‘Money compromises art’, said Plink Plonk

‘Money compromises art’, said Plink Plonk

21 October, 2009 | 5.31AM

• Written by: Terry Church
• Filed under: Music News: mr c, plink plonk, the end

Plink Plonk Records could have made a lot more money, but when Mr. C launched his highly respected techno and house label in 1992, he deliberately impeded the label’s financial success for the sake of the music. Was he mad?

In today’s chart obsessed, hype driven DJ world, he probably would be. Yet, after his fame and glory in the pop world as the frontman of the ecstasy-loving band The Shamen, Mr. C decided to give something back to the underground.

Money compromises art he believed, so he banned Plink Plonk’s artists - many of whom were established in Detroit, Chicago, and London - from using their own names on releases.

Anonymity and new aliases was Plink Plonk’s mantra, and without the incentive of money driving the label, without a recognisable name on its record sleeves, the label released some truly groundbreaking club music.

Plink Plonk closed in 1997, and despite a brief re-birth in 1999, the label never reached the digital space. Until this week.

With Plink Plonk Records’ long-lost 12-inches, albums, and compilations finally available on the digital foray, we caught up with the most famous smile in London clubland, DJ, producer, label owner, and the former co-owner of The End, Mr. C, to talk about the legend of Plink Plonk.

What was the original aim of Plink Plonk?

I launched Plink Plonk in late 1992. The original aim was to do something more experimental, a bit off key. At that time, a lot of what was coming out was really obvious house.

Detroit had gone quiet, and all the original boys from there had gone quiet, and it was all mainly house with loud melodies coming out. I wanted to do something more raw.

One of the things that defined Plink Plonk is the fact that all of its artists released under brand new aliases. You hid the identity of your artists - even the big names. Why is that?

I didn’t want any of the artists to produce under their own name because it had to be about the music, and not about the hype. You can make the most amazing music and because it’s not a recognised name, it’ll go under the radar.

Back then, it was the same as it is now - have a trendy name on a release and it’ll sell, even if it’s crap. People will buy a release just because it’s a trendy name on there, and that’s bullshit really. We wanted Plink Plonk to be only about the music.

That’s a novel way to run a record label.

Yeah it was, and all the artists that came on board were always happy to hide behind an alias. Even though, it was really difficult for us as a label because sales could have been a lot better if we had revealed who really produced the records.

So Plink Plonk could have made a lot more money, if you wanted it to?

We just wanted to put out cool music, not make money. We wanted people to judge music for music’s sake. When I go to a record store and get handed a pile of records, I don’t look at the cover of each record to see who produced it, I just listen and buy the music if it’s good.

That was something that I felt needed to be reinforced in the scene.

Had you finished with The Shamen by the time you launched Plink Plonk?

Yes, actually I launched Plink Plonk right after I got my first cheque from The Shamen. I always said, that if I was fortunate enough to make money from pop, then I would re-invest it in the underground. So Plink Plonk was my way to give something back.

Plink Plonk closed at a certain time, re-opened again in 1999, and now you’re relaunching the label digitally. What’s the full story?

We closed the first time in 1996, then re-opened again in ‘99 to basically be an outlet for some of my own stuff, and to work with some of the artists that I liked.

Plink Plonk hasn’t been around for quite a long time now, so that’s why I’ve decided to now put it on Beatport. I think it’s much more relevant to today’s sound then it was back then. It’s a good time to get that stuff out there again, because all of the youngsters don’t know about it.

Is it a fully operational Plink Plonk, or just about re-releases for now?

Just re-releases for now.

Why did you avoid digital for so long?

I didn’t see a need for it. When Plink Plonk first launched, there was no digital. You couldn’t download stuff off the net, that wasn’t possible. Now it is.
But now so many people are buying digital only, and would like to get their hands on Plink Plonk releases in that format. People always talk to me about Plink Plonk and ask when it will be available digitally as it was a very special catalog of records.

Plink Plonk’s artists for now, remain anonymous. But was it mainly Brits producing on the label?

Yes, it was mostly British artists, but we had a few Americans too. I think Plink Plonk was the start of tech house from London.

It was how tech house was meant to be - stripped back, experimental grooves from somewhere in between techno and house. It was spaced down and futuristic, quite different to today’s tech house sound.

Plink Plonk had its own sound, but it was highly revered in Detroit.

You said earlier on, that “Detroit had gone quiet” around the time you launched Plink Plonk. What did you mean by that?

Detroit techno’s scene came from the late 80s, and early 90s, and you have to remember that it was really just one group from Detroit doing stuff.

Around 1992/1993, Jeff Mills went harder, Kevin Saunderson got more housey and pop, and Derrick May stopped doing stuff. Juan Atkins also stopped doing stuff. I’ve no idea why, but I think it was because people were happy with their lot, for a while, anyway.

And on the British front, was Plink Plonk considered a pioneer for techno and tech house?

When Plink Plonk launched, there were not many good British techno labels operating at the time, apart from Peacefrog maybe. Others came later, and British artists started to gain recognition from about ‘93 to ‘95, but before that there wasn’t a whole lot of good techno coming out from Britain.

The big question that many Plink Plonk fans will want to know is - will you reveal the original artists this time around?

Maybe we will reveal who they really are at some point. I don’t know. If we can make people aware that Plink Plonk is back, and what it stands for, then we won’t need to.

People are making the same stuff, and you hear people saying things like ‘you have to make it sound like this or that person, otherwise it won’t sell’.

It would probably be a bit sad if you had to reveal the original artists just to fit into the digital space?

It’s a joke that you need an artist name on everything. There’s so much sub standard stuff being released, but if it’s on a trendy label then people will buy it. The art of music hasn’t really got the respect it deserves.

People are making the same stuff, and you hear people saying things like ‘you have to make it sound like this or that person, otherwise it won’t sell’.

There are not that many people making music for art’s sake any more. Every so often a certain record will come out, that deserves a massive sale but it doesn’t get it because the artist isn’t trendy at the point of release. It’s stupid, really.

So what kind of music should people support?

That’s a hard one. Plink Plonk was quite experimental for its time and back then, like now, if the track is full on, having it and dancefloor, it’s easy to sell. But as soon as you get a little bit abstract, a little bit off key, then it’s not gonna sell or get attention, unless you have a recognised name on it.

Ultimately though, hasn’t electronic music always had its trends?

Yes, there has always been trends.

What’s the plan for Plink Plonk’s re-launch on Beatport?

We’re going to put up all of the longplayers first, as there’s some amazing music and electronic sounds on albums like the Megalon one, and the ‘Parasols’ compilation.

Then we’ll release two to three new singles a month, and stagger them. Hopefully people will re-discover Plink Plonk again.

10 Essential Plink Plonk tracks

Music For Freaks ‘Spoo’

Luke Soloman and Derrick Carter’s Music For Freaks project provided a tripped out and evil tech house cut with ‘Spoo’, that bridged the late Chicago house and London tech house scenes perfectly.

Nuw Idol ‘Union of Ilk’

A possible precursor to the progressive breaks scene of the late 90s, Nuw Idol’s ethereal ‘Union of Ilk’ reminds of early Hybrid, and has aged extremely well.

Underground Science ‘Metamorphic’

Before Robert Hood released his seminal blue-print for minimal techno ‘Minimal Nation’ in 1994, Plink Plonk was already experimenting with stripped back techno rhythms.

‘Metamorphic’ was a prime example of the slow, punchy, and space-filled tech house the label became a fine purveyor of.

Tone Theory ‘Loop Limbo’

Derrick Carter’s first release under his occasional moniker Tone Theory, is a beautiful rolling tech house groove with plenty of swing and funky musical moments.

Hiroshi Morohashi ‘Two’

A superb slice of deep house, with soulful organs, reversed drum sections, and wonky techno moments.

Alpha Proxima ‘I’ve Seen The Future’

Back in 1996, drum & bass was still in trying to find its feet, and Alpha Proxima’s growling ‘I’ve Seen The Future’ was like a mish mash between jungle and stipped back techno. An apt title, for a track on a tech house centric label.

Megalon ‘Semblance’

Hypnotic and trippy, Megalon’s deep and acidic techno cut ‘Semblance’ reminds of Detroit’s sci-fi obsessed Jeff Mills.

Pluto ‘Plutobeat’

Wonky and loop-based, Pluto’s ‘Plutobeat’ was a scatty minimal trip, with glitch-based percussion and vocal manipulation used to full effect.

Animus Amor ‘And On’

Taken from Animus Amor’s album ‘Don’t Run Unless God Says So’, ‘And On’ is a 12 minute journey through layers of haunting pads, tech house bass, and 909 hand claps.

Megalon ‘Mission’

Progressive for its time, Megalon’s ‘Mission’ provided tangible sound lines over brief interludes of electronic feedback and impending bass.

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