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The below Interview is taken from
Issue 5 of
Sub Kulture www.subkulture.co.za
We managed to catch up with Mistic who runs a new up and coming drum & bass label in the UK .
Firstly, Big up for Congo Metal!!
Thanks man I really like the tune I put a lot of work in to it. Most of the other artists on DW didn't think I should release it as DWs first release as they thought I had tunes that would do more damage on the dance floor, I didn't care I about that, as I wanted to release a tune with loads of detail and a classical old skool, dark side drum and bass feel to it so it doesn't get to boring to quickly.
Ok, so who's in the Dark Wax kru?
Mistic aka Cybernetic Organizm, Rob the manager, Warlok,
Deep Impact, Stylie, High Density, Kable, Brandon Miles, Code Name Skin, the IRS, Gritty Comity, Scott McMullan, Steven Lawson and
some new boys "to early to mention"
Who does what (design etc)?
Dark Wax started a long time ago but as a DJ crew, when I storied to make my own music I wanted to start my own label and got serious, I asked long time friend Robert if he wanted to give up his life and help me start the label and manage Dark Wax he said yes and now we run Dark Wax, also Robert runs the website, Stylie is promotions manager and DJ. Scott Mc Mullan and Steven Lawson are the in house designers (one a graphic designer the other an artist). The producers are Mistic aka Cybernetic Organizm, warlok, Deep Impact, High Density, Brandon Miles, Code Name Skin, I engineer manage and mix all the tunes down. The IRS are UK hip hop artist and Gritty Comity are urban grime artists they both are live performers. Kable looks after the forum. We have a team of DJ's which include Massa , DP and Excell.
How long have you guys been djing, producing dnb?
Most of us have been DJing and producing for 8 years some of the newer members have been DJing and producing from 2 to 4 years.
Explain the concept behind Dark Wax?
Fresh and futuristic. We want to push our record label in different directions and always try new things. Basically most drum and bass record labels think of them self's as only a drum and bass record label, were we are doing so much more with dark wax, you will be very surprised by some of the music you hear from us but also as a business, prime examples of this would be our plan to do music for ad campaigns, films, etc. or such as making are own interactive games with are mascot. Look out for Darktris are first video game.
How has that been going so far?
What can I say, I'm happy with the way things are going in terms of are music and releases, are website is doing really well too, we had 49729 hits in September and people love Darktris. Are next step is to start promoting our self's and show are skills as DJs and try to get sets all over the world. South Africa look out!
What kind of sound are you pushing?
We push a lot of different styles of music as long as the production is tight and there is loads of bass. Heavy, Techy, Hard, Intelligent, Deep, Roiling, Melodic, Dark Side Drum and Bass , UK Hip Hop and Urban Grime. If it falls any where in the above, sounds good and has BASS we like if.
Influences?
Are main Influences are the big labels like Sony music Virgin records, we want to branch out in to different things, making audio for alt types of multimedia, you never know we might even start Dark airlines.
How did you find it trying to start a new label, getting distribution? Etc?
To start the company wasn't as hard as I thought, me and Robert wrote a business plan and got funding, this involved lots of research and took over a year. Once we got are funding we up graded the studio and Congo Metal and Tekno Bass were born. Are next step was to promote dark wax and let the world know we were here, we did this by having are launch party and releasing DWO01 at the same time. I posted music and information about Dark Wax on all the drum and bass forums I could find world wide. Once the label was up and running this is where things started to get hard, very hard, there is no love out there when if comes to new labels. People don't want to really know new record labels and artists, you have to prove your self first, we did this by teaming up with promoters Urban Storm and UK HIP HOP label Skool Dem to throw a massive launch party (Devastation) with some of the biggest artists in UK Hip Hop and Drum and Bass (Friction Pendulum and Keaton) witch actually underestimated how packed it was going to be and thought they were going to be playing to an empty room, they were so wrong. As soon as the DJs entered the Dark Wax Arena the new what time if was, friction commented (how did we get such a good vibe in there) if was true we did have an excellent vibe, the crowd appreciated ail the Dark Wax D/'s as much as the established DJs, the crowd roared when the mc's mentioned D/'s like Massa who the ravers had never heard of. Any way in the end if all turned out good we are starting to get noticed and people wont to support us, but we still distribute are records our self's so we see more of the profits ourselves and can expand quicker.
What is your position on mp3's?
Dark Wax - Mp3s are good when used for new artists because you can post links to your online mp3 demos on forums or give a link to a label owner.
Obviously there are problems with copy write and illegal recording but with all the benefits and surge in popularity of the medium we'd be stupid not to be right behind the mp3 revolution.
Cd or Vinyl?
Both, Vinyl is better though
Looking for demos? And where can they be sent?
Yeah we are always looking for world wide talent. Send demos to Dark Wax
9 Ferris road
East Dulwich
UK London
SE22 9ND
or post them on the dark wax forum @ http://f orum.darkwax.com/ 
Any thing else you want to add..
Firstly I want to thank Steve, Shii, BioMech, Toine, and the whole SubKulture crew, for giving Dark Wax are first interview and big up all the South African people. One thing I don't think we've covered properly is our ideology as a record label. This is what sets us apart from other D&B labels out there. When we first started the Dark Wax thing , before there where so many people with different skills, before we realized the full range and scope of what we were frying to do, we experienced for our selves how harsh it is for new comers out there in the British D&B industry. In the industry it's definitely who you know over what you know. This is not a healthy or
productive environment for the music. Were not saying we're a charity or are out to do any one, any favors, but the music comes FIRST.
Dark Wax doesn't care who you are or where you come from if your tunes are good your tunes are good and we'll fry and give any new artist as good a deal as we can this Includes not tying their hands with a deal that means we own every tune they make for the next two years and where certainly not out to skank or cheat any one. If enough record labels adapted a similar attitude and way of dealing with artists then a more transparent, over the table manner altitude could bring about a lot of growth and ultimately better music with much more variety.
In short were out to change the D&B industry starting from the ground up, but to do this we need your support so if you see, a DW record pick if up, bring if home and support the revolution.
Also look out for:
Dark Media (Multi Media Company)
DW002 High Density - Deft and Grapple
Dark World EP volume 1 (4 track from different parts of the world)
Deep Wax recordings (a more free style of drum and bass and breaks)
Devastation part2, somewhere in London soon
Check out are website download Dark Wax The Future volume 1 - free mix set and join the forum crew http://www.darkwax.co.uk/ and play some Darktris.
[Which you will also find in this issue of SubKulture!. ed-]
Don't underestimate the power of a new record label!!
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