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Re:mote Induction Feature
Drone Records has been running since 1993 - releasing 7" singles in a rainbow of coloured vinyl and hand made sleeves. The most recent drones make for a history of 48 releases, coming in a first run of 250 copies - many followed by a second run in a printed sleeve. Along with the label Drone also runs a mail order company carrying artists which fall under the drone philosophy. Stefan Knappe of Drone has also been a member of the influential Maeror Tri and currently involved with Troum.
Re:mote Induction : Drone Records was started in 1993 as a vinyl only label - what events brought about the decision to form a label?
Drone: In the early 90's I was deeply involved in the underground cassette-scene, which was at that time much bigger than today, everywhere you found small cassette-labels doing their own stuff and exchanging cassettes. Most of them were linked to a certain philosophy or attitude: uncommercialism, no mass-production (resulting in handmade covers), personal contacts (inviting each others, doing concerts, etc.), an alternative aesthetic, an own defined room of culture (maybe similar to today's "reclaim the streets", but in a cultural way). The idea for Drone Records was born out of these convictions. First I wanted to do a cassette-label, but the fascination for vinyl and especially 7"-vinyl led to the first release of our own band Maeror Tri early 1993. After that, things went on rather automatically, with all that contacts I had from the cassette- and experimental-scene.
Re:mote Induction : Each Drone EP is released on 7" in an edition of 250 copies with art by the artist responsible for the music. What is the idea behind having the artist take this role in their release?
Drone: The main idea is: full control for the artist. Another idea is: handmade covers as an anti-statement in a world of mass-production. Another idea is to do something personal, communication through music.
The idea of doing ART was rather in the background, as much of the stuff happening in the art-scene uses the same structures of commercialism and marketing as in the "real world". Of course, at the end all Drone 7"es are just PRODUCTS, and somebody BUYS them. There's no way of really leaving this principle as long as we are living in the wrong (= capitalistic) system. But at least it's the try to do something really alternative, for idealistic reasons and not for money or fame.
Re:mote Induction : After the first run is sold out the EPs are often re-released in a more standard packaging - what is the idea behind this and does this mean that all drone releases remain in print?
Drone: If there are enough requests, and the releasing project is OK with it, there should be a second edition. As the first handmade-cover edition is usually LOTS of work for the releasing artist, the second edition has a printed cover usually. No, it doesn't mean all releases remain in print. The scene is small and sometimes those 250 copies are just enough.
Re:mote Induction : To go with a label feature we will normally include images from the label's catalogue - which covers would you like to see represent your label?
Drone: The ones that are really extremely handmade, beautiful and creative. Too much to mention all, but for example: DR-19 FEINE TRINKERS BEI PINKELS DAHEIM (with a stone on the cover!), DR-23 NOISE MAKERS FIFES (extreme handmade jute-cover), DR-32 OBLIVION ENSEMBLE (a very aesthetic cover), DR-26 VANCE ORCHESTRA (each one really unique), DR-04 BIG CITY ORCHESTRA (one side made by children!), DR-09 VOICE OF EYE:.. could mention more..
Re:mote Induction : You currently have a back catalogue of about 50 7"s - could you talk us through the highlights of those releases - whether it be the key releases for the label, most challenging/interesting packaging or the pieces of music which took you most by surprise?
Drone: My personal highlights musically include VOICE OF EYE (DR-09), CRANIOCLAST (DR-44) , KALLABRIS (DR-30); :: but again there would be too much to mention.. I believe that ANY Drone-7" was made with lots of "heart-blood" and passion, I love them all, I only release stuff when I'm 100 percent behind it, as commercial suggestions don't play a role at all... behind each release there are standing humans with certain ideas, a very own approach to music and aesthetics, creating their own small universe. That's the most important thing for me, to feel the human touch when I listen to the music & watching the cover-artwork and to become the impression: THIS IS MOST UNIQUE, I CAN LOSE MYSELF IN IT !
Re:mote Induction : If all releases are not kept in print could you give us a run through the releases which are currently available - with particular reference to those which are still on a first print?
Drone: On a first print are only the brand new ones, DR-47 by DWELLING LACUNA and DR-48 by CHAOS AS SHELTER. Second editions are available from DRONE directly : DR- 44, 30, 28, 25, 23, 22, 20
But many early drone-releases should be still available from one of the following mail-orders:
TRUEMMER TAPES: Tarkatak@nwn.de
DISASTER AREA: Disaster_Area@t-online.de
DHYANA : dhyanarec@compuserve.de
A MUSIK : godijk@a-musik.com
ARTWARE : artware.prod@T-online.de
ARS MACABRE : kontor@arsmacabre.de
TESCO : Tesco-Organisation@t-online.de
KLANGART: klangart@nexgo.de
SUGGESTION RECORDS: suggestion-records@avunet.de
NUIT ET BROUILLARD: NuitetBrouillard@wanadoo.fr
STAALPLAAT : staal@euronet.nl
ANOMALOUS RECORDS : www.anomalousrecords.com
Re:mote Induction : A collection of Drone material is planned for this year - I believe it will appear on a double CD - could you tell us something about this material: the tracks to be contained on it and the ideas behind it?
Drone: Yes, it will appear soon, done by a label from San Francisco, TUMULT RECORDS; they asked me once if I would be interested in a CD-release of selected tracks from Drone-EPs. They think that there are many interested listeners out there, but they don't own record-players and don't buy vinyl. So I agreed to the idea of doing a re-issue of selected tracks on CD - to make the music and people behind it more well known. The music should be heard, of course!
Re:mote Induction : Can you define the word "drone" and how it relates to your label for us?
Drone: A drone is a long ongoing static tone, with only slight microtonal changes inside, it can be also a buzzing, humming, vibrating.. in the early 90's we often used the word "drones" to describe the music we liked most - in German a similar word is "droehnen". Later I found out that LA MONTE YOUNG used the term long time ago for his music, and that it's based originally on Indian music. I think Drone Records is releasing stuff that could be described as a further developed drone-music - it hasn't to be static, but there are basic elements that are similar, usually.
Re:mote Induction : As a label your sound is about experimentation and mind challenging music - how is that expressed in both the label and the music you record yourself?
Drone: Everything is allowed to create the sounds, there are no boundaries. Best is music that is done in a non-conventional way, that's why I'm always a bit sceptical about computer - and sampler-music, as it often sounds too obvious (which does in no way mean I reject it). There are many ways of experimenting with sound, and I would like to support this. A music is mind-challenging when it is able to capture you, when you must fully concentrate to go into it. It doesn't mean it must be totally abstract or "complicated" music - often it's the atmosphere that is capturing. It is in no way "easy listening" music, although the effect can be quite relaxing. It has not the attention to bring you into a "better mood", to be "nice", no, I think the pleasure of listening to these kind of sounds lies somehow deeper. It overcomes the surface of your "daily mind".
Re:mote Induction : How have you seen the agenda/motivation of Drone change in the years you have been running the label? With that process, what boundaries have you discovered?
Drone: Hmmmm,.. the basic motivation is the same. Maybe I'm much more selective now, having the possibility to listen to lots of demos and new stuff. The boundaries are of course based in the natural limitations such a project has - I can only work limited hours for it, so I can't put out as much as I would love to.
Re:mote Induction : You have said in the past that a 7" is a perfect length for introducing a band - the idea of introducing bands seems key to drone - tell us more about the choice of bands for Drone.
Drone: Yes, the introducing-idea is important... important is also the originality of the band or project, the serious aim to experiment with sounds and to create something non-eclecticistic, to create their own dimension that other's can share. I would never like to release the 3rd side-project of a "famous" musician for instance - stuff I release must be the "main" project of the people behind it, not a fucking hobby.
Re:mote Induction : part of the introduction is that you are introducing relatively new artists - how key is this to drone and to you?
Drone: This is very important as well, but it doesn't mean there are never more well known artists on Drone (like recently Brume and Cranioclast) - but introducing something NEW and fresh is great. I like to have many contacts, to experience many different views on music and art and reality, to be in a continuous state of inspiration and development myself.
Re:mote Induction : Do you ever find that some bands work better in the time scale available on a 7" than others?
Drone: Sure. Bands that are very atmospheric need their time to build their sphere- sometimes 8 minutes is a bit short for them. Others are able to bring their stuff more "to the point".
Re:mote Induction : With Drone and Maeror Tri you have talked about music for the right side of the brain - does this relate in any way to the process of playing vinyl and how it becomes a ritual different from a CD, which is emphasized by the fact that vinyl has two sides like the brain?
Drone: That's an interesting idea, but wasn't a reason so far to use vinyl. I wonder if somebody will pick up this idea one day for a vinyl-production. Speaking of the "ritual" of playing vinyl I would agree that it's much different from playing CDs, as an experience for the senses.
Re:mote Induction : You were involved in Maeror Tri - a band which has given way to Troum - tell us more about Troum and how the ideas relate and differentiate between those of Maeror Tri.
Drone: Troum is more focused on dreams and the subconsciousness, whereas with Maeror Tri we were more concerned with consciousness in general. The basic motivations - as with Drone Records - haven't changed that much over the years. The main point lies on creating an atmosphere of transcendence that keeps the listener's attention, that he can "drown" into, as an experience. It's not just a nice background-music.
Re:mote Induction : Can you guide us through the history of Troum to date?
Drone: I beg everyone interested in this to look at our biography on our website at: www.troum.com
Re:mote Induction : Transgredient records has recently been set up as a sub-label of Drone with the idea of promoting the work of Troum - starting with the first part of a trilogy. Why did you feel the need to form this new label and what are your plans relating to this trilogy?
Drone: We wanted to have the total control about our CD-releases, that was the main reason. The promotional side of things was always a bit unsatisfying when using other labels. Now we can give away as much free copies as we want, decide about the cover-artwork, decide which mail-orders we would like to work with, etc..
Re:mote Induction : Can you tell us anything about forthcoming releases for Drone?
Drone: Next ones will be: NO, an interesting and very experimental working artist from Germany, MNEM, a low-fi drone-project from Finland, who do everything the analogue way, ULTRASOUND, great emotional guitar-drones from an American who now lives in the Netherlands, EA - a relatively new band from Poland doing fabulous atmospheric music, ESO STEEL from New Zealand, and and and ... so many plans, so many good new projects around just right now!
Re:mote Induction : If you could choose five bands/recordings who are key to the evolution of experimental music for you what would they be - and why?
Drone: Again, I must state that I don't like this kind of rating. Choose five and leave off the other fifty, that are important in one way or the other as well? I don't like the idea of "achievements" in the music-scene in general. It's nothing to measure in an objective way. It's more a phenomenological & subjective thing everybody has to experience on his/her own. Music can be different from day to day, from situation to situation, from mood to mood. But, enough troubled, sure there are some bands that really blowed me away from the very beginning, let it be ZOVIET FRANCE for the obscurity and packaging, HAFLER TRIO for his strangeness and truly experimental spirit, VOICE OF EYE for their emotivity, BIG CITY ORCHESTRA with all their hypnotizing cassette-releases in the 80's, of course you can never forget the early Industrial-bands like T.G., SPK, for their work.
Re:mote Induction : Which new artists would you encourage people to explore?
Drone: Everything that comes out new on Drone of course, like MNEM, ULTRASOUND, NO, further coming should be MIASTO NIE SPALO, EA, MULTER, URE THRALL, ECCLESIASTICAL SCAFFOLDING, ESO STEEL, SCOT JENERIK, THOMAS DIMUZIO... They are not all totally new, some are working in the scene for very long, but I want to present them to a maybe bigger audience especially in Europe . Besides that, there are some exciting new artists coming from various "areas" of the experimental scene, to name a few: CISFINITUM, MISERY (both from Russia), SARDH, WARDROBE MEMORIES (both from Germany), BATTERY OPERATED from France, KYMATIC from England, etc.etc.. I will always try to offer new & exciting acts with Drone and the mail-order-list, so I encourage everybody to check it out.
Re:mote Induction : Do you have any ideas/thoughts you would like to finish with?
Drone: I would like to point out that I really believe that music can enlarge one's sensibility, and that it can be very worthy to confront oneself with very alien and "dark" music. We have to experience our fears to work with them, we have to be able to look deep inside us, we have to watch the "reality" with different eyes (and ears), to become critical, intelligent, creative... at the end, I think that this kind of music has the potential to be a great psychological tool. I don't say: listen to this music and everything will be great. But there's much more in there as in the usual affirmative (what I like to call) "entertaining" music.
NTVWR: PTR
May 2001
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