|
Before you go on with the interview, please make sure to go to
Andrea's Web site at http://come.to/StarMonkey.
She's giving away some CDs in her current 'Naked Music Contest'!
Andrea Beamish
November 1999
The following interview was conducted by Andrea Beamish in October
1999:
Finally, I got you!! Thanks so much Bruno for
taking the time to chat. Are you a San Francisco native?
Not an SF native (hardly anyone here is!) but I've been living
here now for the past 10 years. I didn't have a choice about where
I grew up (Austin, TX) but moving here has been a great choice
for me.
Every time I come up here, I get this intense
vibe of universal love. Does it really exist in a day to day basis?
Well, San Francisco's had this love rep thing going for awhile.
I don't know that the people overall are really feeling that way
- I think it has more to do with the geography, food, culture
and architecture that can be found here. The people are great,
though, but I doubt they possess any higher capacity for love
than anywhere else in the world! (smile)
I would think you are so busy Bruno, being the
label director for 3 labels. Is it still three labels?
No, actually, my time has been primarily focused on Naked Music
Recordings for the past year. We started things back in December
of '98 (Dave Boonshoft, Jay Denes and myself) and have been working
hard ever since to define the vibe of the label and the artists
that we want to elevate in the near future. We really wanted to
create a level that bridged the gap between good songwriting,
style and substance in both the dance and soul/r&b realm. Prior
to that, I was doing A & R with OM Records for 2 years - it really
brought me up to speed on a lot of issues surrounding this business.
Great bunch of guys to work with! When I received the offer to
run Naked Music, I knew it would be a struggle for me as I would
be responsible for every aspect of the label (marketing, A & R,
distribution, manufacturing, etc.) so I've definitely had to learn
how to make the most of my time! Transport, on the other hand,
came about as an outlet for tracks that Miguel 'Migs' and I wanted
to put out. An underground 'track-based' label, more or less.
Trying to 'keep it real'!
Being the label director, what does it all mean?
What do you do?
Running a label is a shot in the dark really. In a lot of ways,
it's like being a DJ - you define 'your style' by what you play,
how you look and the vibe that you share with the listener. Before
working on the label side, I played in several bands in high school,
college as well as worked as Music Director at a radio station
with 3 different shows (world, dance and jazz). Working as a label
director has been a great way to pull it all together - create
a consistent vibe, showcase new (and existing) talent, and help
put some music out there as a token for all my appreciation for
the music I enjoyed growing up! The nuts and bolts of the job
consist of organizing and scheduling releases, overlooking material,
remixes, producers and trying to broker better distribution, sales
and marketing for the label. It's a great juggling act, let me
tell you...
There is a special feel with OM, Transport and
NYC Music... sort of ethereal. Is it just me or is this a concentrated
effort?
I'm glad you mentioned 'feel' because that's really what my focus
is - artistically. I'm convinced that formats, genres and styles
will come and go - however, an overall 'vibe' is always what I'm
seeking - whether it be hip hop, house, drum & bass, Techno, jazz,
instrumental, ambient, soul, Latin or any other hybrid - I'm always
looking for a sound that comes from the next level and expresses
something from the heart ("transportational," if you will). It
can be moody, warm, happy, cool or hypnotic - but as long as it
stimulates your mind and body - I'm with it! With Naked Music,
I really want the emphasis to be on the sound of the label as
opposed to any individual artist - so we've tried to create a
distinctly 'Naked' sound across our artist spectrum. Everyone
keeps pushing the ante up a bit - and I've been really pleased
with the results...
What surprises me I guess, is that there is some
great music coming from the three labels and it is being done
with different genres and you pull it off very well.
I'm glad you like the sound. I really am... because the long
and short of it is that all art is subjective and if the message
is being received well - that's the best we can hope for! If we
can manage to put music out there that finds itself in someone's
car, headphones, turntables, dancefloor or bedroom - then I feel
we've done our job. Ultimately, that's the dream fulfilled ...
to share an experience with someone else.
What guides the musical image you present to the
world?
My love of music, primarily. That means ALL music! I can't turn
a deaf ear to anything, play sides or favorites and/or 'diss'
any other sound. It's all one music for me and it's truly a universal
gift. It's the one medium that can truly capture the images, feelings,
hopes, fears and psychology of the individual on a global scale.
I used to write and work with film - and I'm convinced that music
is the one medium that allows each person to 'interpret' the information
(i.e. music) in a unique way - by applying their own images and
experiences to the sound as they process it. This may sound a
bit heavy - but music has really been all things to me: teacher,
friend, lover, religion, journey. I just want to give back to
it what it has given to me!
How did you get started in the record label biznazz?
I had been working in and around music all my life. First as
a musician, then as a music/entertainment writer in college, radio
DJ and program director and, upon moving to SF, had the opportunity
to work with the OM crew and get up to speed on the label side
of things. It's been a lifetime endeavor!
Being so involved in the music, do you experience
periods of apathy? What motivates you?
I don't know if apathy is the right word. Frustration may be
a bit closer to the point. It's sometimes frustrating to see so
many underground artists and labels work so hard to bring intelligently
crafted, original music to the surface and then watch as it's
overshadowed by the dominant radio formats which shove the same
3 or 4 songs down our throats day-in and day-out. My motivation
is in getting ALL indie labels to realize that we can never rise
above until we band together to bring our music to light. I'm
not saying that we want to be recognized as commercial music -
but just that this music deserves access to more ears and more
respect. There is truly some groundbreaking composition and arrangement
happening here - and I feel that we have the capacity to change
the structure and bandwidth of the current establishment.
Are you the A&R for NYC Music only or do you service
OM and Transport?
As I mentioned beforehand, I left OM back in January of '99.
I've been serving as label director for Naked Music ever since.
Transport is a collaboration with Miguel 'Migs.'
Do you give a producer some guidelines as to what
you are looking for or do they come to you first with their product?
Actually, a lot of both. I will chose producers for our artists,
I will also choose songs to be worked with as well as the selection
of remixers, engineers, etc. Most of the producers that work with
Naked Music are well aware of the vibe that I'm looking for -
so it's a good balance for me. Of course, there are always times
for a 'veto' - but it usually comes down to changing a few elements,
fine-tuning a mix and/or careful selection of material to be pursued.
I always enjoyed the sound provided by OM and
Transport, and now you have Naked Music. Since NYC music has their
own sound, does Jay Denes confer with you as to how his production
is viewed or does it sit with you as the label manager?
Well, let's just say that Jay Denes (above all) is the man I'm
most grateful to for having a hand in this business entirely!
Jay has been a good friend and confidante for the past 4 years.
As a matter of fact, Jay's 'What's on Your Mind' album helped
me secure the A & R gig at OM in the first place as I brought
it into the job early on. Jay is hands-down one of the most intelligent
songwriter/producers out there. Fortunately for us, we really
share a strong view on the music that we enjoy and how we want
to present it. Of course, we'll discuss in's and out's of arrangements,
equalization, mastering and appropriate mixes. However, we really
do feel 'like-minded' about the music - and therefore avoid a
lot of the pitfalls of personal opinion.
I'm eternally grateful to have the opportunity to work with someone
as talented as Jay - and I never lose sight of that!
Why was there a need to have NYC Music on their
own label? Could it just not have continued under OM?
Well, Naked Music had existed as a production company prior to
any releases on OM. The only problem was that Naked productions
did not have an outlet other than being picked up or signed off
to outside parties. Executive Producer Dave Boonshoft was a partner
with Jay Denes in the production company and they didn't feel
they had the know-how to distribute and market their in-house
productions. That's when they decided to make me an offer. It
didn't hurt that I had been working in the genre and could bring
a lot of new voices and productions into the fold. It was a logical
leap of faith - and helped secure ownership and control of Naked
Music compositions and productions for the years to come.
Will there be a Web site for NYC music???? Hurry!!!!
We have registered the domain (http://www.naked-music.com
- now online, Editor) and are awaiting completion of the site
work by a 'less than timely' web constructionist. He's a friend
of mine - and I'm afraid that's why it's taking so long! However,
I am fairly confident that it will be completed within the next
2 weeks!
Bruno, you must be a boy wonder to be able to
differentiate what record is released on what label. Have you
ever had second thoughts on a release?
Once it reaches release stage - I can generally sleep well at
night. It's just getting to that point that can be a bit difficult.
Considering all the glitches and pitfalls that can occur in the
recording, artist, production, engineering, mastering, artwork
and manufacturing stages... I'm always happy when we finally get
the whole package right. I'm a bit of a perfectionist - so I can
always look back and think of more things I might have changed.
At the end of the day - you have to trust your instincts and put
out the best record possible.
I just can't get over "You are Love" by Lovetronic
on Naked Music. How did this come about?
Well, this particular track came about as a combo-effort by three
of our artist/producers. Dave Warrin, formerly of Slide 5, is
an old friend of mine that had moved to NYC about a year ago.
He hooked up with vocalist, Lisa Shaw, who we are currently working
towards a full-album with. The two of them then hooked up with
Jay Denes to form what is now collectively known as 'Lovetronic.'
This culmination of creative talents lent itself to 'You Are Love'
and you now hear the result. The good news is that we are already
nearing completion on the follow-up single entitled, 'Always.'
I'm anticipating a release of this record in the next few months!
What is a decent number of releases a label should
put out without loosing quality? Sometimes labels throw out anything
just to make a dent in an already over-saturated industry.
This market is more than saturated - and that's what makes getting
a good single noticed so difficult. When I shop for records, I
have to literally/physically listen to hundreds of releases to
find one or two that I feel I would like to purchase. Of course,
everyone has their own taste - but I sometimes feel that people
will throw out any little doodle-track that they can print off
their computer with a 4/4 beat. It sometimes gets on my nerves
- especially considering the environmental aspects of printing
vinyl (it doesn't exactly 'biodegrade' that easily). I guess it
just represents the freedom of 'independent' music. However, I
wish people would take a bit more time to polish their craft before
hurling vinyl out into the marketplace. As for a 'decent' number
of releases - I've always felt it is definitely about QUALITY
OVER QUANTITY. That's how I go about it. Sort of like the Paul
Masson commercial 'sell no wine before its time.' That puts us
at a schedule of about one a month. (give or take!)
How do you do it so that each song after next
doesn't' sounds the same? Or does it matter? Maybe you want the
same sound???
Well, I definitely want the label to have a consistent vibe/sound.
However, I don't want the listener to feel that we're just continually
rehashing an old formula. I try to vary things a bit and keep
pushing the envelope. I feel that with the vinyl market - I have
less of an opportunity to do so. The house format doesn't really
allow for too much variation, however, I'd like to put out more
midtempo and downtempo material. I just think it's a lot harder
to push on vinyl. Therefore, we're left with the interesting 'compilation'
CD outlet - that's where I can stretch the boundaries a bit.
Distribution is so important for a label, what
are some of the important factors you want from a distributor??
To actually get paid! No kidding - this is the single most decisive
factor in finding which distributors to work with. You'd be surprised
how many companies will leave you hanging for 60, 90, 120 days
before contacting you. This is not an option as an independent.
The income is the lifeblood of your label. Otherwise, there is
simply no way you can go from one release to the next!
I'm interested in knowing who are some of our
favorite labels?
That's a tough one. I like all kinds of music from all different
genres - but if I had to name a few in THIS industry, it would
definitely be: Toko, Guidance, Large, Yellow, Jazzanova, Compost,
Paper, BBE, X:Treme, Earthtones, Soulfuric, Pork, People's Choice,
Wave, DIY and a handful of others.
Label people have their mentors also, who are
yours?
Hmmmm... I don't know how to answer that one. I really look up
to my contemporaries, really. I love Phil Asher's work, François
K, Joe Clausell, Jazzanova (beyond mortality!), Chris & Alain
(Yellow), Si Brad, the Guidance crew, Jason Bentley and Garth
Trinidad (KCRW/LA), etc. Everyone that is really taking chances
and pushing the formats to the next level!
You are located in San Francisco, which to me,
is a passionate location for musical awakenings. But I understand
there is some disruption in the scene by the city government?
What's going on up there?
Well, this is not just a local occurrence. You find the same
thing happening in DC, Atlanta, Chicago, London (occasionally),
everywhere really. It's some bizarre big-brother/corporate cleanup
diabolical scheme. I'm convinced that nobody wants to see other
people enjoy themselves - yet they scapegoat the club crowd with
all of the urban problems (graffiti, drug use, noise, violence).
I can't speak for everyone - but most of the people I know just
want to have a good time, see people and listen to music. Is that
a crime?
Bruno, you are a joy and ever since we first talked,
you were filled with energy and a beautiful spirit. I wish that
for you always. Thank you so much and keep it flowing. Besos...
Thank you as well! You're completely welcome. It's given me an
opportunity to clarify all the noise in my head! ; )
Hope all's well on your end!
NAKED MUSIC Upcoming releases:
- NM004 Groove Collective 'Everything Is Changing' (Remixes
by Swag & Baby Mammoth)
- NM005 Petalpusher 'Surrender' (Remix by Attaboy)
- NMCD2 Nude Dimensions - Deep House Continuous Mix (CD)
- NM006 Night Source 'Rise Above EP' (Migs & Rasoul)
- NM007 MAJ 'Soulmate' (Remixes by Phil Asher & Swag)
- NM008 Lovetronic 'Always' (Remix by DJ Rasoul, Petalpusher
& Jay Denes)
- NMCD3 Midnight Snack - Late Night Downtempo Beats & Baubles
- NM009 Blue Six 'Keep It Pure' (Remix by Petalpusher, Aquanote
& Jay Denes)
- NM010 Aquanote 'True Love' (Remix by Salt City, Petalpusher)
- NM011 Seek Project (TBD)
|
