Results tagged “Shift”

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."

"Ed and Andy from Plaid invited me to Black Dog Towers to collaborate with them on some tracks back in 1991 - and that was my first hands-on experience in a studio."

So reports Kirk Degiorgio some 18 years thereafter, during which time he's unleashed his own productions and remixes through labels like Mo' Wax, B12, Clear, Ninja Tune, Versatile and Hydrogen Dukebox.

"A fortnight later," he contines, "I went on a record buying trip to Chicago and Detroit and saw first hand that producers such as Juan Atkins and Derrick May used similar setups. That was my cue to sell my record collection and invest in some equipment of my own."

Although close to two decades have since swept by in an industry plagued by short attention spans, Degiorgio asserts that motivation has never been an issue so far as he's concerned.

"I have no problems staying motivated as music is a way of life for me. It has been since I was eleven years old, listening to soul and disco shows on the radio and making my own charts and stuff. There have been so many changes over the years, but obviously the whole house music phenomenon of the late '80s really changed everything."

Apart from employing his own name, Degiorgio has worked under a variety of aliases, principle among them As One. "As One literally means all of my influences coming together 'as one'. It reflects the fact that I inject a bit of soul, funk, jazz, electro - whatever - into my productions," he says.

"The various aliases allow me to work with different labels without remaining tied down to any exclusive contract. Most of them are still 'alive' as it were - but mostly I prefer to release under my own name these days."

While unfazed by trainspotting journos like myself, the man does tactfully skirt the issue of what gear he uses in the studio.

"I use a combination of hardware synths, outboard processing and software. I like to have the best of both worlds so, whilst I think it's important to have analogue hardware for sheer sonic integrity, I also like to embrace the more experimental plug-ins or software instruments too."

Then he momentarily relents when we brush up against the topic of the most essential element in his particular production suite.

"Definitely my cat," he confesses. "If I'm overdoing the high end on the EQ he will wake up and scratch at the door to escape. That's when I know I'm cranking it too hard and need to take a break to rest my ears."

On and off since 1991, Degiorgio has also run his own labels ART (Applied Rhythmic Technology) and Op-ART.

"ART has re-surfaced this year and it's been a great experience. The first release 'Mass' has been well received and the 'Swarm' EP is due in a couple of weeks. It's a more overtly club-based EP from myself and is the first part of a dance division series of releases on the label - specifically geared for peak-time in the clubs," he outlines.

"Fortunately the first release on the re-launched ART has made a tidy profit, so I will keep the vinyl format going as there is obviously the demand. CD's are a different matter. I don't think they are so relevant these days as more and more buyers get used to selecting individual downloads of their favourite tracks rather than purchase an entire albums worth of material."

Degiorgio is having none of the vinyl-is-dead routine. "Obviously [it's] not - as ART8 demonstrated - but it will become more marginalized if distributors and retailers keep disappearing. They need to adjust and diversify to survive - just as most dance producers now DJ and perform live more than they release their own material in order to make a living."

Over the years these labels also released stuff by Carl Craig, Aphex Twin, Stasis, and The Black Dog - though the decision-making process behind the roster was surprisingly simple. "I just went with my ears! No other factor came into it."

As with many producers, Degiorgio has a growing presence on online digital carriers. "I particularly like Beatport as it offers the option of downloading full quality WAVs," he says. "This should be standard for all digital stores."

Do, then, DJs really need to continue to use vinyl or can they instead construct entire sets out of stuff they've downloaded off the Net? "It's been possible for several years to construct sets without using vinyl. However, I still find quite a few releases that are vinyl-only so I haven't managed to completely do without it myself. My own 'Jitter World' EP on Abstract Forms earlier this year was vinyl-only for example."

Degiorgio has been reasonably prolific in 2009. Along with the 'Jitter World', 'Mass' and 'Isomer Shift' (on B12) EPs, he also had a track included in the Detroit Grand Pubahs' mix The Detroit Connection Pt. 4 and has been busy resurrecting ART.

Making time to do this interview was a bonus treat, and once it's finalized he takes the time out to chuckle. "Heh-heh... many thanks for the questions - hope the answers are cool."

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.