TAYLOR
DEUPREE:
COGNITION AUDIOWORKS (CA)
Interview
with Taylor Deupree
by Andrew Duke
Brooklyn's
Taylor Deupree has an extensive music-related history. Prototype
909, SETI, Human Mesh Dance, and Futique are just some of the
projects in which Deupree has had a hand; labels including but
not limited to Plastic City, Rancho Relaxo, Disko B, and Dum
have all released Deupree-related material. Not only a musician,
he is also a graphic and type designer for Caipirinha and Instinct.
While he has recorded with many other artists in the past, the
last two years have seen him focus his energy more on solo work
and his 12k imprint. As the year 2000 rears its ugly head, many
labels are intent on wringing out more sales, covering more
territories, and fighting to reach the top of the heap in today's
electronic music market. Deupree, however, has taken a different,
refreshing approach. 12k is concerned more with pushing musical
boundaries than racking up big sales numbers; using technology
to make communication and the music itself more individual and
unique, rather than exploiting it for greater monetary return.
Where some labels start up offices in ne countries in order
to capitalize on untapped wallets, Deupree sells 12k releases--from
an international roster of artists based in Japan, Germany,
Greece, and the United States--mostly through mail order. Deupree
is well aware of the possibilities technology and its resultant
new distribution options offer, but he is more interested in
dealing with like-minded people-both musicians and consumers-when
it comes to 12k. For him, it's about building better relationships,
not increasing distribution and aiming to reach the masses.
You've
worked with many labels in the past. What prompted you to start
12k?
"12k
started in January 1997 and basically it came out of a bad deal
from another label. They pissed me off quite a bit and I said,
'I'm just going to do it myself and start my own label.' I find
a huge lack of support in America for the kind of stuff I'm
trying to do with the label for more experimental listening
music-'post techno' as some people call it. There's so many
labels and they do techno or they do jungle, the bigger labels
who are just bandwagon-jumpers, but the exact sound that I was
doing, I had to do it myself."
You
made a conscious decision to release all CDs on 12k strictly
in small quantities. Why?
"Every
CD is limited to 500 copies and I think that makes it a little
more special for people who buy it and actually get their hands
on a copy because it is limited edition. For the first two releases,
I didn't do any press at all, I refused to send copies to people
for free because the whole idea behind the label was kind of
to be an 'anti-label'-I didn't sell through distributors, if
you wanted to find the music, you had to find it. It was more
a label for true music lovers to stumble upon rather than one
where I would throw it in their faces. I didn't have to make
money with it, so I wasn't concerned about selling really quickly
or selling a lot of them. Because the money behind the label
wasn't important to me, it allowed me to be able to take that
kind of attitude with it."
Because
of the limited number of copies of each release, do you find
you have a more personal relationship with the people buying
12k material?
"Exactly.
I'm doing press now and I'm doing interviews and things like
that because you have to do something or it's just going to
stop dead, but I still know practically by name everyone who
bought the first two CDs because almost all of them were sold
to people who contacted me by email. It's extremely personal.
When someone emails me about a new release who has bought something
[on 12k] before, I recognize the name and I talk to
almost everyone; it's really cool for me as well as for them,
and everyone seems to enjoy it a lot."
spec.,
from Taylor Deupree and Richard Chartier, is out now on 12k.
Upcoming is an untitled Deupree 12" on Audio.NL and remixes
of Goem and Kim Cascone. Deupree's cycology will be released
on 12k soon. Check out 12k.com for soundclips and more info.
