RSSLabel Mates : Naked Lunch
Two releases old, but already Naked Lunch feels like a keeper. So far, the label has offered drum and bass producers a home for their deeper dubstep explorations – and with great success: Instramental’s ‘Futurist’ is one of the year’s stand-outs so far. Label boss DJ Pressure spills the beans…
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Label Mates : Naked Lunch
When and why did the label start?
I don’t know when the initial idea came about - but Martyn sowed the idea in my head. I wanted to have a direct input in to something that I felt passionately about and mould and shape it to my music tastes.
Who or what was your biggest influence?
Probably the night I went with Martyn to see Kode 9 play in Rotterdam in 2006.
Best career move?
Leaving Amsterdam to go live in Rotterdam. It took me away from all the distractions that go with living in a city filled with posers and life’s drop-outs and forced me to focus on what I wanted to do with music besides DJing, which on its own is very limited.
Biggest hit?
Instra:mental/Breakage ‘Futurist/Latenight’ [Naked Lunch 002] - sold out every copy pressed in one week-plus.
Biggest miss?
Hasn’t happened yet (touch wood…)
If you could sign one artist, who would it be?
Prince (circa 1985).
Does vinyl still matter?
Yes .It’s normally a question which receives a long, drawn-out argument but there is no point in repeating the same tired argument again and again. But yes it is important and it does sound better.
What is the secret to success?
Have a plan. Have contacts. If you truly believe in what your doing put your money where your mouth is. Always pay producers and designers, if not in full preferably some cash in advance. Listen to and seek advice from people who have their own labels. Learn from their mistakes and your own. And work with a good distributor.
Top tip
Think hard about the reasons for starting a label. If your reason is to get DJ gigs or status then don’t bother. If your reason is to get music heard that you truly believe in regardless of who made it, then go ahead and work as hard as you can to get it realised.
Do you dance?
From the neck up.
What’s next?
Next up is NakedLunch 003, a three-track EP featuring two from jus’wan and a scuba remix. Following that will be two new tracks from Scuba. And more tracks from Breakage, Instra:mental and some surprise remixes.
good stuff mick