French producer The Reactivitz has been pushing the pace when it comes to his studio output, releasing tracks on imprints like 1605, Form Records and Octopus Recordings.
Alongside his career as a solo artist, he has also been running his own Immersion label since 2018, where previous releases have come from Thomas Evans, Metodi Hristov, Tom Laws and Steve Mulder.
Talking to the Lyon-based talent we asked him about the early days of Immersion, what he looks for when receiving demos, and what we can expect to see on the label soon. Get the full discussion below.
You first launched Immersion back in 2018, what were some of the main challenges you faced in the beginning?
Launching a label is not easy when you have lots of new music being released every day. One of the main challenges I faced in the beginning was to find the right way to promote the label, by targeting the right people and make sure they listen to the music I send. In the techno scene, some big labels are leading the game already and it’s really difficult to create a place for yourself.
We all know that most of the people listen to promos sent by labels because they have been supporting their music or because they are active in the market for many years. Thanks to the connections I have established during the past few years in the techno scene, it helped me a lot to spread the music of Immersion.
As a second challenge, I would say that it was not easy to find a unique style. The most difficult thing for me was to find a designer that understood the vision I had for Immersion. I tried working with many designers, I spent a lot of money and time before finding the one who perfectly saw my vision. Today, I am really happy about the graphic side of the label.
As a last challenge, managing my label and also my career at the same time was really difficult. As producers know, producing music takes a lot of time. Promoting music too. Doing both things for The Reactivitz and Immersion was tough at the beginning. But when we love music, we don’t count. The most important thing is that you have good results at the end.
And what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt about running a label?
I am going to say something that probably everyone knows. Patience is the key if you want to succeed as nothing come easy or quickly. Being consistent and not giving up are essential because it’s a really tough industry to work in. Also, as a label manager, I have learnt that all the music that I receive has to be listened to. It takes a lot of time but it is worthwhile in the end, especially when you discover new artists that produce unique and massive tracks.
Previously you’ve released tracks from Metodi Hristov, Steve Mulder, Yan Oxygen and others, what do you look for in an artist when considering them for a release?
When I consider an artist for a release, I am looking for a signature sound or element in their productions. Also, we have to share the same vision of techno. I am more into the groovy and melodic techno now. I really like dark tech house too. If I hear it in their music, then I can definitely consider releasing them on Immersion.
Another really important point to me is the promotion made by the artist on social media. I am working hard on promotion for the label, trying to give the maximum exposure to the artists. If I see that they are not really active on socials or that they never promote their music, it may be a reason why I decide to not sign their tracks.
We live in a digital world, when there are thousands of new tracks coming out everyday, how do you make sure Immersion isn’t just ‘another label’?
The current problem with digital is that anyone can open a label without any experience. Even if the music is badly produced, they can release it as they want. That’s why it took time for me to open my own label. I preferred to be patient in order to create a label with a unique signature.
There are only a few releases on Immersion since I launched it in 2008. The reason is that I prefer to have only a few, quality releases to create rarity and authenticity. I think that people are really attentive to this kind of thing today. The music provided by the artists is really important as they bring strength to the spirit of the label. Also, I am very strict about what I release. I often go back and forth for weeks with demos before I decide to take them for the label and will sometimes ask the artists to make edits on their tracks before the final release. Before and after the release, I am promoting each track a lot to give the maximum exposure to the artists that sign on Immersion. That’s how I try to stand out and make sure Immersion is not just “another label”.
And what can you tell us about who we might expect to see on the label in the near future?
Regarding the next releases, I have scheduled a new 5 track compilation at the end of October. You can expect melodic and groovy tracks from great new artists like Celene, Frank Arvonio, Kaya, Drigo and myself. 2 new singles from me are also scheduled before the end of the year. Can’t wait to show you these releases as I am really proud of them!
As a reminder, the doors of my label are open to everyone who wants to be part of Immersion.
What’s your favourite label besides your own?
There a plenty of labels that I really like. Today, Kraftek is my favourite one besides Immersion. In my opinion, Pleasurekraft took the label in the right direction with that cosmic techno sound. He worked on perfect designs which allowed him to stand out from other labels. The promotion on social networks his been really attractive and for sure, the music released on the label is unique. That’s why people want to release on Kraftek, myself included.
What advice would you give to someone that wants to start their own label?
The first advice I would give is to not start a label, because everyone has a label. First, you have to grow as an artist and work on your name to have a maximum impact when you launch it. Then, when you start your own label, you need a plan. What kind of music do you want to release? Who is your target? How do you want to promote the music? Which budget do you have for it? These questions look really simple but they are not so easy in reality.
Another point, the strength of a label is the music you release. Make sure you release only quality music, and don’t release plenty of tracks just to have more music on your catalogue. Less is more!
And lastly, if we can only listen to one track from your past releases, which one would it be?
That’s a hard one to decide as I am proud of all of the releases. Well I would say my latest single called Space Trip, because it hit #1 on Immersion and on my personal Beatport top 10. Also, it got massive support from Maceo Plex last year at awakenings and other festivals.
The Reactivitz – Space Trip is out now on Immersion.