Interview: Get Digital’s DJ T and Philipp from M.A.N.D.Y.

Interview: Get Digital’s DJ T and Philipp from M.A.N.D.Y.

7 October, 2008 | 3.13AM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: dj t, get digital, get physical, jamie jones, mandy., simon baker

Get Physical Music have just launched their new sub-label, Get Digital, and we have a very special interview with DJ T and Philipp from M.A.N.D.Y..

The pair talk about the impetus in starting Get Digital, the “death of vinyl”, upcoming projects, and the label’s first release, which is from from Jamie Jones and Simon Baker.

Check it all out after the jump.

You’ve just launched Get Digital – what were your main reasons for doing this and what do you hope to achieve through the label?

Philipp: At Get Physical we have had to turn away so much good music because we are limited to around 16 vinyl releases a year.

To increase this is just impossible so we’ve had to stick to a frequency of one release every 3-4 weeks.

With the roster of artists that we currently have, these 16 slots are almost filled up.

Get Digital gives us the freedom to bring out more of the great music that we are sent and to release more quickly if we don’t want to wait for at least half a year before we can set it up in our vinyl schedule.

DJ T: There has been some controversy over whether Get Digital is a completely new and independent label, if it’s a sub-label or whatever.

I would prefer to call it a sister label as whilst it is its own entity, you cannot understand it without having an understanding of Get Physical.

There will also be a constant exchange of artists between the two labels as a lots of the main artists on Get Physical will also be releasing on Get Digital.

Do you think the move towards digital-only labels suggests an eventual death of vinyl?

Philipp: The creation of Get Digital is a reaction to the changes that are going on in the market at the moment, but it doesn’t suggest the death of vinyl is on its way.

Whilst traditionally record labels have brought out physical sound carriers, which are then promoted by digital files, with Get Digital we are turning this process around.

We will release tracks digitally to start with and then make a limited number of physical prints for the vinyl lovers.

So on the one hand the label is meant to embrace the digital revolution, but at the same time it is not forgetting the value of a piece of vinyl and makes it more special, which is important to us. 

Vinyl will also always survive on a collective level.

DJ T: I certainly hope that vinyl won’t die out completely.

I hope that sales will stay on a plateau from now on and not decrease any more.

We are certainly going to hold on to it for as long as possible.

As I watch the current DJ scene, I find it very interesting that some of the most famous DJs still focus on vinyl.

This must still produce many vinyl followers in the circle of youngsters.

At the same time, there is a phenomenon that a lot of DJs who started playing with CDs still buy the track in vinyl first and then transfer it to a digital file, because of the better sound quality.

These - amongst others - are two positive aspects for the future of vinyl.

‘KasKazi’ by Simon Baker and Jamie Jones was the first release on Get Digital. What made you decide this was the track? What did you like the most about it?

DJ T.: We wanted to have a really big tune to launch the label with, and this track came just at the right moment.

I really like the old school house references in the track, it’s a really nice thing when a track can work in a contemporary DJ set but at the same time brings in old school influences.

Philipp: I know Simon and Jamie well and I love what they are doing at the moment, I really respect them. It’s a great pumping old school house track and perfect for the first release on Get Digital.

You gave away GD001 for free as part of the promotion of the launch of Get Digital. How do you feel about the current situation with music sales and the marketing approach of giving away free content?

DJ T.: We ourselves don’t necessarily know where this approach is leading us to, it’s an experiment in finding new ways of promoting music and getting in contact with our followers.

Philipp: We wanted to give something back to our fans who have supported us over the years as well as grab their attention.

We often run competitions and interact with the Get Physical community as we think it’s really important. 

It’s also a great way to launch something and build up traffic to the site.

Do you think the future is bleak for record labels, or do you think there are new and exciting business models to come?

Philipp: This is a question that the whole market is asking at the moment and I believe that as long as labels are flexible and look into new business models and different ways of selling and promoting their music then there is a future, albeit a different one.

They should take care of their rights and evolve into more of a complete package – offering artists booking, publishing and merchandise sales as well as record sales.

For example, we’ve been putting a lot of time into our web shop as a source of revenue.

DJ T.: We are very open for new business ideas at Get Physical and we are currently working on a plan to connect everything that we do with our events.

We are also working a lot on our new homepage and want to introduce a members section so that we can have more interaction with our followers.

We want to give the hardcore fans the opportunity to be more of a part of what we do and to offer them special content and more exclusive material.

We are also keen to encourage proposals from them, so that we really give them what they are after.

Are there any other new artists that you have been working with that we should get excited about?

Philipp: You should be excited about all the artists we’ve been working with!

No seriously, there are lots of great releases coming up, including remixes by Patrice Bäumel, another 12” from Nôze and some exciting releases on Kindisch.

DJ T: We decided a long time ago to sell everything that we like and not to be confined by genres, and over the last five years we have often stepped out of the dance culture and worked with a very diverse range of artists, whilst at the same time keeping the connection with the dance floor through remixes that we put out on 12”s.

The next year will see longplayers from some exciting new artists.

What are the upcoming GPM projects that we can look forward to?

Phillip: This year we are launching a really special new Get Physical project, ‘Final Song’, which will put a completely different spin on the current state of compilations.

The CD is made up of tracks that have been carefully selected by a collection of DJs that we really respect.

The criteria for the song selection was that it should be a musical composition that the artist would want to carry on playing for eternity, in the space that they will leave behind.

So it’s going to be a really personal and intimate project, as opposed to a collection of the latest dance floor hits.

DJ T.: The other exciting project we have been working on this year is GPM 100.

To have our 100th release after 6 ½ years makes us really proud since it marks a big achievement for the label so it is our key release for the second half of the year.

We have brought together 18 artists to produce nine collaborations in pairs and all of these artists have put a lot of effort into their tracks to make them very special.

What personal projects are you both working on at the moment?

DJ T.: After a break of almost one and half years I have a a series of 12”s coming out.

Starting with ‘Outbreak’ on Get Physical, I also have releases on Poker Flat and Kindisch before the end of the year.

I contributed to GPM 100 and the release on Get Physical from Booka Shade and M.A.N.D.Y.

I am also starting to produce a new album and when I’ve bought all the equipment I hope to start doing my own layouts.

Philipp: We’re still in the studio with Lopazz at the moment.

We’ve also finished two tracks with Booka Shade, a remix for Felix Da Housecat and of course, M.A.N.D.Y vs Booka Shade ‘O Superman’ Remixes Vol.1 and 2 came out on the 1st October!

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