Often under-exposed but rarely undervalued, Kevin Griffith’s Tsuba imprint has been fighting the good fight since 2006. For many, this might seem surprisingly recent, perhaps betraying just how ingrained the label has become for DJs and music-lovers alike.
Set to release Colours Volume 1 – a collection of records compiled from their Colours vinyl series – later this month, Defected’s Ben Lovett caught up with the usually promo-phobic Griffiths for a chat about the label's fortunes to date.
“I don’t play the PR game” Kevin Griffiths, founder of thrillingly consistent underground house label Tsuba, opens. “I don’t have an agency on retainer. I make my own living, which gives me a lot of pleasure. There’s a real DIY ethic behind Tsuba; I love the science of running a label.”
But does the pleasure lead to any pressure? Without a PR programme it must become trickier to stand out among the electronic music scene’s loudly throbbing crowds. And stand out, today, usually means survival. “I have, I’ll admit, been thinking about playing the game more. I hear those people around me who say that Tsuba doesn’t get the hype it deserves and I start to wonder. But the reality of running a label yourself is that you have to make brutal judgements. If it’s a matter of paying myself... paying my artists... spending money on a classic Larry Heard remix, or paying an agency to raise Tsuba’s profile then I’ll always prioritise the former. I am reluctant to play the game; the fact I’m already making a living through an independent record label today is pretty good going."
And there is the fact that Tsuba comes second only to Crosstown Rebels in the UK section of Resident Advisor’s ‘All-Time Top 100 Most Charted Labels’. A worthy feat considering the time and effort many labels put into marketing. Tsuba’s music, clearly, does a lot of the brand heavy lifting.
“Deep down, PR doesn’t bother me too much. Every label has a different set of objectives but for Tsuba it’s about focusing on quality in the studio” Griffiths explains. “I’ve always worked hard to release great music and it is that music that has brought me this far. Tsuba has generated fans all over the world which continually amazes me.”
Griffiths founded his label in 2006, after 10 years of working on the business side of the dance industry. Early career stints at a club promotion company and download website, where he managed digital rights and content, led to his becoming Head Of Label Management for major dance distributor Amato (now sadly defunct) and then an opportunity to run Fine Records, the distinguished sub-label of Berlin-based Four Music. Griffiths’ time there, working with the likes of Tiefschwarz and Radio Slave, would come to an abrupt end when Four, owned in turn by Sony, made him redundant. But the label-running bug had caught on; cue, very quickly, Tsuba.
“It took me literally a minute to switch on to the idea of creating my very own label” Griffiths confirms. “And I’m very happy with how it’s progressed. My previous roles gave me the best possible experience in terms of building something up from scratch. They provided a valuable understanding of both the business and creative sides of label management, and helped me grasp the mechanics of the wider music market. At the same time, Tsuba launched just before the vinyl market started tailing off. That really helped me because records were getting better standout; the overall market wasn’t yet overrun by digital releases. It would be much, much harder to introduce Tsuba today.”
Tsuba has maintained some serious momentum over the past six years. Starting out with Zoo Brazil’s minimal double-A gem Get You/Find My Way, its discography has since lengthened to include weighty releases by underground heavyweights Dyed Soundorom, Peace Division, Steve Lawler, Spencer Parker, Motor City Soul and Moodymanc. Griffiths has also established successful vinyl-focused sub-labels Tsuba Colours and Tsuba Limited and promoted a number of rave review label showcases. This month he seeks to look back on Colours’ achievements with the release of retrospective compilation – mixed and umixed - Colours Volume One. It features highlights from Steffi, Larry Heard and Sascha Dive.
“I love collecting vinyl. The sound... the packaging... the shrink-wrap... all of it makes the 12-inch special; it’s not always the same experience with downloads. About three years ago, I wanted to start up a series of quality coloured vinyl releases that tapped into that feeling, so Tsuba Colours was born” Griffiths says. “I surprised myself earlier this year when I realised I’d already passed 10 releases, and it felt right to take stock of things so far.”
An album was ready in just hours: “I really enjoyed putting it together. Colours records have that deep house sound for which Tsuba is best known so everything gelled quickly and easily. I’m proud of what the series has done so far; the album is a landmark moment for me featuring some really timeless house music. I’ve already got plans for a follow-up next year.”
What does Griffiths feel is the key to flourishing label ownership; how does one go about creating a top-drawer artist roster such as Tsuba’s? “Fundamentally you have to buy records, and love buying them” he answers. “It is rare people come to me and blow me away with something that quickly earns a release. It’s all about finding flavours; being patient and wheedling out the new artists that you feel can make a difference to your label and your followers. As time goes on you build networks of contacts, from which you get further tips and recommendations, and that opens other doors. But you have to be pro-active in the long-term. I never stop looking for new artists and sounds that might add something to what I’m doing.”
If Tsuba is widely viewed by the dancefloor as deep house specialist then it does, Griffiths stresses, have a few other moves to bust. There will be greater focus on variation in the future. “Tazz’s [Canadian minimalist] album earlier this year [The Adventures Of Tazz], was led by techno and I’m currently working with The Carter Brothers [Australian producers] on material which is perhaps best described as a housier take on The Avalanches [abstract beatsmiths]. There’s a wider scope of music than people realise and I want to keep broadening into those other genres that match my tastes. I want to take bigger risks.”
In music and, it seems, packaging; for Griffiths is also keen to dial up the impact of Tsuba’s already striking sleevework and branding: “I probably spend too much cash on artwork and design but I want to. I love great design; it adds something unique to the music... the experience of listening to it and following the label. It’s almost as important as the music, another way of effectively engaging my audience and achieving some cut through. I operate in a niche scene but there are always new fans, and I want them to notice what I’m doing.”
Does Griffiths have a view on where his ‘niche’ scene fits within the wider clubbing landscape? “I think it fits well. There seems to be a general shift happening back towards the original musical backbone of those early deep house records. And people are falling in love with hardware again, which is really exciting. The shift will take time but it is happening.”
Griffiths, however, thinks format is as important as music when it comes to determining how the electronic land lies. Stylistic shifts are one thing but the fractious boundaries between vinyl and download are quite another.
“Artists can smash different types of records depending on whether they’re releasing digitally or by vinyl; they’re two very different markets. The digital market has exploded but the vinyl one is still there and has actually regained a little ground in recent months. The electronic scene has that whole digital Beatport thing going on, and then there are the smaller pro-vinyl communities; I like to think I fit somewhere between the two. I think that’s the hardest position to be in but I need to be able to move with the times as well as support vinyl. Vinyl is pure underground; it’s like the resistance. It has a punky attitude because it goes against the flow of the mainstream music industry, and that invariably leads to big creativity.”
Griffiths, a DJ for two decades, continues to use vinyl on the road too. If running Tsuba is his main passion then DJing comes “a close second” and producing behind that. “I’m lucky in that I get to play all over the world and soak up so many different cultures and influences. I’ve already had some amazing gigs this year; Fabric was one and Back II Basics [in Leeds] totally blew me away. The Tsuba warehouse parties in London smashed it; I also toured Australia earlier in the year and the crowds were so unbelievably enthusiastic. It’s a small scene over there but they sure make a lot of noise. Those shows reminded me just how far electronic music has spread around the world.”
Back at Tsuba’s tiny offices (a room at the top of Griffiths’ house in Tunbridge Wells, Kent), plans for the rest of the year, and beyond, are shaping up nicely. Griffiths has an EP due himself in November, before material from Huxley (“it’s a big one”), Moodtrap and the aforementioned Carter Bros. Aside from Tsuba, Griffiths promises an intriguing EP project this autumn alongside long-term partner-in-crime Justin Drake (ex Peace Division). The record, track-y old-school Chicago in feel, will drop under a new alias and on another new label with no announcement and no real clue of audience reaction.
“I’m getting back to some kind of normality” Griffiths laughs. “I’ve had a busy summer holidays with the family but my five-year-old daughter is now off to school and the house is relatively quiet again, so I can crack on. I’m hugely enjoying life; I feel I have the balance of things right... a way of doing things that allows me to fully enjoy home life and the music. I probably feel more passionately about my music than ever; I’m not sure I’ll want to be running Tsuba in 10 years time or so but it’s difficult to look that far ahead. Right now, I have lots in the pipeline and can’t wait to get stuck in. For certain, music will always be there.”
Words: Ben Lovett
Tsuba Records releases Colours Volume One later this month....
