[Mule Musiq]

One of the things you’ll hear hip hop producers bang on about is that musically, the genre can draw influence from anywhere, be it classical, world music or indie rock. I think it’s fair to say that electronic music does the same these days, with more and more producers discovering dance music and incorporating the native music and instruments from their country into their productions. Onur Özer’s Turkish background bleeds through his intricate, minimal tracks, as does Villalobos’ South American heritage in many of his productions. For Raoul Konan, his introduction to electronic music came in 1992 when he moved from his native town of Agboville on the Ivory Coast to Hamburg. While soaking up the culture and the sounds of the city he began DJing and producing, later incorporating the sounds of West Africa into the tracks he commited to vinyl on his own Baobob label, which he started in 2007 as Mr. Raoul K. His latest release on Mule Musiq, The African Government, shows two different sides to the producer: the one who emigrated to Germany with a head full of African sounds and was indoctrinated by the prevalent sounds of his new home town, and the one who is now producing his own versions of those clubs tracks with which he became enraptured.

The original mix of “The African Government” is full of the smile inducing, feel good rhythms of acoustic African guitars, organic hand drumming and light, sonorous percussion. For all its light airiness it is underpinned by an occasional, deeply rooted bass that keeps the groove together, grounding the otherwise flighty track. Yet with so many layers of infectious melody all tugging at your feet it’s hard not to get carried away. On the flip the “Piano Influence Mix” doesn’t bear too much comparison to the original, save for the same hypnotic feeling imbued in both tracks. Searching, transcendent analog synths finger their way towards celestial bodies, sounding very much like DJ Skull’s 1998 analogue gem, “When Will I Be Free.” The slight flourishes are what make the track; the backwards, detuned drum that creeps in at the end of each bar, the particular fuzz that grows on the bass sound like plaque on unbrushed teeth, the almost inaudible, filtered hats that slide through certain parts of the track. These are the things that sink in to your subconscious when you listen to music and keep you coming back for more, something that is very easy to do with this release.

Welcome to the fourteenth 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. Mule Musiq, one of Japan’s leading techno/house labels, is the focus of our attention this time around. Owned and operated by Toshiya Kawasaki, Mule Musiq (and its sub-labels, Mule Electronic and Endless Flight) offers a uniquely Japanese point of view that’s helped popularize Force of Nature and Kuniyuki, while also hosting standout releases from Terre Thaemlitz, Minilogue, Henrik Schwarz, Lawrence and even Lydia Lunch (among many others). Mr. Kawasaki was kind enough to answer our questions about the differences between Japanese and Western music industries, the label’s origins and Mule Musiq’s philosophy for running a successful label. He acknowledged that his English isn’t perfect and encouraged us to make sense of his replies; hopefully our edits remain true to the spirit of his answers.

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

I had worked for clothing company for long time before I started Mule Musiq. I founded a small label with the clothing company, but this label was closed after only one release for some reason. After that,I founded the select shop of CDs and some special products with another clothing company in Kyoto. At the same time I started Mule Musiq, but in the beginning it was not a label, it was a promoter company. I invited many underground artists such as Luciano, Henrik Schwarz, Optimo and other artists from Kompakt and Playhouse. There was not a special reason that I started Mule Musiq. Maybe the only reason is I often received much music from young producers, as I was always looking for new live acts for my party. Kompakt gave me the opportunity to distribut my release outside of japan. Actually it’s really difficult thing for Japanese labels. I wanted to have the name like a perfume, because it’s used everyday and good one is modern and timeless. Both [being] modern and timeless are necessary for my releases as well.

How did you select the artists for Mule Musiq’s roster?

When the label was started, almost artist were my friends.

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

Now I get a lot. I actually have no expectations for the demos which come by e-mail in particular, but
I listen carefully to the demos that come by post and the process is important for me to release.

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

Kuniyuki, “Earth Beats.” This track is a very uniquie fusion of Kraut rock,jazz, ethnic music and deep house. It’s very timeless and still fresh for me.

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

First, I’m not the person who wants to do smart things! I’m working very hard for the label but still doing the promoter work and fashion business. But all industries [are experiencing difficulties] at the moment. I haven’t had a big problem from the closure of distributors, but in Toyko many record store have closed. Five years ago, there are over 80 record stores in one area, Shibuya. I go to the record store on Monday night and Saturday evening every week to buy new releases, but now there are no record stores which have the shipping from each overseas distributors every week.

I understand the music/recording industry in Japan is different from the industries in Europe or America. Because Mule Musiq is from Japan, does it change the way you run your business and interact with labels/artists/distributors around the world? How so?

I live in Tokyo, but my all releases are distributed from Germany and manufactured in Europe. I haven’t thought about the difference of the industries between Japan and overseas, but the music scene where
I am now is like a small village, everything is close [together].

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

Yes, helping a lot and already a big role for the promotion. I always looking forward [to new content on] my favorite blogs. I like you!

There is no shortage of labels in dance music. What does Mule Musiq do to stand out from the crowd? What does Mule Musiq deliberately not do?

I’m doing what I want to do, and only this.

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?

I hear some DJs are going to buy the vinyl again. Me too. I don’t download and [instead] buy the vinyl to save this world. But the sad thing is I have to sell mp3s to continue the label.

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

I like the labels who have a wide range with good sensibilities, but there are very few. Almost all label go only one direction. I like DFA very much and Lawrence’s Dial is always beautiful.

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

Many things to come! The CD release of our first ambient compilation called Enjoy the Silence, with all exclusive songs from DJ Koze, DJ Sprinkles, Thomas Fehlmann, Jan Jelinek and more. There’s a new compilation of Mule Electronic, My Favorite Things Vol.2, a Mule Musiq compilation I’m Starting To Feel OK Vol.3,an album from Lawrence album, and a Japanese artists compilation. There are also exciting 12 inches from Isolee, John Daly, Mark E, Minilogue, Soft Rocks, Move D and many more.

[Mule Musiq]

The third release in the Kuniyuki remix series, helmed by Henrik Schwarz and Tony Lionni, gives us yet another set of interpretations of the Japanese producer’s deep, down-tempo house tracks. Earlier this summer, “Remixed Vol. 2″ dropped two great cuts — an airy, all over the place Cobblestone Jazz remix of “The Session” and a heavy, spacey disco remix of “Touch” by A Mountain of One; this time around, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

Henrik Schwarz opens ceremonies tentatively, layering a jazzy piano riff and airy synthesizers over crisp, organic drum sounds and syncopated rhythms. He goes on to build the track’s momentum through contrasts between organic and inorganic textures, electronic and acoustic instruments, mechanical and freeform rhythms, pushing it into a jazzy climax (replete with piano, rolling congas and flute solo) before coming down in dreamy self-destruction. The remix works well in its duality, finding a strange halfway place between house and jazz that evokes the calm and otherworldliness of its title and avoids going overboard into “world groove” territory. Hardly one for the club, “Dear African Sky” almost begs to be played at sunrise on an introspective drive home.

Tony Lionni’s afro-jazzy reworking of “Birds” builds on Henrik Schwarz’s remix and leads us through more organic sounds, ultimately failing to make anything interesting of it. The progression between both tracks is the kind of change that Thomas Melchior might point to when making a statement like “electronic music is really a continuation of jazz,” except Lionni fails to develop this idea to its proper potential. Throwing together a pile of acoustic instruments and forgoing any electronic production, the track works itself into a bloated frenzy before fading out to the awkwardly stunted strums of a guitar. The results aren’t particularly terrible nor particularly interesting; rather, “Birds” feels like something your parents might pick up on a world music compilation in a BMG CD catalog.

Although both producers share similar choices in instrumentation, Lionni’s reworking of “Birds” lacks the restraint, pacing and contrasts that make “Dear African Sky” a beautiful track. Whereas Schwarz builds his remix around atmospherics and quiet dynamisms, Lionni opts for tired clichés, turning his track into a dull “world” jam which serves as a reminder of just how stale house music can be when it’s poorly produced. Thankfully, Henrik Schwarz wasn’t quite ready to break the string of great releases he’s been working on since May, and we’re left with a remix that’s just as satisfying — if a little bit quieter — than the rest of his work. (post by Jeremy Cohen)

[Mule Musiq]

Usually the phrase “jam session” conjures mental images of hippies, bongos and rooms thick with marijuana smoke. But despite the aimless connotations, long and improvised sessions are how a number of great techno/house musicians find their signature grooves which are then whittled into tracks. Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer, Ricardo Villalobos and a host of smaller names are all purportedly fond of the method. For Henrik Schwarz, his friend/collaborator Kuniyuki Takahashi and guitarist Yoshihiro Tsukahara, one such post-tour session was so inspirational it spawned the aptly-titled “The Session” single, which sees release on Mule Musiq.

Schwarz and Kuniyuki each get a side to pare down “The Session” into their own unique creation, starting with the former. Giving in to historical pressure (just kidding), Henrik’s hand drum beat and syncopated shaker pattern set the stage for sizzling synth stabs, as if they were coursing through a dangerously frayed cable. While it’s not one of Schwarz’s more dazzling tunes, it accurately captures his equal affection for Robert Hood’s minimal techno palatte and African tribal percussion. Kuniyuki’s version is likely closer to what “The Session” sounded like as it was happening: a vast and tangled web of looped and leading guitar licks, loping synth progressions tweaked in real time, droning feedback planes and a mess of overlapping drum work held together by the almighty kick drum — and even it shrinks back occasionally. Like an unexpected detour that turns into a prolonged and gripping adventure, Kuniyuki’s 12 minute version is as exhausting as it is enjoyable, as well as a welcome fusion of organic and synthetic sounds. So let’s cast aside our prejudices against jam sessions for a bit, munch on a magic brownie and let “The Session” take us for a ride.