Heard anything on the new label Wyatt Noise yet?
Based in Oxford, they inexplicably stormed our Autumn by surprise with their debut four-track EP. Picking up plaudits from big hitters like TC, Blackmarket and even legendary French techno DJs, it was an impressive label debut. Now locked and loaded with their second EP, this time a two-tracker from the imprint boss Rich Raw, we thought we’d give them a call to find out what they’re all about… And whether they’re open to YOUR demos. Let’s see what he had to say…
I read somewhere that running a label is a dream come true for you, isn’t it?
“Yeah, definitely. I thought I’d be here in about six months to a year. To be even recognised at all after release one is amazing. Just doing it is my dream. Anything else is a bonus to be honest.”
Lovely! So why did you set up a label now and why not, say, five years ago?
“I’ve never felt my music was good enough. Ever. Five years ago I simply wasn’t in a position to do this at all. Why now? It’s difficult to say. It just feels right.”
The industry has settled a little now; digital labels are established and totally accepted… Five years ago they weren’t recognised with as much respect.
“Definitely. Although I’m still toying with the idea of vinyl. That’s the dream; to have our own vinyl out. It puts the record in ‘record label’. Right now, though, let’s just focus on digital.”
Sounds like a plan. So the new release is yours. You teased us with one track on the debut label EP but this is you going solo… Any self-imposed pressure?
“Maybe a little. I’ve been producing since 2000 when I bought my sampler, then switched to Reason in 2003. Ever since then I’ve kept back-ups of all my tunes. It’s more a case of what to put out. I wanted to put out two tracks that really complemented each other. I thought the liquidy vibes of For Right Now balanced the more menacing Eros, it reminded me of the old double A days with two tracks that worked together and covered a lot of different ground.
I like that. So it sounds like you’ve got a whole vault of material to release in the future if you’ve been collecting your beats since 2003!
“Hahah! There’s a lot of material there. My most prolific time was around 2004/2005, I was writing about five tunes a month. They’re all about the arrangement though, the production wasn’t there. I guess there’s about 100-150 tunes in various shapes and forms that I’m liking in one way or another. I’m lucky to have some very talented friends too. GDS has got this amazing sound. It’s hard to explain, but he’s really distinctive. There’s bits of liquid, bits of Bristol, bits of Bukem, bits of Marcus Intalex. And it really works on the dancefloor!”
That’s the main thing. What’s the best DJ reaction you’ve had so far?
“I’ve had some amazing feedback. Laurent Garnier said he’d play it on his radio show, which was amazing! In terms of D&B we’ve had some great feedback from TC, Nicky Blackmarket and Sappo who’s been a hero of mine for years. He’s feeling the second release too. It’s great to have feedback like that.”
Big time. Got any advice to people who want to set up their own label?
“Get your material together. Make sure the tunes are of a professional standard. They have to be or you’ll fail straight away. Get yourself a distributor and someone to do the PR. Concentrate on what you know you can do and outsource everything else.”
Good advice there. Are you open to demos?
“Always. I listen to everything. If I don’t give feedback then I’m sorry, it’s just because I’m busy. Hit us up on the Soundcloud dropbox, I look forward to hearing it.”
Wicked. What else can we expect in 2013?
“Well there’s GDS for release three, we’ve got a few more bits of mine on release four. We’ve got something from Smokey for release five. There’s something amazing from Bolo. Basically a lot of cool new stuff and we’re really excited about it all!”
Rich Raw – For Right Now / Eros is out now on Wyatt Noise Recordings. Listen and download.