DMC checks in with the main man at Defected – the coolest record label in the world
Interview : Dan Prince
Simon welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you today?
“Thank you! I’m back in the UK, which is a rare thing during the Ibiza season – I try and attend most of the nights, but I also need to be in the office in London, so I’m clocking up the air miles going back and forth.”
Well I think it is fair to say Defected caught a lot of people on the hop down at your BooOm!…opening in May…getting going whilst the other nights in Ibiza were still unwrapping their posters with over 2000 people through the doors and the longest queue the venue has ever had. A great start huh?
“It was an amazing start. We thought it would be great to launch during the IMS and as we’re celebrating our 15 anniversary it worked out brilliantly and it exceeded our expectations.”
Ibiza’s newest venue opened with it’s fair share of problems last year, this summer the venue looks better, sounds better and has a positive vibe around it. Were there any concerns returning to BooOm! after it’s shaky start?
“We have a great relationship with Guiseppe Ciprianni and we really wanted to continue hosting the night at BooOm as we think the club has real potential. I believe that the success of our night at a new club really underlined our reputation on the island.”
This year Defected is bringing the white isle two nights, your big Tuesday night residency plus a brand new weekly for Ibiza, Glitterbox…every Saturday night. What is the big difference in the artists between the two nights?
“There was a definite market for Glitterbox. We think there’s a community of regular visitors to the island who don’t necessarily want to hear techo or EDM and they just want a decadent, dressed up party night out on a Saturday night, where the music is just simply great house music with DJ’s who know how to mix it up and work the crowd.”
What has got a lot of Ibiza excited about Glitterbox is the return to the island of Mark Herman – the guy behind the mighty Pooldisco events who wowed us all at Ushuaia. This is a first for Ibiza, a very successful record company fusing with a partner coming from a fashion and events background. What was the idea behind the concept?
“The Glitterbox concept presented the ideal platform for linking music and fashion. I’ve known Mark for many years and I’ve always wanted an opportunity to work with him and be able to fuse his creativity, connections and vision with what we do at Defected, which is produce and play great music.”
One of the great parts of the Tuesday night Defected night is that your superstars spinning tie in with a string of significant records that are guaranteed to be big summer tunes. Who are some of the artists and their tunes you are especially excited to be bringing us this summer…
“This year we have two records that look like making a big dent…Oliver $ & Jimi Jules – ‘Pushing On’, along with MK – ‘Always’. We also have an album from Guti. All the acts are playing at BOOOM this season and it is important for us to support our artists in this way.”
You are one of the Ibiza’s biggest faces; you have a home here, have your own nights and know the island inside out. When was the first time you landed on the island and what were the clubs/DJs/tunes you experienced back then?
“I first came to Ibiza in 1986 and returned in 1988. We visited KU, Pacha and watched the sunset at Café Del Mar, which was the only building on that stretch of San An coastline. I was part of the crew that came over with Nicky Holloway and Paul Oakenfold. At the time the music was extremely eclectic but House music soon took over. Records like 808 State – ‘Pacific State’, Cece Rogers – ‘Someday’ & ‘Sueno Latino’ come to mind.
The island is ever changing. Multi million pound hotel complexes have arrived changing things forever with their Vegas cheque books, DJs are no longer exclusive to their own nights, the Americans and Australians are arriving, we now have some of the finest restaurants on the planet. What are your thoughts on Ibiza 2014…?
Like everything in life, Ibiza too must evolve. Whilst I have my fondest memories of 1986, Ibiza can’t stay the same and yes it is a balance to keep the essence of Ibiza alive, which I believe is still present. To evolve, it needs satisfy the demands of the visitors, but I believe you still can experience the real authentic Ibiza too.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
“Check out…
http://traxsource.com/title/337782/simon-dunmore-a-glitterbox-of-fine-house
2014 is the 15th Anniversary of Defected Records. Whilst running the dance department at Cooltempo Records you connected with the whole industry and when the label owners AM:PM merged with Island Records, you decided it was time to strike out on your own. The label has many similarities from the Stateside Strictly Rhythm label and how they nurture their artists and combine cool material with crossover. Was this intentional?
“Yes, I was a massive fan of Strictly Rhythm and became friends with it’s founder, Mark Finkelstein. He is, and has always been my mentor, so my business model at Defected will definitely bear many similarities. I am flattered for Defected to be compared in any way to Strictly Rhythm.”
Who were some of your big musical influences growing up and what was your first break into the industry?
“Bobby Womack, Aretha Franklin, Jean Carne, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Dees, Loleatta Holloway into Blaze, Masters At Work, Todd Terry…I was a total soul boy who Defected to House. This is why I prefer our releases to be song based, soul is the root of all great songs in my humble opinion. My first real break was working at the Record & Disco Centre in Harrow…from there I was offered a role in club promotions at Cooltempo Records.”
From a label owner’s point of view, what are the biggest changes you have seen over the last 15 years?
“The biggest changes for me were the transition from vinyl to download. I quickly had to learn to survive and then thrive on the changes brought about by the digital revolution. At first we were very affected by reduced sales and file sharing, but then we realised to adopt the digital age and drive down costs of vinyl/CD manufacture, embrace the fact that iTunes presented us with a new shop window in every country each time it rolled out its territories world wide. The digital age allowed us to build an amazing community that is at the heart of DEFECTED – WE ARE DEFECTED.”
How do you think Defected has grown in that time?
“We have been able to survive huge transitions in the music industry and we have learned to evolve as the scene changes. We are contemporary yet we have real heritage. We have a great roster of DJ producers and a great catalogue. I think it puts us in a unique position. We are a real collective…the strength of what we do is down to the producers we work with.”
What are your 3 biggest Defected tunes over the years…and why?
Noir & Haze – Around (Soloman Remix)
Storm Queen – Look Right Through (Morgan Geist Original)
Dubtribe Soundsystem – Do It Now
“None were intended to cross over or to be dance floor hits…they all produced from the heart. The best records always are.”
And finally, what is coming next from the mighty Defected stable release wise this summer…?
“Way too much to mention everything we’ve got going on, but Nic Fanciulli’s In The House mix album is pretty special, and the upcoming Wallflower single is definitely one to pay attention to. Check the Deetron remix…just amazing.”
Glitterbox at BooOm!, Ibiza Town every Saturday until September 27th
Defected at BooOm!, Ibiza Town every Tuesday until September 30th