After over two years on Melodic Distraction, we felt it high time to check in with the label, party and collective that is, Inflect Records. We chat to with DJs and founders, DaVak & Empathy Slow, to about the origins of the label, their love of THAT 80’s dance music sound and upcoming releases…
Hi Jack (DaVak) and Kipras (Empathy Slow)! How did you both first get into music?
Kipras: I’ve been a music enthusiast since my childhood and have been burning CDs for my own playlists since I was 10. I found my first DJ school when I was 15 years old and learnt some basics on both turntable and CDJs. When I turned 16, I started playing in my local small town club and became a resident. When I became an adult I was interested in music production and moved to England to study it.
Jack: Music has always been part of me. When I was just a baby my mum would play CDs in the car and my dad would play music loudly throughout the house. I was surrounded by music. When I was only 11 or 12, I would constantly update my playlists on the ipod Nano and Blackberry phone to make sure they were always up to date. My fascination with music really accelerated when I was 15/16 after I attended the Mint Festival in Wetherby. I experienced electronic music for the first time live and instantly fell in love. From this day I knew that music was my passion. Ever since, I have been involved in music in some way or another, be that studying it, making it or mixing it.
How was Inflect Records born? What’s the main ethos of the label?
We were both students at Edge Hill University studying music. As we both had a passion for electronic music it was easy to get along quickly and were immediately drawn to working together. We both shared the enthusiasm of making an impact in the music scene.
We were planning the future of Inflect and what that entailed. This idea was finalised after a trip to Lithuania, where we attended the last ever Supynes Festival. This heavily influenced both of us and the style of music inflect would present. Once we returned to Liverpool we accelerated plans to put on our first event and build the brand of the label.
The ethos of Inflect is: ‘Music from an era that time forgot’
As we know trends are forever changing, particularly ones from the past coming back into the mainstream, such as 80’s style clothing and formats such as vinyl and analogue music production equipment, with more advanced parameters. Our particular sound is specific to these trends. It is, essentially, music from all corners of the globe coming together to create an abstract style of electronic body music.
We are bringing you 1980’s disco, acid house, music with a modernised deep/dark techno feel.
Part English and part Lithuanian, based in Vilnius and up until recently Amsterdam – do your surroundings have much of an impact on the music you consume and release?
The surroundings absolutely impact, not only the music we would release but also our image. However, as most of our releases come from around the world we pick up various cultural influences expressed by the artist we sign.
How do the music scenes in Vilnius/Amsterdam compare to Liverpool?
The music scene in Europe is different to England. People are more obliged to try new venues and experience new sub genres. The audiences enjoy listening to new artists that they haven’t heard before and enter the club with an open mind. Whereas in Liverpool, it is mainly the headline name or venue that attracts the crowd. The Liverpool scene is dominated by techno, jungle and house. Whereas Vilnius is more open to electronic sub genres such as indie dance and electronica.
Due to Amsterdam being a bigger city and having more venues that showcase electronic music than Liverpool, you are able to experience most genres within dance music on one given night.
What’s your take on the current electronic music landscape in comparison to its origins in the eighties?
In the 80s, electronic music was still really young and exciting and all artists were thrilled to play with this new ‘toy’. Therefore, looking back to 80’s electronic music we have been able to gather numerous influences from that time and the experimental approach that artists used was extremely popular within that niche.
Whereas these days because electronic music is so established, each genre has a dominant structure. However due to the evolution of technology and accessibility of music production equipment an artist can take snippets from multiple genres to combine styles and periods of time.
What was the last record/tune you each bought?
Jack – Brioski- Mindless Sequence (Vinyl)- Analogue/Electronica
Kipras – Disco Mortale & Sauvage World – Destroy Inc (Curses Remix)
What else do you have planned for 2022?
We are currently gathering tracks for our second Various Artist Compilation which is to be released early Autumn and an EP which will be out later this year.
We are also planning heavily for 2023, where you will hear and see some change in the Inflect image and style which will help us grow and expand our audience.
We are excited for what’s to come in the future for Inflect Records!
|| INFLECT RECORDS ||