NYC King Street house label has recently turned 13, makin’ it the longest independant structure in activity, hot on the heels of the defunct Strictly Rhythm & Nervous. Nuff reasons for us here on IDMW.Com to wish KS team a happy B-day and have a little conv by the likes of this 13 Q’s list adressed to CEO Hisa Ishioka and try to get to know if he’s ever got a recipe…
01. Hisa, nice to get you on board. First & foremost, Happy Birthday and congrats for what you’ve accomplished so far. What could you say you’re the most proud of after all these years ?
Thank you! It’s been a good journey so far. I like to think we’ve picked up where Larry Levan left off, musically. We’re keeping that spirit and his musical legacy alive.
02. Structures such as Strictly Rhythm and Nervous have ended up disappearing, despite consistant efforts along the years, have you yourself ever been tempted to resign?
It hasn't been easy to say the least and quitting was not an option. It never is when you love what you do. How d’you say in French? “Quand on veut, on peut !
03. Would their heads have made mistakes and have you ever taken a sort of lesson with their respective failures?
Never really paid attention to what other labels were doing. Just try to release what we like and what’s good.
04. Life goes into cycles of 12 years according to the Chinese zodiac. Have you had the feeling of entering a new one last year at the same period ? If so, how do you see it ?
First of all, I’m Japanese so that doesn't apply to me LOL :) we’re just continuing to do what we do best. The 10 Year Anniversary had more of an impact but it only planted my feet further in the ground and made me want to stick to my guns.
05. Suppose you are a new comer, would you launch a label today and if so would you do things the way you did 13 years ago?
Sales are of course much lower than they used to be. Therefore, if I was going to try to start a label I’d have to concentrate on selling music rather than selling records. By that I mean to get tunes licensed, and all the other unconventional means of getting one’s music out there and try to run a business.
06. What do suggest you the massive arrival of technology and how has it affected your work?
Well you can’t ignore technology. Digital downloads are here to stay and one needs to keep up with technology (especially if it affects your business) if you want to be one step ahead. We’ve created a download subscription program where members can get access to our latest releases by logging onto our site.
It’s a double edged sword because on one hand we are able to get our music to parts of the world who probably heard of us before but were never able to get our music. The bad part is of course duplication. But there are ways of encoding and blueprinting the music so duplication is prevented and one can track the origin of its download.
07. How do you see the future?
Access to music will be easier than ever, as it is already, although I see it’s inherent value going down a bit. That’s what I was saying earlier about getting the music for free. If you get something for free you don't value it an much as if you had to pay for it. People’s attention seem to be getting much shorter and therefore more singles-driven.
08. We may see here and there people saying that everything’s been written. Would you agree? And if not where could we go?
Yes absolutely. Every style of music that can be done has been done. That’s why sampling and retro and rock music incorporating electronic and things like that are coming into play. I used to open up a dance music magazine and know all the artists in the various sections. Now there are review sections for anything from Hard Dance to Trance, to Abstract, to Experimental and each genre is becoming its own universe. And if one’s stuff is too “weird” then people have no way of connecting with it so they lose interest. Also so many people get so hung up on what’s “Cool” they forget what’s “Good”. That’s why now more than ever, we need to stick to our guns without giving into passing trends and just keep putting out good music. That’s what people will always and ultimately respond to. A good tune is a good tune.
09. Although it’s admitted that technology has simplified a whole bunch of things, it looks on the other hand, as notoriously said by Detroit producer Jeff Mills, that no one out of this generation has never made itself a name such as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock or the late Ray Charles to name but a very few. How do you explain this?
That’s only because no one has had the history that they’ve had. Who’s the house music’s Ray Charles? I’d like to know.
10. Do you see anyone who could ever reach this status out of the current generation ?
Nope but would love to meet them.
11. Do we have to consider that vinyl is definitely condamned as a format? And if so, can ever a label make itself a living while having its incomes based on the sales of downloaded files?
This is probably the saddest question in this whole interview! Yes vinyl is dying, we all know that but there is still a decent amount of people, be they djs or collectors, who still want the vinyl on any given tune. They say it sounds “warmer” in the clubs but it seems like vinyl has become more of a luxury than a necessity. Even big named DJs are carrying all CDs or even just a laptop to play. Where’s the show in THAT, I say?! But as long as we get orders for people demanding vinyl we will never stop pressing it. That’s the good news. Of course we’ve had to adapt to the change in technology because this is a business after all and we can never stay in the dark, otherwise we’ll perish. The whole downloading thing does have its advantages. People have access to music now that they never necessarily had before. They don't have to go diggin through endless crates to look for a record – they can do a search and never leave their house. Even though there’s a higher tendency (even out of control) for music to be shared, there’s something to be said about a hot record that everyone wants. If they hear it and want the vinyl they’ll buy it. Our online store proves that. If they have enough integrity to go to Traxsource or Beatport.com and download the record then there’s money to be made there. In an age where the turntable has out-sold the electric guitar, I think vinyl will last for a good long while still but hard to say how long.
12. Where would you like to be at in the 13 years to come?
Hopefully either retired or still putting out great music but we’ll see when we get there.
13. What to expect this year from King Street/NiteGrooves in Miami, in terms of releases. Any secret weapon of yours to come?
We’re looking at “I Believe” by Sunshine Jones, Dennis Ferrer, Johnny Dangerous’ “Beat That Bitch” (Mr. V remixes), the Joi Cardwell/Quentin Harris “What it Feels Like” jam, Agora Rhythm and Mink’s “Glory of Life” that just hit #4 on Billboard (3/11/06 issue date) - Secret weapon is still a secret :)
Aligato Ishioka San, MFSB
INTERVIEW
