Bass Music Mix 24 - Spatial
October 20
Can you introduce yourself to those who might not know you? Who are you, and what do you do?
I’m spatial, I run infrasonics. We’re a UK bass rooted label that started in late 2008 to push a series of 10”s I wanted to release. I quickly realised I wanted to grow more of a community around the project so I opened it up to other artists. We’re pretty broad stylistically but there’s some fairly obvious threads running through the output.
It seems like infrasonics bounced into the scene looking pretty fully formed - what's your musical background? How did you get to this point?
I’ve been producing for a while but largely for my own amusement. After quite a long break and a switch from a hardware setup to a software system I decided to take it a bit more seriously. That eventually became infra001.
The website and general aesthetic of infrasonics are really strong - is this something you set a lot of store by?
Absolutely, the look and vibe had to right. I’m also increasingly aware of the value of the physical object in a progressively digitised age. This is still something that’s slightly unresolved for me as I play digitally these days so I’m aware of the hypocrisy. Hopefully there’s an aesthetic about the releases that helps to make them desirable in their own right. That’s certainly what appeals to me when I buy other peoples output in physical form. In some ways I’m trying to marry up the functional nature of dance music with something of greater permanency.The anonymous / coded releases - is there a meaning behind them? Does it tie in, for you, to the underground techno labels that do similar?
There is a system but it’s not really relevant or important. The lineage is certainly more old techno than say, later minimalist labels like Raster Noton and friends which often get referenced. I have a great amount of respect for those kind of labels though. But yea, it’s more of a old school “faceless techno bollocks” thing.How would you describe your sound? And that of infrasonics?
I’d rather not analyse my own sound too much, but there’s obvious UK bass lineage and wider Techno/House elements in there. I’ve got a fair amount of unreleased stuff as well which would probably surprise a lot of people. I’m trying to promote a heterogeneous approach with the label based on a lot of the current and interesting UK rooted sounds. Most of the guys I’m working with have a very post-whatever vibe going on..What producers are you currently digging?
All of the producers I’m working with on the label have attributes I really admire in their style: Ike Release’s production and arrangement is pristine, Jamie Grind has got a stream of mutant urban flavoured pop-ish tracks up his sleeve. Gon’s House and UKF leanings are firing right now. xxxy encapsuates a mutant approach that I find so appealing. Hot City is blowing up... he has a style that manages to appeal to underground heads and the masses alike.Outside that you probably wouldn’t too surprised, other labels like Steak House, Hessle, Kicks n Snares, Hemlock, Idle Hands, Eglo, Heatwave crew and the usual bigger players plus lots of stuff from outside the UK and non-dance stuff.
Can you take us through this mix? What was the vibe in the club, how did it go down, where did you try to take people?
Delete is a very open minded club, they have quite a cross section of guests and that really suits me. I normally start quite housey as I like progression and it was all the more fitting as Tom Demac played an excellent live house set before. I knew that Funkineven remix would get things wiggling nicely. After that it’s just playing with the energy of the beats and taking in all that sounds that interest me across the board, moving between broken and straight rhythms.
What's your usual DJ set up, and how do you approach it?
I use Traktor with a Vestax VCI100 controller. I’ve had decks for aeons but I’ve just become really comfortable with the extra possibilities and flexibilities of a software based approach - I often use loops, beat juggling etc. I keep the file quality up - try to only ever buy flac (but often promos are only 320s) - and the Audio 8 has decent DACs so that helps. I normally shortlist a big selection beforehand as I get more stuff sent than I can really keep on top of. Then it’s just working off the vibe of the tracks and the floor.
What plans have you got coming up?
I’m playing Unsound this weekend and trying to ready a bunch of new material for that. Other than that it’s trying to secure studio time. This year has had a lot of pressure from other things outside music so need to refocus - the label has been doing pretty well though. I’ve got a few bits in the pipeline for other labels also. I also plan to get more releases out from the current artists.
You mentioned having a release that comes with a postcard in the vinyl pack to unlock a download. How's that going to work? Do you feel it's important for labels to be trying new stuff like this in the current climate?
There's a postcard that comes with the vinyl that has a url and a marker or pattern on it. You hit the url in your browser, and present the postcard to your webcam when prompted. Once it correctly recognises the marker it unlocks a section of the site that provides a stream and download of an exclusive track, plus some extra eye candy. Yea, it’s definitely worth playing around with the idea of what constitutes a “release”.
Anything else you want to mention/plug?
infra004 dropped last week which is my latest 10”. We're also gonna throw another warehouse party at the end of Nov - sign up to one of the propaganda streams to keep on top of that. Last one was off the hook: 2 Funktion one stacks in a intimate darkened space, pure vibes. The real deal.
