Hey James, great to chat. How are things with you right now?
Hey, Yes great to chat, thanks for having me, things are really good right now, it’s been very positive and busy start to the year, which i’m very grateful for and i’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of this year has in store.
Tell us about your Inermu label – first of all, what does that word mean, where does it come from?
To me….it means “Inner Music”, the word Inermu is something i created when playing around with different names & ideas for the label name. I had Inner Music down as a possible name but it just didn’t fit or look right, so i played around with the words and that’s how Inermu came about.
What music are you looking for for the label? Does it have a certain sound, or can you release anything?
When signing & releasing music to the label, i would say it’s more about a certain type of groove that i’m looking for, rather than a certain sound. The roots of the label definitely come from a Deep House place but i try not to be to genre specific. If the groove is right and i know i’m going to be playing it my sets in a few years time, that’s when i know its right for the label.
Does the label make any money, or do you see it more as a way of getting artists out there? How do you feel about this modern model where no one buys music any more?
For me it has definitely become a way of getting artists out there, the original aim/purpose for starting the label was purely to have an outlet for my own music to put out as an when i wanted, but as time has gone on, bringing in other artists has massively helped shaped what the label is about and i love that.
I wouldn’t necessarily say no one is buying music any more, i think it’s just the way people are buying/listening to it has changed. Digital sales may have dropped generally compared to a few years ago, but vinyl sales have definitely risen, which is probably a good time to plug the first Inermu Vinyl Only VA, coming out in May 😉
Do you like to develop artists, keep them on board for a while, or are you all about just putting out hot club music?
I think it’s very important to help develop artists as and when you can, it’s been one of the things i have enjoyed most about running the label. When an artist sends a demo that isn’t quite right but definitely has potential, i always take the time to let them know that they are on the right track and give some feedback to hopefully help steer them in the right direction. I like to build good relationships with the artists releasing on the label, so that moving forward there is a positive support network for the artists and the label together.
You had your own release on Bondage Music? How did your relationship with the label come about?
Yes, my most recent Ep release was on Bondage Music, the guys first got in touch with me just over a year ago, asking me to remix a Mihai Popiviciu track for a remix edition of his album they were doing. Since then i’ve featured on one of their Bondage Games Vinyl Only releases and then most recently my “Hooked” Ep.
Do you make music with a certain sound in mind for each label, do you tailor yourself to what they might want?
I find it very hard to sit down with the mindset of making music for a certain label, I’ve tried that a lot over the years but 95% of the time i end up making something completed different in the end. For me it’s important to go with the flow with whats happening naturally in that moment, otherwise you can spend days going round in circles trying to chase “a sound” and then never actually finish anything.
Get the track made first, then decided a home for it after, that’s what works best for me.
Where do you start on a tune? Always the same place, say bass or keys, or do you just experiment util you hear something you like?
I always start with the drums….i cant remember the last time i did it any other way. I like to get the drums down and the groove of the track in place from the off.
Do you make tunes you want to play in your own DJ sets? Do the two relate to one another like that?
A few years ago i wasn’t really playing any of my own music in my sets, but nowadays i am playing more and more of my own music. I would class myself as a DJ first producer 2nd as i was DJ’ing a good few years before i was started to produce, so i feel its taken some time for my production head to catch up with my DJ’ing mind set, but the two are definitely building a closer relationship nowadays, which is great.
What else you got coming up/are you working on?
There’s lots to come over the coming months, I’ve got the first “Inermu Wax” project coming in May, a Vinyl Only VA with music from Myself & Clive Henry, Tuccillo, Two Diggers, Mihai Popiviciu & David Delgado. I also have digital releases coming on Deeperfect, Inermu, No Excuse, Decay, Little Helpers.
If Ya Dont Know is out now! Grab it here:
https://www.beatport.com/track/if-ya-dont-know-james-dexter-remix/10426321
