Around the world in 80 labels: EPM Music – Jonas Stone

As we tour the globe via its most attention-deserving imprints it’s time to make our last stop off in Britain for a while before jumping to the good ship continental. And this one’s especially significant as those at the helm are also responsible for providing us with countless quality releases from other organisations, them being one of the finest electronic press agencies in the Kingdom.

2011 sees EPM Music celebrate 10 years in the independent game, an occasion marked with parties at Fabric and Panorama Bar, alongside the small matter of the new label they launched with a compilation featuring legends and latter day heroes like Alexander Robotnick, Floorplan (Robert Hood), Orlando Voorn and RadioNasty (Billy Nasty with Radioactive Man). An impressive tracklisting for any first release, and as the future promises so much we thought it appropriate to give co-honcho and all round good guy Jonas Stone the floor so he can dish the details.

 

EPM (UK)- Jonas Stone

 

Describe your imprint’s output

So far we launched the label this February to coincide with our ten year anniversary, and released ‘EPM 10’- a compilation of ten exclusive tracks from artists such as 80s italo-disco legend Alexander Robotnick, leaders of nu-school house like Dirt Crew, Marco Passarani, Marius, techno innovators such as Robert Hood, Orlando Voorn, James Ruskin, and Mark Broom, industrial experimentalists Sandwell District, and purveyors of the finest electro beats, namely Detroit Grand Pubahs, Radioactive Man and Billy Nasty.

The compilation captures the ethos and spirit of what EPM is about; forward thinking electronic music. There are no parameters other than we have to be into it. Our debut artist album comes out on June 20th, from a new producer called Lee J. Malcolm, whose two singles include remixes from James Ruskin and Ben Sims. Lee also writes and performs with experimental rock band Vessels, on Cuckundoo Records, and then we have some singles and a new album from Carl Taylor who has previously released on Bugged Out! and Dust Science.

There is another artist album lined up for later this year from another new producer, and we also have some interesting little projects coming like Italcamenti (Robotnick and Ludus Pinsky) doing a dance cover of Also Sprach Zarathustra, which is better known as the opening music to 2001: A Space Odyssey, an EPM compilation of DJ Rush’s Kne’ Deep imprint, and an exclusive limited track from Oliver Way from the Detroit Grand Pubahs. In fact we already have releases in the pipeline for next year so it’s looking busy and we’re very excited about the whole thing.

What would you say makes it different?

As we only launched this year that’s a difficult question to answer but hopefully we offer quality electronic music across the board. As we are an existing PR, promotions, rights management and digital distribution company I hope we can offer artists a full ‘360’ in house deal that extends from promotion globally across press, club and radio to worldwide digital distribution, collection of royalties, sync licensing, publishing and so on. This way we can help raise their profile, fully monetize releases across all platforms and hopefully further their career. In terms of music policy we are open to anything – it just has to feel right for us and the artist.

What is it that makes you keep looking for new talent to expose?

Over the last 20 years or so I have championed many artists from either writing in magazines such as JockeySlut, Melody Maker, Muzik, Update and so on to PR and promotions with many labels all over the world. The biggest buzz is always picking up on unknown artists and exposing them to the world. I have done this for countless artists, many of whom are now some of the biggest DJs and producers on the planet. The label is an extension of that. We want to expose new artists and talent to the world and take them to the next level.

What’s the label’s pinnacle achievement so far?

EPM 10 was a dream come true for us, ten exclusive tracks from some of the biggest players in electronic music. Obviously the fact that they wanted to do it was a massive compliment for us and then hosting Room 2 at Fabric this year to release the album with Robert Hood, Detroit Grand Pubahs and Orlando Voorn… I couldn’t stop smiling for days! And then there was another album release party at Panorama Bar, and the up coming party at Nitsa (during Sonar) on June 16th for Lee’s Folded Spaces album with the mighty Robert Hood.

If people were going to hear one release from your camp, what would you prefer it to be?

EPM 10 is what we are about. It’s all downhill from here!

All being well, skip forward five years, where would you like things to be?

Hopefully a respected and established label with a name that is a sign of quality, and 20 multi-platinum albums under our belts! Maybe working more with live acts as well as DJs and producers too. Hopefully we will be in a position where established artists are approaching us about releasing their work. At the moment it is very exciting. Who knows what doors this new venture will open?

 

Recent stops

UK – Alola – Omid 16B

UK – Bedrock – John Digweed


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