Known for massively appreciated club anthems like ‘In White Rooms’ and ‘Body Language’, German duo Booka Shade have been one of the most influential acts not just in their home country but across the globe.
Their music has graced imprints like Bedrock Records and Hommage, and their own Blaufield Music label has seen strong appearances from top producers such as Patrick Topping, Jan Blomqvist, Zoo Brazil, and others.
We welcome the pair to our Label Mates series this week, where we talk about the past, present, and future of Blaufield, including their approach to A&R, their plans for the next few months, and what advice they would give to anyone starting a new label in 2023.
You first launched Blaufield Music back in 2013-2014, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the very beginning?
Ten years goes by so quickly. We have always strongly believed in the importance and power of independent record labels. In the 80s, as teenagers, we were fascinated by labels such as Mute (Depeche Mode), Factory (New Order) and Fiction (The Cure), but coming out of Germany – it was basically impossible to set up your own label. The infrastructure wasn’t there yet.
This changed when techno came along in the early 90s. All of a sudden, it became normal to release music on your own. In the 90s, we released via other people’s indie labels and had some good and bad experiences. We came to the conclusion that we could do this on our own. We had been in the record business as producers for ten years already when we set up our first indie label, Get Physical (together with DJ T., M.A.N.D.Y., and Peter Hayo), and this year we actually celebrate twenty years of Get Physical too, as well as ten years of Blaufield Music. A year of celebrations.
What’s surprised you most about how the industry has changed since back then?
Many years ago, it became apparent that it would be important to keep your master rights because the industry (and the world) changes so quickly. There are new ways of distributing your music every year, and you want to be able to adapt quickly. Social media and distribution channels have made it possible to talk to your fans directly.
You’ve released music from names like Zoo Brazil, Patrick Topping, and Jan Blomqvist, what’s your typical approach to signing new music?
After we left Get Physical, we started Blaufield Music as the platform to release our own music as Booka Shade. We never saw ourselves as A&R guys who search for new talent. But every now and then, we meet artists or get sent demos that we like a lot and think the world should hear.
We also realised that we have so much knowledge about the industry after working in it for 30 years that we almost had some sort of obligation to open doors for new talent and help them start a career.
So, we’re most proud of acts we had on the label very early in their career, such as 8Kays or Giorgia Angiuli. Another great example would be Joplyn. We first met her when she was around 14 years old and were thrilled by her talent. We produced her first single, had her as a collaborative artist on ‘Polar Lights’ (from the Dear Future Self album), and recently mixed her song ‘Remind Me’. We’re delighted to see she’s starting to have a solid career now. BAUGRUPPE90 are a young duo from Berlin who have remixed Body Language for the upcoming ’20 Years Reworked’ remix compilation. You will probably hear a lot from them in the future.
We love good songs and production, which is essential, but then we like getting to know the person behind the music. Is it someone with a message? With a genuine love for music and the absolute will to work hard?
What’s one of the most important roles in running a label which most people may not be aware of?
The technical side of running a label is not rocket science any more, especially if you release predominately digital. But a good label with the right A&R people can act as a gatekeeper, but in a good way, a filter to bring out the essence, something that is valuable.
Nowadays, the world is flooded with music. I’ve heard it’s around 100,000 new songs on Spotify EACH DAY. It’s great that everyone has the opportunity to release their music, but cutting through the noise is as difficult as it ever was, if not more difficult. An established label can help here. So, even if your aim is to set up your own label, it may make sense to release on an established label now and then to get visibility for your act. Even we still do this with Booka Shade projects from time to time.
What advice would you give to any aspiring label owners that are considering launching their own imprint in 2023?
Do it. Start today. You can always say, “There are so many labels out there; who needs another one?” but you can make the difference. Find a good distributor who is clever with digital platforms. There are changes every day, and you want a pro who can be on top of it. Ensure you understand the financial aspects and where to make money with your music. If you release underground electronic music, national radio may not be the most important but understand neighbouring rights. Start your own webshop and distribute directly to your fans. If you can’t spend the money to set up your own shop, use sites such as Bandcamp. Invest time and effort in a newsletter database to directly contact your fans. No one can take this away from you or charge you to talk to your followers. Facebook, Instagram etc., take your money to reach the fan base you have built up.
Who else might we see releasing on Blaufield Music in the near future?
We were very active on Blaufield finding new talent until the pandemic, then we paused. However, I feel we can take more time soon to listen to demos and use Blaufield again as a platform for up-and-coming artists. We’ll start compiling a third edition of our FOURTUNES compilation very soon. The first edition had 8Kays on it, the second one Casper Cole with their big tune ‘Fader’. And then late 2023 or early 2024 will definitely see us bring on and welcome a selection of new, wonderful artists.
Is there anything else you want to mention before we finish up?
Come and celebrate 20 Years of Booka Shade and 10 Years of Blaufield at one of the upcoming shows worldwide. We’ll play in Europe, but then also the US and Australia in autumn. Also, make sure to check out the forthcoming remix album ’20 Years Reworked’ with a selection of Booka Shade songs from across the two decades remixed by Joachim Pastor, Joplyn, 8Kays, Casper Cole, Nils Hoffmann, Qrion, and BAUGRUPPE 90, as well as a collaboration with Satin Jackets. It’s out on Blaufield Music on August 4th.
Booka Shade – 20 Years Reworked is out August 4th on Blaufield Music.