Ant from Mechanical Records recently contacted us with some info about their label. Being nice people and having a slight bias for our friends across the water in Ireland, we caught up with them for some more info on the project.
Ant says:
Mechanical records is a new label set up and based in Dublin with a difference. Mechanical not only intends to release all of its music for free (downloadable) but also hard format (vinyl / cd) for free where ever possible. The label is leaned toward a more experimental electronica angle with several IDM acts, some funk you up Dubstep and some more traditional Breakcore / Gabba.
Mechanical has been set up for a need to help push the growing scene in Dublin forward, by not only releasing tracks, but throwing gigs, organising tours and even artist management. The idea is to make the artists that put the time and the effort in to making the music get a good release platform for their efforts, hopefully even paying them on their way so they can continue to make the music. I think its been too long since a drastic chage has occured within the music industry. Long gone has the days when EMI, BMG, Sony and Warner control the market.
I had the idea to set up a free release label when someone told me that when Elvis was doing his tours back in the 50’s, you would go to your local newsagent / grocer and on the way out the shop there would be a spindle with free vinyl for the shopper to take home, then they listen to it, if there into it, they would go see him play the local venue that weekend. I thought that was cool, get paid for playing, give your music free… Thats basically the ethos of Mechanical, releasing some kick ass stuff in the mean time!
Up coming releases are Vybbtuan’s “Grainy Clouds”, an IDM electronica album well worth checking out, and “Local produce” - Mechanical artists compilation album, will be hard copies with Digipac out too! We also have cool new stuff coming in from Automatic Tasty, ROBOStud, Bluebottle farm, Major Grave and Creator.
All will be downloadable from www.mechanicalrecords.com
The label will be launched on 22nd February and will see all live sets from:
Creator
Prince Kong
Alien Hand
Kevin Blake
Major Grave
Automatic Tasty
Psymonok
ROBOStud
This will be at The Lowerdeck, Portobello, Dublin 8.
I wouldd like Mechanical to grow to a stage where i could be sitting on the bus or luas (tram) on my way into town or whatever, and hear a Mechanical artist playing on someone’s ipod. Or ultimately hearing my neighbours hammer it out, that would be pretty cool. I think theres a lot of room for the electronic scene in Dublin to grow, guys like Kaboogie! are doing good stuff for the scene. There is still a monopoly in Dublin with the paint by numbers electro, it can be hard for alternative nights to find venues due to the saleability of the popular. But as long as there’s people that would rather see someone going hell for improv rather than buying the wholesale dancing package we’ll be happy.
The largest gig i have played myself was to around 250 people, but the best gig i ever played was to around 8, so I guess we cater for the minority, and i’d love that to come accross with the label!
Automatic Tasty will also be releasing an EP with Net-Lab shotly, so watch this space for some of these guys.
