Here's the interview and minimix from Subtle Audio head Code.
He spilled the beans on the difficulties in getting the label up & running, the effect of the current economic climate on d&b, and even news of a possible equinox ep project for subtle. if that wasnt enough, he even put together a little mix to showcase the subtle audio sound. check:
edj: How did Subtle Audio come about and why did you decide to start it?
Well, it kind of came out of a frustration with the direction the Drum & Bass scene had begun to take after 2000 or thereabouts. I got into the music because it was experimental and because D&B producers weren't afraid to take risks and try something different. But it got to the stage where the music no longer seemed to be rhythmically interesting and where the only thing that was important was the perfection of the production side of the music. Of course, technical improvements in production are important - but, I felt that these improvements were at the expense of the musical content. It was around the same time that I found a message board called Subvert Central. Many members were veterans of the scene, who wanted to take the music back to the roots. I began to think about setting up a label to try to fight the cause. I was meeting some producers through the Nu Killa Beats Drum & Bass night I run in my home town of Limerick too. I booked Breakage, Equinox, Senses and Chris Inperspective in 2003 and they all brought CD's of their productions for me. It was really inspiring stuff and the fact that many of these tunes would go unreleased because they didn't fit in with the latest 'fashion' in Drum & Bass made me all the more determined to get my own record label up and running.
edj: How did you decide on the name, because it can be argued that the music you release is anything but subtle…
Well, of course many people don't think that Drum & Bass is subtle, full stop. When you listen to it ALOT, like I do, choppy beats don't dominate your listening as much as the occasional listener and you can appreciate the other things going on. I guess the Subtle stamp was a reaction in some ways to the brash, over the top production techniques which were taking over the sound when I was starting the label. I mean, the music I realise is often heavy but it's subtle compared to alot of what's branded Drum & Bass these days! Alot of the music on the label has subtlety in that there are always interesting things happening with the atmospherics, or arrangements which evolve slowly. The word Subtle can relate to the beats too... there is a subtlety in how the breaks are sliced and diced, even if the overall effect isn't so subtle! Some of the music released fits the label name more obviously - like Sub - "Skadi", Jason oS - "What Do You Like", Martsman - "Some Minimal Business" (LXC Refix) or Sileni - "Bouncing Octagonal Fragments"... but then even the heavier stuff like Equinox's "Roy Ting" has detailed atmospherics and great attention to detail in it's drums. The name also relates to the fact that sometimes the music released on the label can take a few listens before it's fully appreciated. There - I hope I've justified it ! haha
edj: How difficult was it getting the label up & running? What were the biggest obstacles that you had to overcome?
I think it was made more difficult because of the type of music I wanted to push. Distribution companies were reluctant to take the label on and only for Nu Urban coming in to save the day, Subtle Audio might not have come so far in the last few years. Securing the distribution deal was the single biggest obstacle. The deal was to distribute only, I still had to pay for all the mastering / manufacturing myself. Also, because of the low return for each sale, I decided to try to sell a percentage of every pressing myself. This would mean that I would have to move less units to break even and it also helped to establish a relationship with fans of the label, which I think has proved to be valuable.
edj: How has the current economic climate affected Subtle and moreover, the d&b industry as whole?
Thankfully the sales of the most recent vinyls don't seem to have been affected too much. I don't know if I'll be able to say the same about future releases but for now, things seem to be ticking over. Of course, the label has never been releasing music that is going to sell by the lorry-load but amount of copies we're selling seems to be consistant all the time - hopefully that means we have a hardcore fan base out there.
edj: Recent technology has allowed people to start their own labels seemingly at will. How do you think that this has affected the scene?
Well, for one it has kept me on my toes - often a tune I was considering for a vinyl release has been snapped up and released as a download !
But on the whole I think these labels can be good, so long as the quality control is kept high. You would fear that just because people can release music easily that they would put out the first thing that comes to hand. I have to say that the digital labels I'm aware of seem to be keeping the quality control high. There are alot of good tunes around, but only a few vinyl labels that would even consider giving any of it a release. It's good to have some strong digital labels around so that there is an outlet for more breakbeat Drum & Bass.
edj: Has it made things harder for more established labels?
I would say that digital labels and vinyl labels releasing similar vibes can help each other. The more music there is in a certain style, the more people recognise that sound and see it as an entity unto itself. It might mean that they buy more of that type of sound so that they can build sets around it.
edj: The flip of this has been the rise in digital only, free net based labels. Do you think that they make a positive contribution to the music industry?
I think so, as long as the quality is kept to a certain standard. Labels like Exegene & DigiBeat are releasing alot of good stuff and Pinecone Moonshine and Materializm have put out some good things that I have been playing. I mean, people download the music and get to hear about artists (alot of whom have, or will have vinyl releases) they might not have otherwise, so of course they are contributing to the industry.
edj: Some people have in fact suggested that this is the direction that the music industry is heading in the long run. With piracy showing no signs of slowing down, it is perhaps the best way to counter act it, giving recorded music away for free, with artists making their living from dj’ing/live performances etc? What do you think of this? Do you think it would be a good/workable idea?
Maybe ! But that would mean that there would be no physical release of the music. I mean, no-one is going to pay for mastering / pressing / artwork etc and give it away for free ! Even releasing an mp3 has it's costs (though much, much lower). I still like to get the music I really like in a physical format. So, I hope it doesn't go this way where the only representation of the music is a file on a computer...
edj: Where do you stand on the vinyl vs mp3 debate? Is vinyl really dying?
I don't think it's dying out but now with mp3s / CDJ's / Serato etc, there are more options for people, so of course the sales are going to drop but vinyl still sells. Vinyl is still my favourite medium but I'm not against using other formats at all. I mean, I can't afford to buy everything I want on vinyl. I generally buy the tunes I can't do without on vinyl and then buy other tracks that might be more strictly for Dj'ing digitally. This works for me.
edj: Can you see a time when it ceases to exist entirely?
I don't want to imagine it, but I can ! That day could be 5 years away... 10 years away... who knows really ? Maybe in 20 years, mp3's will be long gone after scientists prove them to be highly dangerous :-)
edj: What artists are you feeling at the moment?
People like, Equinox, Nebula, Sub, Macc & dgoHn, Dissident, Dub One, Reactiv, Nolige, ASC, Bop, Martsman, Paradox, Nucleus, Seba, Dj Trax, Polska, Instra:Mental, D-Bridge, Commix, ST Files, Electrosoul System.
edj: Subtle certainly focus’s on the more experimental side of the genre, and the past 1 / 2 years has certainly seen a rise in producers pushing boundaries and experimenting with their music more. How can you see Drum & bass evolving over the next couple of years?
Well, it would be great to have more Drum & Bass that's experimental and dancefloor music all at once. So I'm hoping to hear lots of music that is great to listen to at home but also great to dance to aswell. On top of that, I'm hoping to hear stuff that's not dancefloor at all, unless yer a big weirdo... I was actually working on a tune myself that hardly has any beats, but more echoes of beats most of the way through. Probably completely undanceable, but still Drum & Bass to my ears anyway. I'll have to go back and work on that some more...
edj: What’s up next for Subtle? I think you mentioned the possibility of an Equinox ep project? Can you shed any more light on this?
Yeah, I'm on Equinox's case !!! We've agreed to at least doing a 12" release and I'm hoping to do a 2x12" EP release, but that depends on what tracks come out of his studio. At the very least there will be a release of an old tune of his, made on an Amiga in 1996 called "Meecha". I got a master version ripped from an old DAT tape the other day! Marlon is working on an updated version too. I'm very excited about releasing that tune. It's part of the reason I haven't released too many amens on the label, as I was always hoping to secure that tune. There aren't many people who deliver an amen tune like Equinox can. If it's an EP release, there should be other styles of music too.
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Code minimix:
1. Dissident - Imager (SUBLTE001CD)
2. Senses - All Over (SUBTLE002 / SUBTLE001CD)
3. ASC - Oceanography (SUBTLE002EP)
4. Macc & Duffah - Messier 51 (Equinox Remix) (SUBTLE001CD)
5. Dissident - Universe Eat Universe (SUBTLE010)
6. Sileni - Failspan (SUBTLE004)
7. Amplicon - Let Go Of The Release (SUBTLE001CD)
8. Nebula - Chords Of Sorrow (SUBTLE012)
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