Bonafide Magazine @ MSN: Peanut Butter Wolf Interview |  |
|
Posted: 16 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT
Stones Throw boss Peanut Butter Wolf is playing a special one-off event at the Scala this Saturday courtesy of The Doctor’s Orders, alongside DJ Premier and The Nextmen. Ahead of the show, he talks with Bonafide about all things Stones Throw.
Does all the label management take away time from producing music? What’s PB Wolf’s average day spent doing? What are you happiest doing? The producing music is actually part of my label management responsibility. They go hand in hand. I’m in the studio getting the music recorded, mixed, arranged, etc, probably as much as I’m in the office figuring out ways to promote the artists. I don’t feel like I have an average day. Every day is different, which is probably why I’m still not bored 17 years later. But my job at Stones Throw is mainly creative, whether it’s being in the studio, working on music videos, photo shoots, etc. And of course I spend a lot of time on the road (like I am right now). So that helps keep things fresh too. Is there an artist that you regret not being able to sign or reissue? I don’t really live my life that way. I only regret the fact that some of the artists albums I’ve released didn’t do as well as I hoped and anticipated they would do. The quality of material from artists I work with is never the problem. It’s just that you can’t predict who the public will identify with or feel compelled to support. Lightning in a bottle. Movie industry is the same way. I get congratulated all the time for discovering and developing certain artists, but I think there’s a Iot I deal with who are just as talented and important as the ones that were successful, but they just don’t have that special something that makes everyone want to follow them (or at least not yet). Despite its diversity, artists on Stones Throw all seem like a ‘good fit’. What would you say is your label’s underlying aesthetic? What makes someone suitable for Stones Throw? I get asked this question all the time. The aesthetic is that it’s all interesting, creative, and brings out emotions in me when I hear it. Almost every artist I work with has some level of genius in my opinion. And most genius’s don’t sell units. Look at David Axelrod’s solo albums or Stark Reality or Silver Apples in the 1960′s. or Eugene McDaniels. Have any artists caught your ear when you’ve in Europe/UK? I haven’t been in EU/UK in several years. It was a point where every time I would travel far from the US (either UK, Japan, or Australia), I’d catch a bad flu so I stopped traveling. Then I realized, I can’t let fear prevent me from doing what I feel is my calling. But I like Beak>, Anika, and Connan Mockasin. Those are a few off the top of my head. And of course James Pants who lives with his family in Germany, but is from the US originally so not sure that counts. Tell us about the new studio. Jonwayne’s been helping you put it together right? Yeah, Jonwayne helped with some stuff. It’s just an additional resource we can offer our artists who don’t have a place to record. It’s actually come in more handy than I thought it would. We have a little calendar on the wall and it’s cool to see all the different names on it. But the studio itself, it’s not anything that special. Doesn’t have a Neve board or a ton of outboard gear or anything like that. It’s not Red Bull Music Academy standards. Just a little room with some toys and a computer. And that works fine for who we work with. You can buy tickets for Saturday’s show at the Scala here. Words: Kieran Hadley  |
No comments:
Post a Comment