Have a read through this interview / feature Make Mine man Manish did with Neu Magazine last week.

Make Mine is a record label inspired by a record store worker from High Wycombe. ‘we started a 7” label called Mustrard Records spurred on by a girl who worked in Scorpion Records’ says Manish Arora. She’d told them how easy it was and decided to give it a go. ‘Turns out it wasn’t easy enough for us to do it well. Mustard records managed three releases, two plays on Radio 1 and a one letter from John Peel’. The current label was born from the ashes of Mustard, 10 years later. ‘I guess Make Mine was born out of stubbornness, old dreams and an obsession with trying to spread the word on new artists regardless if anyone wants to listen’ he says.

Some things haven’t changed. Make Mine still releases 7”, mirroring the designs of countless other little labels. There are downloads too, so is it just a vanity thing? ‘maybe it is a fad’ they laugh. ‘I started buying 7” as they were cheap ana great way to sample new bands. I guess you don’t need them these days but I still feel ‘7” attract a more adventurous and inquisitive music fan. That’s my kind of fan’. But isn’t it a bit elitist? 15 year olds “getting into” independent music aren’t always going to have vinyl decks at hand. Doesn’t it keep the music in a handful of obsessives? ‘Well that’s [the inquisitive music fan] how I romanticise it anyway, it’s better than thinking there’s a bunch of indie elite buying them to sell for a profit on ebay. There’s also DIY aspect to 7’s that appealed to me and may do to others, for instance each Make Mine comes with a wrap around cover with a fold down corner hand folded by me or my wife. Hopefully people appreciate that kinda attention to detail.”

But Make Mine don’t always do it themselves. They collaborate with other labels, releasing artists that may have released other records elsewhere or go on to do so. In the past they’ve put out The Books, Dent May and everyone’s best friend, Gold Panda. The label doesn’t subscribe to any one style or sound but do they find it difficult not having their ‘own’ artists? “It’s never been a goal to own an artist or their recordings and have them soley associated with Make Mine” says Manish “What’s the point? I’m not trying to make money of the artist, there’s a billion other labels they can go to feel owned. I’d much rather work with, help or support another label than compete with them”.

Read the full interview here

Alan Pownall at Puregroove clutching his 7” single last night.

Darwin Deez ‘Constellations’ Rough Trade 7” pre-order

Listen and stream more of Darwin over at the ever fashionable myspace

iamgoldpanda:

minotaurshock:

Been in London working with Gold Panda this week. We did a fair bit of improvisation, which is something I’ve never really bothered with. I’ve always thought it was more fun to be involved in the improvising than in the listening/watching. Which is still true, but it was so much fun to make that now I’m into it.

I’ve also wondered for years how electronic duos work - especially since most of the acts I grew up listening to were duos. It seemed alien to me, I was so used to making electronic music alone and taking time to perfect a beat that adding anyone else into the mix was weird. How can you tweak stuff for hours if someone else is there?

So anyway, we did some live laptop stuff: generating sounds, trying to stay in time and sampling each other’s noises and the telly to create something new. I haven’t listened to the results other than a little blast when we finished. I’m kinda thinking maybe I won’t. But it felt and sounded good at the time.

We also spent some time at The Roundhouse working in the studio there with some sound engineering students. That was pretty great, and the fact that a lot of time was spent teaching the students mic techniques made us feel less bad about not really having any songs for them to record. Still, we recorded some drums and had time to record another long improvised track - this time with me on drums and Panda working the MPC. This was again, pretty enjoyable (in a different way to improvising in a traditional band).

All in all, I kinda realised how electronic collaboration works, and that improvisation is no longer a strange idea that I cannot be bothered with. It’s still probably more fun to make than to listen to, but still, I think I’ve been missing out.

Little Red album launch at the Lexington. Artwork by Paul Blow. Brilliant!

Lisa Mitchell is just finishing her tour with Newton Faulker across the UK and heading out in support of her debut album ‘Wonder’.

The second single taken from Wonder is ‘Coin Laundry’ and is released next week across the UK, supported by a brilliant mix by Starsmith (Marina & The Diamonds and Frankmusik protegee). Further information is enclosed as an attachment.

She recently performed packed out headline London shows, along with appearing at Glastonbury and Hard Rock Calling, and is currently touring the UK as support to Newton Faulkner before embarking on her own UK tour in November. Dates as follows;

7th November- Birmingham Academy 3
8th November- Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
10th November – Brel, Glasgow
11th November- Night & Day Cafe, Manchester
12th November- Eastney Cellars, Portsmouth
13th November- The Louisiana, Bristol
14th November The Portland Arms, Cambridge

myspace.com/lisalisamitchell
lisamitchellmusic.com