As the record buying experience continues to shift from brick and mortar shops to online retailers, some treasured relationships between store clerks and patrons are becoming a thing of the past. But for many fans of underground dance music, there’s at least one store whose carefully selected offerings comes close to filling the gap: Hard Wax. Berlin’s most venerable record store was founded in 1989 by Mark Ernestus (later of Basic Channel/Rhythm & Sound fame), and for a few years it was the city’s only dispensary of techno and house vinyl. Its founder’s role in the Basic Channel, Maurizio, and Chain Reaction labels reinforced the shop’s focus on quality and value over gimmicks and ornamentation. Shoppers know not to expect garish sales or hyperbole-filled descriptions — a “TIP!” is the closest most records get to unrestrained praise. It’s a must-visit institution for locals and dance music pilgrims alike, a place where you can find rare cuts, the latest crop of hand stamped white labels, and any number of top DJs and producers, from Marcel Dettmann and Achim Brandenburg (Prosumer) to René Pawlowitz (Shed) and Cassy, behind the store’s counter or restocking the shelves. And if you can’t make it to the Kreuzberg area, the Hard Wax web shop is a worthy substitute whose new release list keeps readers ahead of the curve. If that’s not enough, Hard Wax also distributes a handful of essential labels, like Pawlowitz’s WAX/EQUALIZED/Soloaction imprints and the much sought after Workshop records.

In anticipation of Hard Wax’s 20th anniversary (an occasion marked by a show of truly epic proportions, see flyer below), LWE talked with Torsten Pröfrock, one of Hard Wax’s buyers and a renowned if tight-lipped producer, about the changes Hard Wax has seen over 20 years, the shop’s larger impact, and a tip for getting space on its hallowed shelves.

How long have you been working for Hard Wax? How did you get the job?

I’m working at Hard Wax for 15 years now. It started as a student job in the first place.

What is the full scope of Hard Wax’s distribution? Who decides what Hard Wax distributes?

Hard Wax is mainly a shop and not a distributor. Hard Wax-distributed titles are coming from regular costumers, employees and friends — people who are in any kind of “real” and social relation to the shop. Hardly any release needs to be turned down. There is no single decider upon these issues, it’s rather a group thing.

What has been the most popular record this year with Hard Wax’s staff? What about its customers?

Probably these WAX, EQUALIZED & SUBSOLO releases are the ones that are worshiped throughout the staff as well as by many customers. We’ve sold almost 200 copies of the second EQUALIZED just in the shop, keeping it offline for almost two months.

Hard Wax is decidedly picky about the records you sell. How are they chosen?

That question is difficult to answer, because what’s behind it is the question: what’s a good tune? We’re buying what’s available and see[ing] how it goes.

2009 has seen an explosion in stamped white labels, following Hard Wax-distributed labels such as Workshop and Marcel Dettmann Records and more recently the Wax and Equalized records. What is it about this aesthetic that the store adores?

Stamped white labels are the artwork of the small edition. Since more small editions are done these days this low-profile artwork is more on use. It’s definitely nothing new and wide spread in the DIY-music scene since its founding days. What’s coming along with that is the taste of the hand made craft work, the aura of the artifact, the illusion of the rare item. I guess Hard Wax isn’t that special in liking such editions.

Who writes the descriptions on the site? What makes a record deserving of a “tip”? What turns you off most?

The descriptions are made by us, mainly the buying persons. A “good” record deserves a “tip.” Lack of originality is the most annoying thing in this job.

What has changed the most for Hard Wax in its 20 years?

It’s obviously the flow of information through the Internet that reshaped our world in a way. On the one hand way more people have unlimited access to in-depth information about music, its artists and sources. On the other hand it’s exactly the same amount of seemingly infinite information floods that’s turning people off and establishes the need for a “filter.” Over the last few years we were becoming more aware of our function as a filter.

Do you have any tips for producers/labels hoping to get a record or white label on Hard Wax’s shelves?

I guess the social relation is the most important thing here. One doesn’t have to be a friend, but at least a frequent costumer. These people usually are coming up with something that fits into the program.

With so many great “finds” that have exposed customers to new sounds, where do you see Hard Wax’s role in shaping dance music tastes?

Possibly Hard Wax is helpful for people who are in a certain niche of house and techno. In a greater context of dance music you’d hardly find people adoring us as there are almost none of the bigger projects or names really happening in the shop.

[Equalized]

In many ways, Equalized can only be discussed as two rubber stamped records, each carved with of a deep understanding of and flexibility with rhythm. The scope of sounds found on their four sides could point to a number of talented, Hardwax-affiliated producers, solo or in collaboration. While the A side of “Equalized #001″ contained listeners with rubbery plucks and Detroit-influenced swells, the sky-scraping rhythms of the B side needled their air around them. “Equalized #002″ manages to be more diverse and possibly even better.

The glow emanating from its A side is white hot yet lulls the ears, its worming synth lines reaching out from inside, wriggling around the scale. A fierce, galloping breakbeat bursts through the calm, carrying ethereal chords straight off a cliff, only to return once dancers land back on the floor. It’s a thrilling, euphoric ride unlike almost anything I’ve heard recently. The B side seems more familiar, if only because it shares a dry, friction-laden synth sound with the similarly anonymous “Wax #001.” Its quarter note pattern plunges into echo-laden caves and emerges just as acerbic on the other side of the tunnel. The sides seem so divergent from each other and “Equalized #001,” so fiercely independent and hungry for vigorous rhythms. Because I can only speak of Equalized as records, I must strongly encourage you to track down “#002.”

Welcome to the tenth edition of our series of short interviews affectionately titled Talking Shop. The majority of media and fan attention gets showered on the artists who create the music we love to listen to/DJ with/dance to, and for good reasons. But without the hard work, keen ears and business savvy of label staff, we’d be stuck only streaming tracks on Myspace. Number ten brings us to the cold and soulful sounds of Berlin’s Workshop. Headed by Jens Kuhn, known to many as Lowtec, Workshop is as much a label as it is a series of EPs. Since 2006, Lowtec and crew have put out a new EP every few months, each comprising three untitled tracks. Some showcase a single artist (Move D, Kassem Mosse and Lowtec have each commandeered one), while others feature a handful at once. LWE’s current favorite is Workshop 004, a collection of shadowy house tracks by Move D, Even Tuell and Sascha Dive. With its gray aesthetic and cryptic design, Workshop has chiseled a distinct identity and landed a distribution deal with Hard Wax, arguably Berlin’s most respected record shop. Lowtec gives us the lowdown on the snacks that inspired the label’s creation, their stratified demo system, and how smaller release runs could save the vinyl business. Also, an exclusive mix from Even Tuell inaugurates our Talking Shopcast series after the jump.

Please tell me about the beginning of Workshop. Why and how did you start out? How did you decide on the name Workshop?

It took us two bottles of wine to decide that Workshop would fit best because it expresses the way we talk about, deal with, and make decisions about the music we produce and receive as demos. We take our time with the Who/Why/What/When decisions. That’s what you learn from experience with fresh cheese and good Bordeaux.

Can you tell us a bit about why the tracks are all untitled?

Searching a good track name for “just-another-cool-dancetrack-or-DJ-tool” might seem a bit senseless or like a waste of time but sometimes track names fit so well that some artists skip that rule.

How do you select the artists for Workshop’s roster?

It’s mainly about good old friends and keeping the family together, but it also features relative newcomers like Gunnar, Kassem Mosse, or Sascha [Dive], which is the result of traveling around and keeping your eyes, and of course ears, open for fresh but familiar sounds.

Do you get many demos? What are some qualities you look for when sorting through them?

We get more and more demos. We have now a full-time employee, Natascha, who looks through the daily incoming packages, judges the stamp selection and info sheet style, weighs the sound and feels the base line temperatures. There are three demo baskets: a.) Nice tries, maybe cool for Carl, b.) Quite good music in general, but definitely not for us, and c.) Boys, give it a chance. Worth listening to

What is one of your favorite releases on your own label? Why?

We love Kassem’s record because it’s very special to us. We were kind of worried whether it would be recognized for its new-schoolish groove and its experimental slo-motion tempo.

Workshop: Keeping the rubber stamp industry booming.

According to many doomsayers, running a record label isn’t one of the “smartest” fiscal things to do. How do you keep Workshop running with sales “as they are”?

Hardwax does a very good job for our label and we’re very happy to work with them as our exclusive vinyl distributor. It seems easy for them to sell the stuff they like and if they don’t like a release very much, they’re honest about their view and advise or suggest lower production numbers to reduce the financial risk for the label.

Do you think mp3 blogs like LWE hurt the music industry? Do you think blogs have a role in the future of dance music promotion?

Definitely not and definitely yes. As long as it doesn’t feel like self-hyping or remote controlled hyping, remote controlled hyper PR or marketing of rubbish that there’s no adequate rubbish marketplace for… we think all this blogging is very fine and informative!

There is no shortage of labels in dance music. What does Workshop do to stand out from the crowd?

1st. We do what we love, like all the others hopefully do as well. 2nd. Maybe all the little underground labels should rethink their output frequency a bit. If they want they can contact Natascha 24/7 to learn how to handle it.

As technology advances further, vinyl is moving closer to becoming obsolete to many DJs. What are your feelings on this? Do you think the end of vinyl is in sight?

Vinyl will never die and it will definitely kill the mp3 industry, which we’re very sorry for. Mp3s cause a lot of messiness in one’s music collection. Vinyl does too, but it really feels better and it weighs a lot more.

What are a few other labels you respect/revere most?

Warp, Rephlex, Main Street Records, Source Records Heidelberg, Trax Records, Dance Mania, Dow & Vigliante, and the early years of Playhouse and Planet E.

What can we expect from Workshop in the next year or so?

Hopefully some very good EPs and a little Workshop showcase tour.

To get an aural idea of what Workshop’s all about, check out this exclusive new mix by Even Tuell. Some of you may know this Workshop gun already as the man behind the ghostly second track on Ame’s Fabric 42 mix. Entitled “DETROITENACHT,” this mix represents Workshop well — a serene variety of deep and soulful sounds, perfect for the descending autumn.

LWE Talking Shopcast 01: Even Tuell (73:00)

01. Wolfgang Rübsam, “Flourish” [Palham Music]
02. Four Tet, “Ribbons” [Domino Recording Company Ltd.]
03. Ovatow, “Phalaenopsis Dub I” [Frantic Flowers]
04. Strand, “De Grand Act” [Delsin]
05. Quince, “Steady Freddy” [Delsin]
06. Convextion, “Astrum” [Down Low Music]
07. Urban Force, “Untitled 2″ (Mike Huckaby remix) [Statik Entertainment]
08. The Oliverwho Factory, “Apocalypse” [Madd Chaise Inc]
09. Ksoul & Ra.H, “Turning Point” [Sistrum Recordings]
10. Claro Intelecto, “Harsh Reality” [Modern Love]
11. Murmur, “Tap90″ [Meanwhile]
12. Tim Toh, “Join the Resistance – One” [Philpot]
13. System 360, “Like A Virgin” [Source Records]
14. The Other People Place, “Sorrow And A Cup Of Joe” [Clone]
15. The Attendants, “Hmmm Love” (Arturo’s Mix) [Inner Sunset Recordings]
16. Invasion Of The Beat Snatchers, “Di Da” [Rufftrak Recordings]
17. Aybee, “Deepblak’d” [Prescription]

[Workshop]

Since 2006, Workshop has released a new EP every six months or so. Sold and distributed by Hard Wax, each EP consists of three untitled tracks, sometimes all by the same artist and sometimes by a varied group. The quality of these releases has been consistently solid: Kassem Mosse’s “Workshop 03″ had a stark and gravelly aesthetic that made it a real standout from 2007, and “Workshop 04″ boasted some fine ghostly house from Move D, Even Tuell and Sascha Dive. Unfortunately, “Workshop 05″ is the weakest installment yet, offering a handful of tracks less varied and intriguing than their predecessors. But it still merits some close attention, featuring a memorable track by Benjaminn Brunn — an artist I personally had yet to hear solo — and a quirky contribution by the mysterious Da Halz.

The three tracks that make up “Workshop 05″ are all cut from the same cloth — sugary, soothing, stripped down tech house. Benjamin Brunn’s contribution focuses on a serene two-chord motif, doused in reverb and pushed along by a perky, compelling rhythm.  Some gentle synth stabs drift in and out, along with some erratic analog streamers that soar and crash. Atmospherically, it recalls the lazy bliss of Songs From the Beehive, his recent collaboration with Move D, but unlike the sprawling semi-ambience of that album, this track is crafted with the DJ in mind. Japanese artist Rising Sun kicks off the B-side, lamely shadowing Brunn’s effort with a pretty but unremarkable afterhours track. Da Halz redeems the B-Side with an off-kilter groove that would take a bit more creativity to drop in a mix. The beat is gentle and plodding, vaguely funky and probably not danceable. In terms of mood, Da Halz follows suit, draping ethereal veils over the percussion’s mechanical clacking. As with the other tracks, this tune’s euphoric drowsiness is better suited to a bedroom mixtape than a weekend DJ set. Overall, “Workshop 05″ succeeds in being dreamy and pleasant, but feels lackluster compared to other recent efforts in mollified tech house (Move D’s “Between Us,” Sten’s “Way To The Stars”), and certainly doesn’t live up to the high standard set by the earlier installments in this series.