Episodes
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We meet Traci Washington and Florence J. Leigh from Detroit label Mahogani Music. Founded by house maestro Moodymann, the label is a living, breathing tribute to Detroit’s endless sonic innovation, from vintage soul and funk to soulful house and hip-hop.
Traci and Florence, the women who keep Mahogani running from their respective bases in Detroit and Vienna, Austria, talk with Chal about on their unusual roles as caretakers and collaborators on this resolutely underground label, and reflect on the unique artistry of label founder Kenny Dixon Jr. along with label staples Amp Fiddler, Andrés and Norma Jean Bell.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Mahogani Music: https://mahoganimusic.bandcamp.com/ | www.instagram.com/mahoganimusic | https://soundcloud.com/MAHOGANIMUSIC
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Pedro Winter aka. Busy P, the founder of Ed Banger Records – the label that became the gateway drug for a generation of ravers and that pushed the indie kids onto the dancefloor with the sound of “heavy metal disco”. From the world-beating rocktronica of Justice to the outré electro of Mr. Oizo, from SebastiAn’s legendary remixes to Uffie’s addictive alt-pop, the ‘00s output of the Parisian label is unparalleled. In this episode, Busy P tells Chal about his evolution from teenage skate rat to Daft Punk’s manager, reflecting on the robots’ glittering legacy in the weeks after their split, and explains why the boundless creativity of the late, great DJ Mehdi was so crucial to Ed Banger’s success. Plus: some never-before revealed information about what’s inside Daft Punk’s helmets.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Ed Banger: www.edbangerrecords.com | www.instagram.com/edbanger | https://soundcloud.com/edbangerrecords
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
Missing episodes?
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We meet Darren White, aka. dBridge, the founder of Exit Records. Setting it up the label in 2003, he dedicated himself to exploring new avenues rather than retreading old roads. From heavyweight dubstep to footwork fusion, the shape-shifting label has been breaking ground ever since. dBridge tells Chal about throwing himself into drum and bass after a turbulent childhood, becoming a pioneer of digital technology (and then going back to his analogue machines anyway), and his unending quest to push things forward.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Exit Records: https://exitrecords.co.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/exitrecordsuk | https://soundcloud.com/exitrecords
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Adrian Sherwood, the founder of On-U Sound, who’s done things differently right from the start. He started the label at the height of London’s “punky-reggae” moment and quickly put out dozens of groundbreaking dub recordings from acts including Creation Rebel, African Head Charge, New Age Steppers and Tackhead. Drawing on a loose collective of improvisers and wildcards – including Ari Up, Annie Anxiety and Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah – Sherwood leveraged his lack of musical training to produce some of the most influential records of the ‘80s. In this episode he joins Chal from his home in Ramsgate to talk about squatting with Ari Up and Neneh Cherry, dub reggae philosophy, and why you should never trust a hippy.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
On-U Sound: http://on-usound.com | https://www.instagram.com/onusound | https://www.youtube.com/user/onusoundrecords
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com | https://instagram.com/carharttwip -
We meet Antal Heitlager, the founder of Rush Hour Records. Antal is obsessed with records – and in the 23 years since he started selling vinyl out of his university accommodation, he’s turned Rush Hour Records into one of Amsterdam’s most treasured dance institutions. His endless crate-digging has defined Rush Hour’s eclectic catalogue, where 80s coldwave and classic Chicago reissues sit alongside homegrown house from locals like Tom Trago and Hunee. In this episode Antal tells Chal how he’s kept his love of digging alive through thick and thin, traversing the shift to digital and surviving two bouts of cancer, to find that the best time for new music is always the present.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Rush Hour: https://soundcloud.com/rushhourrecords/ | http://rushhourmusic.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/rushhourmusic/
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Bill Kouligas, the founder and label boss of the Berlin record label PAN which spans cutting-edge electronic music, avant-garde sound art, scuzzy noise and nauseating ASMR. Of all the labels featured on Relevant Parties so far, it’s probably home to the most extreme material – records that poke at the edges of what makes sound into music. Bill, who set up PAN in 2008, talks to Chal about the meaning of “difficult” music and the diversity of artists on the roster, from jungle auteur Lee Gamble to demonic pop sprite Eartheater. As well as digging into the label’s 13-year history, he also considers the post-pandemic future for underground culture.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
PAN: https://soundcloud.com/pan_hq | https://delinear.p-a-n.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/pan__hq/
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Juan Maclean and Marcus Lambkin, two figures who’ve been part of DFA Records since the very beginning. DFA brought two sides of the school yard together – the punks and the disco dancers, the indie wallflowers and the arty attention-seekers. Founded by James Murphy as a creative outlet for his friends in New York, DFA Records launched with a bang in 2002 – signing The Rapture’s ‘House of Jealous Lovers’ and laying the groundwork for a string of disco, techno, punk and avant-rock records from The Juan Maclean, Hercules and Love Affair, Holy Ghost, Black Dice and one of the great live bands of the era, LCD Soundsystem. Chal speaks to Juan, the label’s techno commander-in-chief, and Marcus, aka Irish rave guru Shitrobot, about New York before social media, inventing your own audience, and the glorious tyranny of their friend and collaborator James Murphy.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
DFA Records: https://open.spotify.com/user/dfarecords | https://store.dfarecords.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/dfarecs/
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Valentino Betz and Marvin Schuhmann, founders of the quintessential modern indie label Public Possession. The two fellow DJs take a hands-on approach: In addition to their idiosyncratic take on electronic music, the enterprise centred around the Public Possession record store in Munich includes also DJ residencies, homemade flyers and merchandise, the online station Radio 80000 and even a catering service – but everything they do happens on a small and friendly scale. And somehow the music reflects this too: a kind of quirky, laid-back and good-humoured take on dance and pop, from fuzzy house jams by Andras to new wave pop by Mozaika and dreamy Madonna covers by Bell Towers. Marvin and Valentino talk to Chal about the roots of the label as well as their thoughts and fears for the future, with dance music in disarray and big questions hanging over the future of their scene.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Public Possession: https://open.spotify.com/user/public_possession | https://www.publicpossession.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/public_possession/
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Taro Kesen, the co-founder behind Jazzy Sport, one of Japan’s most important hubs for hip-hop culture since it launched in 2003. Taking influence from the vinyl-worshipping beat culture that hails Dilla and Madlib as kings, the label has been a crucial platform for homegrown artists like hip-hop crew Gagle, veteran selector Grooveman Spot, and acid jazz ensemble Cro-Magnon. But while Jazzy Sport’s roots are in hip-hop, the label and its record stores are an eclectic portal for all kinds of music – and they’ve even branched out into physical recreation, famed for their ski trips and hip-hop-soundtracked climbing competitions. In this episode, Taro talks to Chal about hip-hop's global reach, clubbing in ‘90s London and his undying love for underground culture.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Jazzy Sport: https://soundcloud.com/jazzysport | https://www.jazzysport.com/
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
We meet Samuel Valenti IV, head of Ghostly International. Founded on the outskirts of Detroit in 1999, Ghostly began as a platform for multitalented locals Matthew Dear, Tadd Mullinix and Todd Osborn, and later expanding into hip-hop, ambient and even harp music. Valenti has also been a savvy operator in the shift to digital media, pioneering new technology and selling everything from art prints to xylophones under the Ghostly marque. We talked about his early rave days, the loss of an important mentor, and how labels can survive “the dip”.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Ghostly International: https://open.spotify.com/user/ghostlyint | https://ghostly.com | https://www.instagram.com/ghostly/
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
In the second episode of RELEVANT PARTIES we meet Matt Black and Jonathan More, founders of London label Ninja Tune. United by a love of the new, the duo also known as Coldcut have been testing the limits of DJing, sampling and audiovisual technology since they first met in a Soho record shop in 1986. Through its long history Ninja Tune has released countless era-defining records from artists as diverse as Amon Tobin, The Cinematic Orchestra, Floating Points and Roots Manuva. As the label enters its 30th year, Matt and Jon look back on clubbing in the 90s, the invention of VJing, and how they made one of the greatest remixes of all time.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Ninja Tune: https://open.spotify.com/user/ninja-tune | https://ninjatune.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/ninjatune
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
In the first episode of RELEVANT PARTIES we meet Chris Manak, better known as Peanut Butter Wolf. As the founder of Stones Throw Records, Manak is behind some of the most ground-breaking hip-hop records ever made, assisting artists like Madlib, J Dilla and MF Doom to reach their creative peaks. But although Stones Throw will always be associated with a certain seam of underground beatmaking, the Los Angeles label is home to every kind of musical eccentric: from Mayer Hawthorne’s vintage soul and the eccentric grooves of Dâm-Funk to Gary Wilson’s lo-fi new wave and experimental pop from Sudan Archives. Manak talks to Chal Ravens about the label’s musical growth, his childhood in San Jose, the tragic loss of his rap partner Charizma, and the extraordinary experience of watching a Stones Throw single go platinum around the world.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Stones Throw Records: https://www.instagram.com/stonesthrow/ | https://www.stonesthrow.com/ | https://open.spotify.com/user/stonesthrowrecords
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/ -
RELEVANT PARTIES by Carhartt WIP is a monthly podcast series dedicated to the work of groundbreaking record labels around the globe. In each episode podcast host and music journalist Chal Ravens will delve into the stories behind the music, speaking to some of music culture‘s most important independent tastemakers, who are known for their love of music, enduring idealism, and singular drive. We want to find out what possessed them to take on one of the most challenging jobs in the music industry.
Subscribe to the podcast now and listen to a new episode every four weeks.
Check out the accompanying RELEVANT PARTIES Playlist on Spotify: https://bit.ly/relevantparties_playlist
Carhartt WIP: https://www.carhartt-wip.com/ | https://instagram.com/carharttwip/
