[Spectral Sound]

Ryan Elliott makes functional music: it’s what he’s known for, and it’s what he does best. It’s why his Little White Earbuds podcast was a resounding success, a storming selection of tracks that never once felt overbearing or overpowering, instead the careful and finessed work of someone who truly understands the mechanics of techno. But his latest production — and debut for Spectral Sound, the Ghostly sub-label for which he manages A&R — is almost humorously stripped back, a photo-negative techno skeleton that you could probably poke holes in if it weren’t all empty space and air to begin with.

A kick, hi-hat, and a few different inhuman vocal samples: that’s pretty much all the track is. Oh yeah, there’s a chord as well. The slovenly bass line — like it’s hanging low just behind the beat — is the one thing that lends it a semblance of physical heft, keeping the track on life support as it ambles its way through its rather simplistic life. The track isn’t much at all, but it’s just groovy enough to stand on its own two feet, and tracky enough to be a powerful building back or supporting foundation for any number of other, more assertive tracks. Mysterious outfit STABLO offers a minimal-tinged remix, sending a playful chord progression reverberating through that chasm of empty space. This time the percussive elements feel like a wireframe cage rather than the pure constituents, like Elliott’s original turned inside out. It lacks the blunt, no-bullshit force of the original but offers something just a smidgen meatier for those who might find “Kicking Up” a little too lean for their liking. “Kicking Up” is the kind of single not likely to top DJ charts or hoard critical acclaim, but for those DJs who stumble upon it should prove the kind of valuable set glue we expect from Ryan Elliott.

Since 2005, Birmingham producer Mark Evetts has built a career around looped grooves, a uniquely slow, disco-inflected house sound that’s spawned a number of imitators in the process. Many of his productions were largely edit-based, breathing new, warped life into Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey samples to create new cult classics. A diverse range of labels have sought to call his tracks their own, releasing on Golf Channel, Sonar Kollektiv, Running Back, Endless Flight, and Jiscomusic, and compiled them on two compilations for his own MERC imprint. His debut album, Stone Breaker, however, finds that Evett’s style has evolved in favor of a punchier, trackier approach that incorporates more space and less psychedelia, acid cameos and far fewer samples. Its compositions mark a slight left turn for him, outlining his promise as a musician as much as they highlight his preexisting skill as an arranger. With this in mind, LWE interviewed him about the album, its stylistic changes, and his plans for the months ahead.

You’ve kind of spearheaded the whole loopy disco edit trend over the past few years. Obviously Stone Breaker is a departure from that. Did you feel a conscious need to distance yourself from that scene/sound, or was it more of a natural progression?

Mark Evetts: It wasn’t so much a conscious decision to move away from that sound, just a natural progression and development to explore new areas, in both the way I produce and the music I want to play as a DJ. I think if you stay doing one thing for too long it can become boring, not just for the listener, but also for the artist.

Are there any samples on the album?

Yes, there are samples in there, but used subtly.

With something like “Plastic People” or “R&B Drunkie,” you’re obviously working with a preexisting track and creating something new from it. With the new album, were any of these tracks “covers” — I mean, were you applying old methods at all, finding juicy bits in tracks and rather than looping them, emulating them? Or was the composition wholly your own? I ask because a track like “Oranges,” for example, has a similar looping quality.

The composition is all my own. I mean, a track like “Belvide Beat” is a better example of the looping aesthetic, I would say. “Oranges,” on the other hand, is a totally new composition. I wrote the whole track — I think that’s one of the best things I’ve done, because for me it’s a completely original track. I wrote the bass line, the chords, everything, so I’m surprised you draw comparisons with the loopy sample nature of previous tracks. But I understand the direction. I think it’s only natural that I will be employing ways of producing from my previous experiences — it’s just the way I work. But also HOUSE lends itself to the repetitiveness of looping to create a building piece.

Do you find the records from your “edit period” inform your present sound at all? Are you drawing from new influences?

They undoubtedly do, without me even consciously acknowledging it. I think any artist’s previous work will be influencing their current output, and as a producer I think it’s important to take inspiration from new areas — which I think I’m doing all the time, but not only in production. The music I’m buying has changed and matured since then, which [is reflected] in my DJ sets. I’m finding [that] I’m playing a more house-oriented set these days, with techno emerging rather than the disco tinged stuff I was playing a few years ago. I feel it’s important to evolve rather then revolve.

What was the predominant instrumental makeup of the record? Did you acquire any new equipment for it? Because you weren’t solely working with samples, was the search for sounds “wide-open” — there’s acid on a track or two, for instance — or did you feel a need to limit yourself to achieve a cohesive feel?

My setup is very basic, but I can fly through it now. I can get ideas down really fast, so I didn’t see the need to employ anything new for the album. But yeah, the emphasis has now shifted from sample based tracks to pure new sounds and arrangements, something I feel came from doing the edits earlier, they have given me the confidence to try new original music and new ideas.

I read a recent interview where you said you sort of amassed these tracks. Were they all produced in the same period of time, or was it more of a gradual production/accumulation?

I produced the album over about three months of working on-and-off mid last year. It wasn’t meant to be an album, but suddenly they came together and felt right to keep [together] as one… because the chronological flow of how they were produced wasn’t forced, it just happened.

So far, the label MERC has been only you and Chicago Damn. How did you go about finding Chicago Damn, and are you planning to release different artists in the future, or are you keeping it more of a personal/community/small scale thing?

He (Chicago Damn) sent me his tracks out of the blue, and I thought they were perfect for the label so we agreed to put them out. I’m always open to new music from new artists. The next release is by a new artist from the West Midlands called Edward. He sent me some ace music which fits with the ethos of the label. But it [originally] was meant predominantly as an outlet for my own stuff.

What’s coming up for you?

Lots of DJing around the release of the album — a Japan tour, lots of European dates, and hopefully a U.S. tour later on the year. Plus maybe more [releases] with Spectral and lots more on MERC, and I’m working on some new remixes at the moment too.

Although his name has been synonymous for some time with Detroit and more particularly the quality strains of house and techno emitted by the Spectral Sound label, some will be surprised that Ryan Elliott’s recent EP for Ostgut-Ton is his first proper release. Having previously turned out a few edits and remixes, even appearing with his own original track “Abatis” on the Ostgut compilation Fünf, Elliott’s main area of focus has been as A&R man for Spectral Sound and as DJ ambassador for the Detroit based label. With a reputation for impeccable DJ sets and a demanding schedule, Elliott left Detroit for its European simpatico city of Berlin eighteen months ago, finding a surrogate home in the fold of the Ostgut crew. LWE got on the line to Elliott to discuss the importance of developing yourself as an artist, the dangers of juggling a hectic DJ schedule with a full time job, and upholding the legacy of the Motor City. Showing just why he is such a coveted name to have on your club bill, Elliott also supplied our exclusive 82nd LWE podcast, a hot mix of raw, bristling techno that encompasses the works of his contemporaries, unreleased tracks and some vintage moments in techno.

LWE Podcast 82: Ryan Elliot (58:21)

01. Skudge, “Modular Storm” [Skudge Records]
02. O/V/R, “Post Traumatic Son” (DVS1 Optimist Mix) [Blueprint]
03. Szare, “Pressure” [Horizontal Ground]
04. Donor, “Sude 4.1″ [Thema]
05. The Express, “Bost” [HEM]
06. The Express, “Host” [HEM]
07. Contakt, “Not Forgotten” (Rolando Remix) [Local Action Records]
08. Donor, “Sude 4.2″ [Thema]
09. Lucy, “Kalachakra” (DVS1 Eyes Open Mix) [Prologue]
10. Care Company, “Vol. 2-B” [Sense Music]
11. Jeff Mills, “Strata” [Something In The Sky]
12. The Sun God, “Return To Saturn” [Klang Elektronik]
13. Drake & Griffiths, “The Devil’s Eyes” (Bleak’s Bêtte Noire Remix)
[Fear Of Flying]
14. Rio Padice, “Mission To Venus” [Tsuba Limited]
15. Ben Sims, Phil Vernol & Rob Jarvis, “Killa Bite 1-B1″ [Killa Bite]
16. User, “User 4-A2″ [User]
17. Robert Hood, “The Family” [M Plant]
18. WK7, “Higher Power” [Power House]
19. EQD, “Equalized #004-B” [Equalized]
20. Rolando, “The Afterlife” [Saved Records]

So you grew up in Detroit right?

Ryan Elliot: Correct. I grew up on the west side of Detroit and I lived there my whole life until a year and a half ago when I moved to Berlin. I mean I went to university in a small town half way between Detroit and Chicago called Kalamazoo, but that’s still kind of Detroit.

So growing up there I guess you discovered electronic music at a fairly young age.

Yeah I mean I guess the perfect kind of answer for this interview would be that I first went to the Music Institute when I was twelve years old and then went to Richie’s Plastikman parties… but I didn’t. I discovered it from the radio. Even still today they have the “Drive at Five” show and they’ll do a live DJ mix on the radio and they are sprinkled with hip hop, booty, electro — like proper old school electro, and Detroit techno. So I was introduced to the first Submerge records through the radio… and I forgot how strange it is to hear a live mix on the radio. When I went home for Christmas and was driving from one family member’s house to another and “Nights of the Jaguar” came on the radio and I was just thinking there’s no other place where you’d get that playing on commercial radio.

So is Detroit really known for championing its own music?

I mean you’ve still got Derrick and Kevin and Juan, they’re not so much on the production front but they’re touring every weekend and they’re still flying the flag. People like Theo, Moodymann, Kyle Hall and Omar S, they’re there, living there, they’re in the trenches. But even with rock, like with the White Stripes and further back than that, there’s always been this thing with Detroit and music. Though I guess I have a very biased opinion. [laughs]

When you were starting to get into DJing and production did you feel like there was some sort of Detroit legacy you needed to uphold?

Yeah, for sure, and even now at over 80% of the shows I play someone comes up to me and says, “Oh you’re from Detroit huh,” because they know of all the associations that entails. I mean, I’m no Derrick May but yeah I do definitely feel that I have to uphold that legacy and fly the flag for Detroit.

So back in the day you’d get people like Derrick or Mike Banks mentoring people as they came up. Does that sort of thing happen today? Or did you get some yourself?

Well I came up with Matthew Dear so he was always a very good mentor to me. I don’t know Theo and those guys as well but I do think there has been some mentoring between him and Alex [Omar-S]. I mean, Detroit is not a posh city at all so there is very much a feeling of helping each other, you know, like we’re in this together, let’s stick together and help each other any way we can. I think that comes through with the production as well, with people lending each other gear and that sort of thing.

So how did you start out with Spectral Sound?

That’s a funny story. I never really got into DJing until I came back from university; I’ve always been a late bloomer in life with everything. So I started going out to clubs more and it was a natural progression. I became interested in what the DJs were doing, started trainspotting and all that. So my friends and I were living together and we bought some decks and learned to beat-match and all of that. Then a friend of mine from high school worked at this bar and they wanted to start an “electronic night,” so he suggested me because he knew I DJed. So I went and gave them a CD and they asked me to come in and try it out for a while. On the first night I played Matt [Dear] came in and said, “Hey I’m a DJ too, I really like what you played, can I come play with you next week?” and there was never a second thought about having him come do it with me. So that’s how it started and we did every Tuesday for about four years. It wasn’t just doing it, it was taking our own decks in and all that, they just had the sound system. So by the end of it he was touring more and I was starting to do a bit so I would play on my own or we’d get someone else to sub in for both of us. Then through meeting Matt I met Sam [Valenti] who owns both Ghostly International and Spectral Sound, so I eventually met the whole crew. And you know when you meet certain people and you just instantly gel and it’s like they’ve instantly close friends, it was like that.

So what year was it that you started that residency?

That must have been 2001.

And from the get-go were you interested in making tracks?

No, not at all. I wasn’t interested in making records for a long time actually. For me everything happens very slowly. So once I started buying records and then DJing, after a long time I started doing the odd edit or two. Then maybe a remix that wasn’t even released and then slowly it progressed into production. But you know, I think I’ll always consider myself a DJ first.

Yeah it’s interesting, I mean despite seeing your name for quite a while, that your recent Ostgut Ton release was your first proper twelve.

Yeah that’s my first ever EP. I’ve been flying around the world DJing for about ten years now but I have to say I was really proud to actually see my record on the wall in DJ shops. I actually have a funny story. I always shop at Hard Wax and Rotation here in Berlin every week– it’s part of my routine. I was listening to records in Rotation and this young guy comes in and he’s picking records off the wall and I got all excited because he picked my record. I was all like, “here we go, he’s going to listen to it” and he puts it in his stack and he listens to everything and then he put it back and didn’t buy it. So within five minutes I was all excited because he’d chosen to listen to my record then all bummed out because he didn’t buy it. [laughs] It’s funny because I mean it’s selling well and I’ve gotten good feedback on it but this really bummed me out for a couple minutes. Then after I walked out of the store I have a laugh about it. I mean life is good, I have nothing to complain about.

You know it’s pretty rare that you have been DJing around for the past ten years or so and have only recently been producing as well. For a long time now it’s been near impossible to have a DJ career without being a producer too.

Yeah and I’ve said it before, that for a while [the way I got gigs] was through playing with Matt when he would go tour, and I have no qualms about admitting that. But my thing was, if that was the case I had to show the promoter that I was a really good DJ so I would get booked again. But yeah, I was also very lucky that my first ever international gig was at Fabric. And Judy from Fabric has always been very nice and so have the guys from Berghain — for whatever reason a few of these really big clubs around the world took an interest in me very early on and I’ll never forget that. I was very lucky for that, so when that happens you have to make sure that you show up and you let them know that they did the right thing by booking you.

Did you ever have any career ambitions outside of DJing?

Yeah I worked for one of the big three auto-makers in Detroit for ten years. I was a financial analyst, a currency trader. I only left that job when I moved to Berlin. I mean I started there when I started doing that residency with Matthew, so as my job started getting more involved, so I was also getting more into DJing and following that side of things. But yeah it got hard to keep my mind on the jobby job, especially as it involved a lot of math, so Monday’s were never my favorite day. But I have lots of funny stories about those times. I think the worst it ever got was I worked late on a Thursday, then flew first thing on Friday to Tokyo, played there on Saturday night, then straight back and went to work on Monday morning. All of that and only plane sleep — if that even counts for anything.

Did you ever get called out by the boss and told to chose which path you wanted to go down?

No, I mean they were actually very understanding about the music. They knew that was my first love, but also I was good at my job and always did a good job for them so they tolerated the other side. But I mean, at the end I felt bad because I’m not a good multi-tasker so it was definitely time to go.

What was it that made you leave Detroit?

Well I was playing in Europe so much that it just seemed logical to do it. And my parents even said to me that I should do it, that they wished they had the chance to chase their dreams like that. I had never lived outside of Detroit and Berlin felt so similar to Detroit too. I also had such a good relationship with the Ostgut guys too, so although making everything happen and actually moving was hard, the decision to do it was easy.

Just getting back to Spectral for a moment, how did you ge into the A&R role with them?

Matthew and I split the role, and I guess it was because we were the ones who were buying records each week and the ones getting promos from other people who were maybe opening for us and things like that. We were the ones in the trenches so it just seemed like the easiest thing.

How broad or specific has the vision been for the label?

The same as Ghostly really, it’s very broad. We have things like acid from James Cotton, or then Todd Osborne who is pretty hard to categorize. Then people like Subb-An who has just done a really great record for us, who is kind of new school. I would say the only thing we really make a priority is that it must work for a DJ, it has to be geared for the dance floor. We always just know when something comes in whether it’s something for us or not.

Electronic labels take a very different approach with their artists than the majors do, but if perhaps you took a newer artist on are there instances where you will help that person develop their sound and their career?

Yeah, of course. I mean, we have a core family but if we receive a demo from someone who really blows my hair back then we take them on and if they keep coming up with great releases they become part of the core family.

So are you still in that role?

Yeah, the role hasn’t changed; Matt and I still do that.

So what is your relationship with Ostgut?

Well I’m a recording artist for them and they handle my DJ bookings. I hold a monthly residency either at Panorama Bar or Berghain depending on the month, it changes.

OK, you also did the mix of the Fünf comp too?

Yeah I did the cassette mix for them, mixing the back catalog for them. I mean I started with Spectral and that’s my U.S. home, but being here, Ostgut is such a nice crew to be a part of. I mean I play on Sunday at Panorama Bar and I start at 10pm and I know it’ll go ’til who knows when on Monday. And all the artists are so genuine and they all care so much about their DJing and their productions. I mean, not that I’ve come across many people who aren’t that passionate, but when I met them I was like, “Wow, I’m home.”

It does seem like many people in that Berlin scene is definitely into the music for all the right reasons.

Playing at Panorama Bar and Berghain, I always take my DJing very seriously. I mean, I told you, I always record shop every week, sometimes twice a week, but when you know that you’re going to come into Panorama Bar on Sunday, you know that probably half of the crowd is just there to lose themselves and have fun, but the other half are probably all DJs or promoters and they know the records you’re playing. So it really makes you up your game because you know you’re playing to all these people, so it makes me strive to be a better DJ.

Back to your EP for a second, were you approaching it at all from the point of you also being an A&R? Like thinking, OK, these are the things I would be looking out for, I know there should be this and this and this in it to be more appealing and that sort of thing?

No, any time I sit down to produce now — and maybe this will change when I become a more accomplished producer — but right now the way I approach production is with my DJing experience, what works best on the floor. These subtle bass shifts, these ins and outs of certain sounds that I know just always work, that’s what I’m trying to recreate and capture. So really with my productions right now, I’m not interested in adding twenty elements of something. If you can add four or five or six really good elements and you can sequence those in a clever and interesting way then that’s all you really need. My biggest influences are Hood, Mills, the old Studio 1 records, Baby Ford, people like that. You don’t need a lot when it’s that good. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not comparing myself to those guys, but those are the only elements you need to rock a dance floor. It’s not rocket science. Wolfgang Voigt is an absolute master. You can rattle off ten different genres and he’s at the top of the game. His Red Bull lecture he did was so good, they’re a great resource for anyone who needs inspiration. But he was saying that in his lecture, that you can make the most amazing track from about four different sounds, if it’s done well enough.

So how much are you devoting to production right now?

Well I’m DJing every weekend and I try to take Monday as a rest day, but Tuesday through Thursday I’m at it in the studio. I’m just sprinkling the last little bits of pixie dust on to my debut EP for Spectral, which will come out this summer, so I will keep the ball rolling.

Do you feel like once you enter that realm of releasing you have to keep it up and keep your name out there?

No, I don’t. I don’t think an artist should create that way. A painter should paint when they feel like painting. If a painter paints because they need money then they’re not really a painter. It’s finally struck me that I can actually produce — and in the past I have wondered whether I would be adding anything, but I think I can now and I think this can continue. But if there’s ever a patch where I have to force it, then I’ll go back to doing something else. Production-wise I very much want to stay as an artist.

What can you tell us about the mix you’ve done for us?

The mix was recorded in a studio in Berlin using two Technics, two CDJs, and a looper — my normal DJ set up. It was done in one live take, to get a nice feel and flow, and then pulled into some sound editing software to do a few edits and add a couple of effects. Now that I think about it, the mix was recorded in the exact opposite environment of a club setting (alone, middle of the afternoon, in sun filled and clean studio), but still does very much represent one of my current sets. I play anywhere from deep house to tough techno, depending on the show. This mix definitely lands more on the techno side, but also isn’t too banging because I realize most people are listening to podcasts while they work during the day, on their iPod while doing their daily commute or exercising, or in a car.

Content wise, it’s simply what’s in my bag at the moment. I always play a mix of old, new, and to be released stuff in my sets. I’m totally back into all my old late ’90s/early ’00s techno, so you’ll hear User and Killabite towards the end of the mix. EQD, Mills, Rolando, Skudge, and DVS1 can do no wrong in my book, so they represent some of the current tracks. I also want to mention a new act that I’m super excited about called The Express. I’ve featured two tracks from them in the mix that will be forthcoming on their own HEM label. Keep an eye on these guys as they have loads of excellent material coming soon. I hope everyone enjoys the mix as much as I did making it.

You’ve partly answered this already but what can we expect from Ryan Elliott in the next year?

Yeah, well the EP for sure and then more production. And really I’m sort of gearing up for the summer because that’s a big time for the DJ. So I’m just loading up my techno gun full of tasty bullets [laughs] to unleash on the dance floor. Techno soldiers, that’s my motto.

LWE Podcast 82: Ryan Elliot (58:21)

I find it hard to believe anyone reading this site is not at least somewhat familiar with the work of Matthew Dear. His records have been both critical and commercial successes, resulting in bona-fide classics under multiple monikers (Jabberjaw’s “Girlfriend” and “EP2″ under his birth name spring to mind immediately). 2008, however, was a disappointing year for Matthew Dear fans, and March’s “Love Letters” as False offered little reprieve. It was as if all Dear’s once-varied identities had simmered down to a similar, stagnant “minimal” sound. With the resurrection of Audion and a series of EPs building up to a full-length album, this has changed.

While not the balls-to-the-wall gritty and nasty Audion of “Kisses,” the newest transmissions from Audion have been darker than anything Dear has done in some time. “It’s Full Of Blinding Light”, the first 12″ for the series, seeks to integrate these two Audions, and does so with tremendous results. Easily the best thing he’s has released in some time, “It’s Full Of Blinding Light” proceeds at a sluggish pace, awash with creepy percussion and voices soon assaulted by the loud, grating lasers that have appeared in Audion’s biggest hits. Although it hints at “Mouth to Mouth,” this is a different beast entirely — prime-time brain-melting madness, and Audion at his very best.

Unfortunately, the two tracks on the flip are less memorable. “On My Way To The Center” combines a winding beat with Dear making a mantra of the track’s title, but never reaches the cynosure. “Jukebox Hero” has a similar beat and breaks occasionally for drawn-out groans, but ends too early to have developed into anything exceptional — so early, in fact, I suspected my vinyl copy was misprinted. Ultimately very similar to “Love Letters”, side B serves as a reminder of how thin the membrane between Matthew’s personalities has become. When he’s on form, though, he’s unstoppable, and “It’s Full Of Blinding Light” is so good that, for its duration, I forget the B-sides and am back in 2005 when Matthew Dear was king. Along with the three other digital tracks released so far this year, “It’s Full Of Blinding Light” proves Dear still has it in him; and when he trims the fat, he can still stop you in your tracks.

[Specral Sound]

Osborne’s “Hovercrafting EP” picks up where his Spectral Sound-released debut album left off last year, offering a breadth of styles rendered in characteristically bespoke timbres. The EP revisits “Wait A Minute Now,” first included on the free Ghostly Swim compilation, with two new versions and a potent Arto Mwambe remix. Osborne also slakes his thirst for crossing genre borders on two new tracks that deliver on the promise of his 2008 releases without simply reshuffling the deck. The two new versions offered here don’t veer far from the blueprint that made “Wait A Minute” such a standout among its compilation peers, yet Todd Osborn’s skillful rearrangements assure they’re worth owning. DJs will appreciate the utilitarian measures taken to fit “Wait” in their crates, retaining all the rollicking energy of the disco boogie number without breeding talkbox fatigue. And those who feel the vocoder-like affect is overexposed can find comfort in the self-explanatory instrumental version.

Arto Mwambe’s jocular attitude towards production makes them a perfect fit to rework tunes as lighthearted as Osborne’s, and here they don’t disappoint. The main motif’s distinct articulation evaporates, allowing now effervescent tones to swirl elementally across the dance floor. Meanwhile the pair’s signature rounded bass sound and clap-led percussion keep the tune well anchored and ready for the return of the talkbox. Of the two new tracks “Fire” seems most tied to “Wait A Minute” stylistically, its’ gleaming string arrangements and dexterous guitar work expanding the disco theme in even more vivacious directions. By contrast, “The Count” is a punchy techno workout without frills. Osborne wrings simple arpeggios of their groove potential across several drum machine/synth combinations. Used in the right context, perhaps alongside Robert Hood-styled minimal techno, “The Count” could incite dance offs as fevered as those featured in its appropriated video. It may be another five years before the next Osborne album lands, but releases like the “Hovercrafting EP” suggest the road ahead will be dotted with tuneful oases.

Welcome to the fifth 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. This time we focus on two of America’s most forward-thinking labels, Ghostly International and its swarthy sister, Spectral Sound. The U.S. was the birthplace of house and techno, but these days many of its finest purveyors are struggling to keep up with the future they helped create. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Ghostly/Spectral are among the few keeping up with the ripping pace of progress by becoming a multi-media empire with hands in publishing, videos, comics, apparel and of course records. The pair count Matthew Dear/Audion, Osborne, James T. Cotton, Lusine and many others among their numbers, offering a dark, distinct and blissfully unforgiving sound beloved by DJs and throngs of fans. Label impresario Sam Valenti IV tells us a bit about his booming baby and how it came to be.

Please tell me about the beginning of Ghostly/Spectral. Why and how did you start out?

Sam Valenti IV: I started DJing in high school and getting very wrapped up in hip-hop music in my teens. My interest began to wander to the more electronic edges of the genre and into drum and bass, which led to Squarepusher and the like. I think growing up and hearing Detroit radio DJs play booty into Detroit techno into Funkadelic was very inspirational. It was a statement that good music is good music, free of the genre restrictions that I felt in hip-hop at the time. There was just so much music to discover and it was like a veil had been lifted. Record labels and producers for me were a way to identify where to look next. I was DJing with probably 60% imported records at the time as there just didn’t seem to be a lot of American labels involved with the kind of music I was interested in, and those that were had very little identity. Ghostly was conceived as a statement of intent, representing electronic music as an art form in America. Something you could see and trust for music coming from these shores.

I also think Ghostly operated on the underdog principle, coming from the Midwest and Ann Arbor, and representing something new and cool for the world to see what important to me. On a personal level the working of a label, almost acting as an editor and helping artists and designers achieve their best work is and was a great source of pride for me, especially since I didn’t feel particularly adept at anything before that. Ghostly started after meeting Matthew Dear and working with Disco D, trying to get a record out, but after meeting Tadd Mullinix (Dabrye, James T. Cotton), there seemed to be a need to split the label into two to house all this great music, one label for more avant-pop style and one for dance music.

How did you decide on the names of Ghostly/Spectral?

Sam: Ghostly was a word that always stuck out in print. It would just lift off the page, as it’s a powerful but emotionally ambiguous word. The reader decides what it means to them, be it good/bad or sacred/secular. Spectral means “dark ghost” so it made sense as an playfully evil twin label, but it also relates to the color spectrum.

How did you select the artists for Ghostly/Spectral roster? Do you get many demos?

It’s a process of both hearing the music, be it by referral or chance, and getting to know the artists, making sure we share the same goals/ideals. We get a lot of demos, but due to being strapped for time with our existing artist base, we haven’t signed very many. Mobius Band and Cepia came through demos originally.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being based in Ann Arbor and the U.S. more generally?

The U.S. is where we live and the perspective we represent, but our artists are based all over the world. I guess this makes us somewhat unique. You’re always working against expectations here, as electronic music has always an underground phenomenon here. I don’t mind that aspect if we can keep growing, as it keeps you honest with yourself.

What is one of your favorite releases on your labels?

What are you trying to do here?? : ) The next release is my favorite.

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

My philosophy is that if you want it bad enough, you can make it work. I’ve never thought of us in the scope of a traditional record label of yore, more of a mutant brand of label and art gallery. We are putting work on display for the public’s consideration, not going for the hard sell. I don’t want to be sold to, but I do want to be addressed with products that don’t insult my intelligence. That’s our mantra.

We got on board in this industry when the ship was already sinking, so to speak, so our vision of success is perhaps different. However, I do see a lot of value in music and the kind of music that we release, so helping people see that value is what I think a label does. We’ve stayed alive amidst some tough times because of our artists’ loyalty, persistence and a fair bit of luck.

LOOK INTO MY EYES! Audion’s Suckfish

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

Yes, I think YOU are single-handedly killing the music industry. No, blogs that put entire albums up are bad. They aren’t even interested in music, they’re interested in themselves. A well-constructed blog that shares personal but relevant knowledge about music about which little is written is a great thing.

It’s one answer to the problem with electronic-based music which is that there’s a lot of barriers to entry in finding the good stuff. I mean, where do you start? You can’t find any selection at most major record stores, or it’s the usual formulaic pap, so it’s hard for anyone to begin to discover music. What is the stereotypical Kind Of Blue of this music?

The record store clerk was really the equivalent of a “blog” for me growing up and I like to think this tradition still exists online with the more solid blogs.

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

I think just being yourself is inherently enough to stand out. It’s tempting to look at your neighbor and want what they have but you wouldn’t be happy living their life. We’ll stick to what we think is good and try to do it better that we did last time. Otherwise you go crazy trying to be something else.

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?

That’s the $20,000 question. Is Home Taping Killing Music? Vinyl isn’t dead against all odds of convenience and price, so I’ll say “no.”

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

I admire the history of Factory and 4AD for the musical and graphical scope, and yes I’m a walking cliché. More-so than aesthetics and history, I have respect for any sincere label operating today. Funny enough, I’ve become less interested in following labels religiously, and focusing more on singular artists and their output. I think with the variety of ways artists can release music and the speed it happens has increased the ability to develop consistent narrative with one’s work.

What specifically can we expect from Ghostly/Spectral in the next year or so?

Some new faces like The Chap, JDSY, Michna, Kate Simko, Seth Troxler, Tycho and some surprises, plus great work from some of the consistent roster. We also have a new compilation out with Adult Swim called “Ghostly Swim”, which features the usual group of magicians, romantics and dark arts conjurers.

Todd Osborn is a born tinkerer, a guy who wants nothing more than to crack open the nearest electronic device to see how it works and, if possible, how to improve it. The trait is essential in his stint as an airline mechanic and at home, where he dissects computers, software, synthesizers (which he repairs for a notable international clientèle), hovercraft and anything else he cares to learn about. Osborn approaches music with the same intense curiosity and creative drive as evinced on Osborne, his self-titled, debut full length for Spectral Sound. The 15 track album flips through dance music history like a pile of 12″s, chooses the most enticing templates and offers Osborn’s own compelling take. “I can do that!” indeed.

(Download “Outta Sight” from Osborne after the jump.)

Osborne is a rough compendium of tracks dating back to 2003, some of which have been released previously (“Afrika,” “Outta Sight” and all four of the “Ruling EP” tunes) while the majority are exclusives. The diversity of its sounds and structures is a testament to Osborn’s aranging abilities and broad taste. Despite languishing on hard drives for years, even the oldest tracks sound fresh and fitting for today’s musical climate. Those hungry for soulful deep house will have their arms aloft for the stunning “Ruling” and “Downtown,” while newfound tribal enthusiasts will thrive under the chunky hand drumming and chants of “Afrika.” Tracks such as “Air Pistol,” “Detune” and “Fresh” tread the border of techno and electronica, often with liberal doses of bright melody and a strong percussive backbone. Osborn also indulges the acid urges first explored with Todd Mullinix as TNT on “Evenmore” and “Junk Food,” nodding to Luke Vibert as his 303s churn and squelch. Credit is also due to Spectral Sounds’ founder, Sam Valenti IV, for selecting and sequencing the best Osborne tracks in a logical, narrative fashion.

Unlike projects by other hyper smart producers, Osborne emphasizes how much fun its creator had crafting its contents rather than a heavy-handed concept or overly academic programming. “Our Definition of a Breakdown,” Osborn’s playful collaboration with Ed DMX, is a perfect example. The long time friends are heard laughing and jeering as they build and narrate the old school electro jam, complete with jaunty synth stabs, digital claps and keyboard-generated vinyl scratches. While “Our Definition” is a touch goofy, others simply avoid being too serious: “Air Pistol” and “Fresh” soften the oscillating growl of their low end with soothing synth tones; “5th Stage” and “16th Stage” are warm-hearted synth workouts, the latter’s vocals greet incoming listeners while toasting “the sun.” Other tunes head right to the dance floor for their kicks, like the rhapsodic “Ruling” and piano-heavy “Outta Sight.” Listeners will reach for Osborne when they have something to celebrate, when they need a dose of positive vibes or for satisfying a non-electronic audience, as its breadth of styles and ear-catching sounds transcend usual biases.

Download: Osborne, “Outta Sight”

The foundation of Todd’s productions are often finely tuned tones rather than grids of percussion; this focus gives each tune a richness that endears even the most unfamiliar song structures to listeners. Rhodes electric piano (or its attendant synth patch) is splashed across much of the album, as is a battery of vintage 808/909 drum timbres. One of the lushest tracks is Detroit-influenced “Downtown,” which balances the harder piano hook on the back of an unctuous, oscillating bass groove to a sublime effect. “Fresh” finds a familiar Osborne tone ricocheting dub-like across bow of flute-led swells, as “Detune” unleashes a careening keyb run on otherwise placid pads. Even rougher edged tunes like “Junk Food” and the Mullinix co-produced “L8″ are well-developed if spiky treats.

Admittedly, some of the album’s electronica-leaning portions did not sink in for me at the same rate as his floor ready pieces, largely because I expected more of the latter. But Osborne kept me coming back, interest piqued enough to let Todd Osborn’s painstaking assembled songs reveal their convivial qualities between sing-a-longs to “Ruling,” “Outta Sight” and “Afrika.” It’s an album reflective of Todd’s unending drive to explore the unexplored, to make things better while having a great time doing so. It also suggests a bright future in music still lies ahead of him — if he can find the time to tinker with it. (post by Steve Mizek)

[Spectral Sound]

Last week I lamented the relative sonic thriftiness of contemporary producers of deep house while discussing Juno’s Urban Soul remixes. Imagine my delight, then, when the Osborne’s meaty “Ruling EP” landed in my inbox with a resounding thump. Todd Osborn has shaded his productions (especially “Afrika”) with deep house’s vibrant blush since Spectral Sound’s salad days, in-between battering the dancefloor as Soundmurderer and getting wonky with Tadd Mullinix as TNT. Between 2004 and 2007, Todd’s Osborne alias went silent. Last year’s “Outta Sight” suggested a return to form, but few could have expected the luscious tonality and classic-referencing structures found on the rhapsodic “Ruling EP.”

Listen to “Ruling”:

As if emerging from an apprenticeship with deep house’s Chicago cognoscenti, Osborn lays it on thicker and more “authentically” than he ever has before across these four tracks. It’s hard not to swoon at the passionate electric piano sighs, meaty bass tone and stirring vocal performances of “Ruling,” not to mention the fluttering interplay between keys, electric piano stabs and quintessential drum patter. The intensity carries through in the spacious and piano-driven “Downtown.” Filled to the brim with coolheaded tones, the tune glides across a minor piano hook on the back of an unctuous, oscillating bass groove, pushing the real world away for a moment of serene escape. The EP changes gears to a near-ballad tempo on”16th Stage,” which finds someone (Todd?) intoning a toast to “the sun” as chiming keys, subtle synth squiggles and billowing strings pay their respects. “Fresh” brings listeners back to the floor with a hulking kick drum and the introduction of phased dub chords, but the odd contrast with later synthesized flute fauna and digital “aahh” vocals leaves me somewhat cold, especially after the first two tracks.

The “Ruling EP” is something of a sampler platter for Osborne’s self-titled, full-length debut which lands May 5th, also on Spectral Sound. It hints at a wider range of sonic approaches than one might have expected of Todd Osborn, even though some of them (“Ruling” and “Downtown,” both of which are going straight into my crate) work better than others. But hey, I can’t complain too loudly: this squeaking wheel got its full-figured fill.

[Spectral Sound]

For a DJ, there are few feelings as gut-wrenching as seeing the floor clear out when you start playing techno or house. The realization that you’re playing to an “indie” audience is usually accompanied by choice four letter words and a frantic search through your crate/hard drive. Which is why it’s always good to have at least a few tracks whose dual citizenship (your taste and theirs) that might just fly with dancers unamused by Marcel Dettmann’s latest opus. Daso’s Spectral Sound debut, “Meine Idee EP,” fits the bill like a pair of tight jeans.

Listen to “Idee”:

Daso pairs his discerning ear for hooks with a spacey electro-house tool kit, making the EP’s three tracks comparable to Alan Braxe and Fred Falke’s better remixes. The cruising bass line of “Meine” is well worn but entirely appropriate for propelling the phased cosmic groove into clouds of digital cowbell and flickering synth patterns. “Idee” is similarly bass-driven, this time cycling through addictive arpeggios and sci-fi whirs and reverberations; think Aril Brikha’s “To Begin” lost in space. The least distinctive is “Deine Schuhe,” which, while pleasant and bleep-happy, is about as enticing as the title (“your shoe”). This EP might not be Daso’s boldest moment artistically, but it finds him playing pop star with great ease and matches the appeal of earlier Get Physical singles. In case of emergency, rip this one’s cellophane.