In the week that sees the release of Loco Dice In The House, we caught up with the Desolat label boss to discuss the runaway success of what has become one of the scene's most essential imprints.
Before you started Desolat were there any labels out there that you were particularly trying to emulate, or take inspiration from how they operated?
I always liked labels like Mute because of the variety that they had on their label, but honestly I never took any other label as an inspiration to how my label should be. The only thing I always wanted to do was to say “okay, here is a library of very good music and a collection of great artists that I bring on one imprint”.
So variety was particularly important to you…
Always! If it was simply my sets or if it’s my own personal taste of music I always liked a variety. I always want to be inspired by new things, and I always dig different tracks from different scenes and different music styles. This is what keeps me going and keeps me fresh.
Something like Pirupa ‘Party Non Stop’ is clearly miles apart from your own ‘Tight Laces’… is there something that a record needs to have to be considered for Desolat? Is there a policy or do you just sign what you like?
There is no policy or anything like that, it’s just a feeling and everything I do comes from my stomach. It’s a feeling. I listen to a track like Pirupa and I was not sure in the beginning. I knew it was going to be a slammer, but I was not sure if I can go with Desolat that way. Then after playing it I found identification with myself from the track. That’s why we signed something like Pirupa, and it’s the same with what we did with Rosario Internullo or all the different tracks we have on the label. It’s always a feeling.
So with something like Pirupa, would you have been playing it a while before you decided to sign it?
I never play tracks to see how they go down to see if they fit or not on the label. Most of the tracks people send me I listen to the demo and either I like it or I don’t. With Pirupa it was different, because like I said I was sure about Pirupa being a great track but I was not sure it was right for Desolat. But this was an exception, and after playing it repeatedly I was like “Wow, that is my track! I need to release it on my label.” [laughs]
So a track like Dubfire’s ‘Ribcage’ which ended up being huge, when you signed it how much of it was about you just liking the record and how much was about wanting to make an impact with your first record?
Desolat was born because of ‘Ribcage’; ‘Ribcage’ was born because of Desolat and also because of Loco Dice. Everyone knows that Ali was a part of Deep Dish and I was chasing him to come to DC10 and visit me and one day he did and he was listening to one my of sets and he got so inspired that he produced ‘Ribcage’. ‘Ribcage’ is about two tracks, its ‘Rib’ and ‘Cage’ and he just mixed them together and just presented me the result. I have to be honest I didn’t really have the time to listen to it. Then he gave it to me again and I lost the CD. Then when we moved to New York he had a record release party or something, so I came along. When I entered the club I hear this track and I’m like “Wow, Ali what is this?” After that he was pissed off at me. He was like “look you’ve had this for like half a year and you’re asking me now what it is?’ It was the time when Martin told me “we have all this great music that you’ve been playing. Do you want to keep it to yourself or do you want to share it with the world?” It was this track to start with, but not because it was Dubfire but because of its story.
Has the music you’re releasing now changed in the five years that you’ve been doing it?
Oh yeah, but we always go back to where we started. I mean if I listen to Rosario Internullo’s ‘Sentimente’ the beats are somewhat still what we release on Desolat X, but we are still looking for names which you cannot expect. Butch for example, who knew that Butch was gonna release ‘Pompino’ on Desolat? And it’s the same again with Pirupa. So we are not a label where people are saying “ok look its only tINI, its only Guti, it’s only his team or only him by himself”. No! We are an open label that represents some artists but we are open to anything and I still continue asking people “hey what do you think? Do you think you could do a nice four track new EP on my label?” I went yesterday to Osunlade and I asked him this very thing and he said to me straight away “now I know what you want, ok I’m going to try something”. Desolat is a lot like Used & Abused. I want my friends, I want new faces, I want new people and at the end believe it or not it’s the music that’s talking. It’s not the name or anything like that you know? And I can prove that by showing the catalogue of Desolat.
You play to thousands if not tens of thousands people every week, especially at the moment as it’s the summer. Surely this must help the records that you’re signing as you’re able to bring them to a large audience. Do you think that it’s more challenging for non-DJs to run a label because they don’t have that promotional outlet?
It depends, because you have non-DJs who run a label and who see music from a different point of view. They perhaps don’t see it from the dance floor aspect; they see it more from the musical aspect you know? They have different points of view, which is great. I’m a DJ so my first point is of course can I play the record? Do I find identification with the record and with myself playing it in my set? That’s always where I start.
How many releases do you tend to work ahead? Do you have the rest of the year planned out?
It’s a disaster with me and Desolat at the moment! [laughs] I can’t really tell you what the release dates are but I know I have certain tracks in my hand. There’s an Eddie Fowlkes record that will come out soon, there’s a Daniel Melingo record that will come out soon and there’s a Tiger Stripes record coming out soon .So you hear these three names and surely you think that is unusual [laughs]. Daniel Melingo is a tango virtuosi from Buenos Aires, nothing to do with electronic music! Eddie Fowlkes is house music from Detroit. Then you have Tiger Stripes! You will never find a connection to Desolat with that you know? These are the three things I have on my table and nothing else at the moment, but after this interview with you I’m going to hang up and I’ve got like 600 mails in my inbox which I’m going to check and I’m pretty sure I will find something that could be interesting for Desolat and then something for my sets.
It almost sounds like you quite enjoy disarming people with the kind of people that you have on the label…
This is what I’m trying to explain. It’s funny because right now I have those three totally different things together, but then I might have a period where I have club bangers. One, two, or three unknown DJs or artists that have just followed me on my set, this is how the inspiration about music is right now and I share the same thing. It’s something that can happen this way or that way, and this is Desolat.
You say you have about 600 emails to go through... so how many demos do you think you listen to on a weekly basis?
It depends, because you need to concentrate. You need to have a free head and you need to be in the mood to listen to your promos or demos. Sometimes I start with three tracks and I’m like ‘nuh-uh this isn’t going to happen at the moment’ so instead I put on a jazz record or listen to Sade or Bob Marley, just something easy for my brain right now. Then sometimes you are so motivated by the weekend you and you still have a little energy and you’re ears aren’t ringing and everything is perfect so you’re really want to dive into the jungle of demos and promos.
Everyone knows I listen to everything so it takes time sometimes but I’m always lucky, I always dig something. I’m more than happy if I dig and find two releases you know what I mean? This is the best that can happen. I cannot tell you what to produce or which direction to go. Just do something cool where you think it could fit or whatever you represent and I’ll tell you if I like it. They have to be real and not try to adapt to anything you know? You have to be real. I love the producers that when they deliver something it’s their style but its fresh, and it could sound different. However I don’t like those jumpers who jump on the modern train only because it’s cool. In the end it’s all about the music and what you want to represent, not what Desolat wants to represent. Our job is just to print it on vinyl and distribute it and bring it to the world, and try to bring your unknown track to the fans. That is our job, but we need the artists who deliver the great music, the great production skill and amazing arrangement and perhaps something that is slightly different. As an artist you should try and express yourself as much as possible.
Defected presents Loco Dice In The House is out now – buy from iTunes
