California’s increasingly growing presence in the world of techno takes another step in the right direction as west coast studio talent Selective Response launches his very own imprint, Crisis Of Man.
The label announcement has found the producer appear on our Inflyte Radar this month, where we discussed everything from the reason for wanting his own point of distribution to what he thinks of the California and American techno scenes, what he has coming in the near future, and more. Find out more about his story below.
Selective Response! How are things?
Hey! Honestly, things are rather surreal at the moment.
You’re on our Inflyte Radar this month, what do you have going on right now?
Where to begin? Currently trying to keep my head on straight and focus on getting music done without getting distracted by all the amazing opportunities that are forthcoming. It’s a challenge, but a much welcomed and appreciated one.
We saw that you’re about to launch your own imprint, Crisis Of Man, what’s the concept and why is it the right time to launch your own label?
I’ve been producing for nearly a decade, and since day one, my music has never quite fit in with others. And, also since day one, I’ve never been willing to compromise my sound and vision to make something work. This has definitely made things much more challenging, but that’s ok, because I’m proud and confident in who I am today, and my music has never been a better reflection of that.
That being said, I got tired of being told no, which is also ok and actually beneficial, so I decided to once again take matters into my own hands and give myself a platform to release my work. I’d always planned on starting the label anyways but decided I might as well do it now. Label hasn’t even launched, and things are already looking extremely promising.
As for the name, it actually came from a track I’ve done, which is exactly how Selective Response came about. It’s a take on today’s society and where mankind is in our evolution. There’s a quote that says, “Man’s greatest burden is unfulfilled potential”, which perfectly fits in with the theme the label. Preventing yourself from achieving anything at the risk of failure is a sure-fire way to live a life of regret. Fuck that.
And your most recent single, Malicious Intent, tell us about that? Was it a typical studio session that sparked the idea?
Yes, it was a typical studio session, but it’s a funny story with that one. I’m involved in other areas of the industry, and constantly have new gear coming in and out of my studio. With that track, I was jamming on either the Korg Monologue or Prologue and came up with this blistering lead that right away struck me as something special. I’m a very visual creator with a vivid imagination, and in my head, I saw a peak time moment inside of a dark and sweaty bunker, people going absolutely apeshit, and that was the foundation of the track.
I actually made the track almost a year and a half ago, and as is the case with much of my earlier music, the track was greater than my ability to produce it. So, instead of forcing it, I sat on it. I sent it to a couple people and never got any feedback, but I knew that in time it would come together. Fast forward to a few months ago and the confidence in my skills finally caught up, so here we are.
You’re based over in California, how do you compare the techno scene there to the rest of the world?
Obviously, the scene and market in the US in general is much smaller, but California specifically is really beginning to come into its own. The LA rave and warehouse scene back in the 90s and 00s played a crucial role in electronic music in America, so the roots are there. But trends come and go, and bigger clubs began to take over. However, thanks to people like Nik Wilson, the Synthetik Minds, Lights Down Low, Incognito, Omen Recordings and others, the underground is alive and well. Nearly every weekend, the best artists are playing here and having a great time. It warms my cockles!
And do you think you’ll be moving to Europe to have easier access to a bigger range of techno clubs?
I’m never leaving! But in all seriousness, I’ve had this chat with many people, and while at first glance it would be an obvious decision, but the sheer amount of people who are doing that is a major deterrent. I actually was planning on doing that a few years ago, but then thought, why move into an oversaturated market when there is an opportunity to help build the scene right here? That’s not to say I won’t go over there for an extended period of time, but I feel like, with time, Los Angeles will become a global electronic music destination.
Also, there are quite a few artists who live here that seem to be doing great including Developer, Drumcell, Silent Servant (who actually lives probably 20 minutes from me), and Truncate, who all play places all over the world, including the legendary Berghain. Plus, I mean have you ever been to the beach in the middle of winter when it’s 85 (or 25c) degrees? Two of my biggest inspirations and energy sources are sunshine and the ocean. Moving away from that would massively restrict my creativity.
Lastly, before we go, we heard you’re working on something with Ansome?
That project isn’t so much a collaboration, but more of me being a middle man. That being said, it’s going to be a cool experience for producers and such – more to come on that! However, I have something similar in the works with an artist who has been a huge inspiration for me for so many years, but that’s still in it’s early development – so for now, I can’t really say anything but watch this space!