releases, tracks and remixes can we look out for in the new year?

"We're getting the remixes of 'Asama Express' released on Elektrax, so I will be working on a new version of that. I have also started on a collab project with Gayle San for her Equator label. I'm also hoping to finally finish off my new EP, and there're a dozen or so remixes to finish off..."

What keeps you motivated?

"I really enjoy seeing our artists go up in places and getting noticed for their hard work, having them as part of the 'crew' and exchange ideas and demos also means a lot... Then there is the music, music and more music... honestly, that's my main motivation."

This is where I hang up one of those warning signs like the one in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy - you know, the the inscription at the entrance to Hell that says "Abandon hope all ye who enter here", or at least something superfluous along those lines.

Because this is where I get all self-indulgent, nostalgic, biased, and parochial.

Y'see, I'm from Melbourne. Sure, I may have lived in Tokyo these past eight and a half years, but Melbourne (Australia) is my hometown, and it's the city whose electronic musicians were so cool - and so unappreciated - 15 years ago that it inspired me and two mates, Mateusz Sikora and Brian Huber, to kick-start our own record label to help support these people.

At the time I had a penniless indie movie-making company called Industrial Form, so I dumped that idea, took the initials, added a question mark for quirk-factor, and we called the label IF? Records. A few months later we released Zeitgeist, a compilation CD of purely Melbourne-made sounds (including a lush remix from Thomas P. Heckmann), and licensed that baby to Nova Zembla in Belgium to get it on to vinyl as well.

Yeah, yeah, I know - "zeitgeist" was a bit of a corny name, but at the time it didn't sound quite so bad. Our hearts were in the right places.

After that over the next three years we did two more of those Zeitgeist compilations in 1996/97, focused always on the Melbourne crew, with guest remixes of local stuff by two more Germans, Biochip C and Jammin' Unit, along with the debut releases for Soulenoid (aka Adam Raisback from Sense) and Guyver 3 (Scott Armstrong, alias G3).

We also focused on a rather long string of live performance gigs in Melbourne and Sydney that lost more money than gained any returns, but were always aurally mesmerizing - usually featuring the likes of Voiteck, Zen Paradox, Honeysmack, Soulenoid, Guyver 3, Blimp, Son Of Zev, Isnod, Sonic Voyagers, Frontside, TR-Storm, Q-Kontrol, my own hack project Little Nobody, the LN Elektronische Ensemble, DJ Fodder, and others.

Somewhere along the line 15 years passed continuing to do very much the same - weird, I know; I think the only thing we really changed was the logo. And although more than half of that time I've been based here in Japan, while Brian is in San Francisco and Mateusz in Kraków, we've continued to stay in touch and to work with and be inspired by our brethren back in Melbourne - a city and scene that's unlike any other in the world, even if half the time the people themselves in Melbourne don't appreciate that fact.

Which brings me, after a less-than-satisfactory opening disclaimer and a lot of subsequent hullabaloo, to the reason for this particular entry: IF100, our latest IF? release, which is also the 100th release by the label - at precisely the 15 year mark since the label was conjured up.

Count yourselves lucky... with one-and-a-half decades under the belt, I could've rambled on a hell of a lot more here, waxing insensible about experiences no one else can relate to and channeling insanely confused memories that make no sense in print, let alone in my own headspace.

Instead I'll just desist, leaving it at the first couple of years (as mentioned above), then pretend the subsequent decade has been a blur of motion and activity.

IF100 came out this week and for the compilation we went back to our roots, bringing together a collection of 30 tracks produced entirely by Melbourne artists, with some bonus remixes of their work by international producers thrown into the mix.

On top of this we wanted to toss around a selection of Melbourne that reflected the history - getting hold of new tracks from pioneers Zen Paradox, G3, Son Of Zev, Isnod, TR-Storm and a new DJ Fodder remix from Sydney's Dsico - along with the new(er) kids on the black like Ben Mill, Craig McWhinney, Kultrun, Alkan, Enclave, Koda and Rysh Paprota.

Then we lobbed into the fray some juicy remixes by Bill Youngman, Patrick Pulsinger, Shin Nishimura, DJ Warp, Secret Surfer, and a Little Nobody remix of E383, just for fun.

Anyway, enough rambling and innate navel-gazing. If you have time, trundle on over to the release itself, which we're running exclusively through Juno Download here, and check out some sample sounds of a city I still rate as one of the best in the world, even after having lived in Tokyo and London.

Let's hope that one day Melbourne itself realizes the cultural nuggets it has in its own backyard.

Justin Robertson shouldn't really require any introduction in these parts, but just in case here's a brief wrap-up tucked into a quaint little nutshell:

Robertson is the British DJ/producer also known as Lionrock and, more recently, Deadstock 33's, who started out spinning records during the Madchester period and himself impacted upon the Chemical Brothers before they dreamed up Exit Planet Dust.

This is the man who since released as much music through indie conventional labels (One Little Indian/Rough Trade) as he has via dance music outlets (Bugged Out/Nuphonic/Southern Fried Records) - and has also remixed Roy Budd, Bjork, The Sugarcubes, The Shamen, Inspiral Carpets, Erasure, Fortran 5, Talk Talk, Happy Mondays, Fatboy Slim, Luke Slater, and Felix Da Housecat.

More personally, his was the deft hand behind a remix set that I consider to be one of the best CD mix compilations. Period.

With this unshelled background guff over, in return Robertson kindly took the time out for 20 unreasonable queries.

1. Yawn question. How did you get inspired to start making music?

"Well, I have been writing songs and music since i was at school, I was in a couple of bands and we were pretty awful! But i got a real taste for it. I actually got my break by accident really, I was working in Eastern Bloc Records in Manchester; they had a band called the Mad Jacks, who needed a remix, and I volunteered even though I had never been in a studio in my life! It turned out rather well, so i was hooked!"

2. Where were you born, and what's the place most famous for?

"I was actually born in Walton Upon Thames, famous for being the birthplace of Julie Andrews."

3. You've been producing music and interacting within the music industry for quite a time now - how long exactly? What keeps you motivated, and what integral changes have you noticed over that time period?

"Been at it for about 18 years! It's just such a joy to be paid for what you love doing. I remain motivated because it's what i love; I'd do it even it wasn't my job - music is quite central to my being, not to be cosmic or anything. The biggest change, I guess, is the democratisation of music, facilitated by technology. It's a proper revolution, more so than punk."

4. Here's the mandatory inane question: If you were pressed into a corner and forced to confess under great duress, how would you define the sounds/styles you're currently making?

"Outer space thump and inner space disco."

5. You also run your own label, Neverwork. What's the story there?

"The label is asleep presently, but may awaken very soon."

6. Biggest influences on your own music?

"Reggae is massive, dub techniques from masters like King Tubby and Lee Perry; spacey cosmic disco from the likes of Arthur Russell, Alexander Robotnik Italo stuff, the irreverence of Balearic beat, and acid house of course. Raw, edgy music with a lo-fi swagger. The Fall and film music - I'm thinking of Ennio Morricone, John Barry, John Carpenter. The Mods and the '60s beat thing, psychedelic music... and that's just the for my dancefloor stuff!"

7. What new Justin Robertson releases can we look out for?

"I'm fully immersed in my Deadstock 33's project: it's all about spacey Balearic. The album is gonna be Underneath the Pines - it's Nick Cave meets Elkin and Nelson; murder ballads with a disco beat! Deadstock releases also on Paper Recordings, and I also have an EP with Guy Williams out on Arcobaleno next year called World Keeps Turning. New little dancefloor projects keep popping up all over..."

8. Thirteen years ago you released CD Scape, your entry in the esteemed Journeys By DJ series. Personally, that double-CD blew me out of the water at the time, and I still play it even now - I loved the way you (somehow) blended together such diverse sounds by T Power, the Green Velvet mix of Dajae, Cristian Vogel, Dan Curtin, and DJ Shadow. How do you feel about that mix selection now, and is breaking the mold and playing different styles important to you?

"I don't think about it too much really, I think I'm just restless, so I find my ideas mutating constantly. I also take energy from the massive amount of music that's out there to discover. It makes you want to absorb new influences and keep re-inventing your sound."

9. You've also remixed pretty much everybody - from Roy Budd, Bjork, The Sugarcubes, The Shamen, Inspiral Carpets, Erasure, Fortran 5, Talk Talk, Happy Mondays, and Gary Clail On-U Sound System, to Fatboy Slim, Luke Slater, Felix Da Housecat, and the Luke Solomon outfit, Freaks. What's the attraction of remixing for you?

"I've always said remixing should be about adding your own take on something - it's a chance to take that something in a new direction and give it a personal stamp. It's also a top laugh; being able to work with some very talented people's material is a dream come true."

10. How has the remixing technique you apply changed over the years?

"Technology has advanced so massively. I used to spend a day just time-stretching vocals and chopping up samples. That takes minutes now. When I first started I was synching-up to tape, midi was in its infancy, and everything was much more hands-on - all of which has its plus points, but I love the speed and possibility that digital allows. Plug-ins have come a long way, and now have a much more genuine sound, so I'm pretty much a laptop guy these days."

11. How would you describe the two recent remix undertakings you did for Australian producer Ben Mill as well as my own project Little Nobody? ...Sorry, just gotta ask! ;)

"Epic wonkiness. Love both tunes so was hard to improve on them, thus I decided to take them in another direction. Both tracks were so full of great ideas, and there was so much to use! I tried to keep the mixes close to the spirit of the originals but give them a J.R. slant."

12. CDs seem to be a disappearing facet of the electronic music industry, and a fair amount of people are cutting back on vinyl production these days because they say it just doesn't make back the money invested. How do you feel about this?

"Vinyl still has the best sonic integrity, though i DJ mainly with CDs now. I don't think vinyl will die as there are still plenty off people who appreciate its warmth and beauty.The electronic scene has always been forward-looking so it's no suprise its distribution has been largely digital, which has made a rod for its own back, with file sharing so rampant that being an electronic music producer is now a bit like being a busker."

13. Is vinyl dead? Or just becoming more of a select option?

"Is this question an important one? Or it simply doesn't matter? Like I say, the romance and sound of vinyl is impossible to recreate, but I think if a new generation is not turned onto vinyl it has a danger of becoming a museum piece - which would be sad, because we are loosing not only the sound, but all the other good stuff like sleeve-notes, great artwork, etc. This digital revolution has opened up the world of music, making it accessible - there's no need to deal with grumpy record shop staff! But it also means we lose the expertise of the nice record staff, and the sheer fetishism of vinyl which is priceless."

14. When we decided to switch some of the IF? Records back-catalogue to digital download, I got an anonymous email saying "You've sold you're [sic] soul to the devil!!!". So... have we...?

"Not at all, there's a reality to trying to run a label these days: It's a labour of love, but it's also important to try and pay the bills, or everything will be Warners/EMI/Sony/etc... Do what you have to do to get the music to the people! I think digital is a graet way to spread the word to the casual dabbler, who doesn't mind spending a single $ but wouldn't buy your your five dollar 12-inch."

15. What do you think of historically (and musically) iconic fellow British producers like Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, et al, from 30 years back?

"I love all that Sheffield stuff, it sounds suprisingly organic now, with great sense of possibilities of machine funk."

16. Which '80s British outfit was your stand-out favorite from choices like New Order, Joy Division, The Shamen, Inspiral Carpets, Erasure, Happy Mondays, Gary Clail On-U Sound System, etc, etc?

"The Fall, Joy Division and New Order were my faves; I was also hypnotized by Durutti Column and that whole Factory thing was so sexy. One of the best gigs I went to was a festival with New Order and A Certain Ratio and The Fall on the same bill - I was in heaven! I loved the look of Echo and the Bunnymen and I loved Julian Cope, The Nightingales, Orange Juice, David Sylvian and Japan. Ryuchi Sakamoto continues to be a massive influence on me."

17. What gear/software are you making most use of in the studio at the moment? Compared with 15 years ago, how has your gear changed?

"I do everything at home now on my laptop plus one or two synths; this allows me to record on the road also. I use Logic 9 and a bunch of plug-ins; it's so fast and easy to use, compared to 15 years ago when I would spend two days chopping up vocals or fiddling with samples! The Lionrock studio was like an Aladdin's cave of synths and a lot of cables - now it's far more minimal! It's just another world now, and I truly dig it... just so many possibilities."

18. Which part of your studio is the most vital facet (this doesn't have to be technological - it could be a toy robot or a furry dice)?

"My Gibson Chet Atkins - it's therapeutic!"

19. What food/drinks keep you fueled throughout production time?

"Just water, lots of water - not very rock and roll."

20. How do you like your mushrooms cooked?

"Grilled, with a sprinkling of grated parmesan."

Who the heck doesn't like pirates, deep down inside?

I'm not singing the praises of the contemporary types raiding oil tankers off Somalia (man, oil tankers are just plain yawn-inspiring), but the older-skool literary creations, like Long John Silver in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Arthur Conan Doyle's scary bucaneer, Captain Sharkey, and some of the real ones made by history into brooding, smoking beard types (Blackbeard) or debonair Hollywood gay blades played by Errol Flynn (Captain Blood).

My daughter, Cocoa, who's just turned three, is also a sucker for pirates.

She loves Captain Hook from Peter Pan, and constantly creates yarns in which her helpless Cinderella and Licca-chan dolls are kidnapped or terrorized by dastardly types with hooks and eye-patches and a penchant for Jolly Rogers.

So, when it came to conjuring up the somewhat shoddy iconography for our new IF? project (suitably enough, catalogue number #IF069), the pirate theme popped up, rammed home, and it suited it down pat--'cos pirate imagery sits pretty in almost any known occasion, of course.

The new release is called Split 12-inch, Minus Vinyl--well, hell, it's a digital download-only offering, so don't go figure--and it's by Little Bitches.

Little Bitches is the recent, footloose and fancy-free collaborative pairing of the Chairman of the Board himself, Ben Mill (aka Bitch Shift), in Melbourne, and me (Little Nobody) in Tokyo--hence, obviously, our silly project title--we both had a fondness for cutlasses and parrots, and here we started out acting like hack privateers, stealing each other's aural doubloons and attempting to carve out new maps.

Anyway, the pirate theme somehow (don't ask how) binds it all together, and suitably enough this release marks our IF? label's first online collaboration with those wunderbar digital download types at Input-Output Inc., who're doing some way cool stuff with a growing bunch of like-minded labels.

Great to be on board, shipmates! And with that, I promise--no more tired pirate quips. That ship has, indeed, already sailed.