Soul Designer aka Fabrice Lig’s Melodika Recordings

Soul Designer aka Fabrice Lig’s Melodika Recordings

14 October, 2008 | 10.43AM

• Written by: chuckbleu
• Filed under: Music News : fabrice lig, melodika recordings, soul designer

Fabrice Lig aka Soul Designer is one of techno’s top producers and performers who has been releasing modern classics on esteemed labels like Laurent Garnier’s F Communication, Kevin Saunderson’s KMS, Versatile Records, 7th City, Submerge, React and several others since the mid-nineties. 

He’s performed the world over from Berlin to Paris as well as Asia and Australia and everywhere else you can imagine including all across the US while also holding down residencies in the UK and his home country of Belgium.

Now it’s finally time for Fabrice to start up his own label, and he has decided to focus on the up-and-comers who he meets in his travels every day. 

Here’s how Fabrice describes the idea of Melodika Recordings:

“From the roots of Detroit to the actual cutting edge melodic and funky music, Melodika brings what was called in the early days T.e.c.h.n.o or House Music.  A time without any sub-categories or styles.  Just a common point, some electronic dance music for your feet and your Soul.  What can you expect?  A roster with the cream of the cream of the actual confirmed and trendy names...No!  Many labels are already doing that.  Our purpose is to introduce some new emerging talent who choose the passionate way of proper techno or house with no compromises.  After a few years of traveling the world and receiving tons of demos, I realized that so many people were working in the shadow of their bedrooms to create amazing music, just for them and their friends, too shy to send it to labels or not well known enough to sign on the trendy ones. Its time now to enlarge their audience, that’s the least that they deserve for their incredible hidden talent.  From Japan to Ireland, from France to Australia, from Belgium to the UK or the USA… Everyone has something to give and that’s exactly what we expect to share with you.  Timeless house and Techno music from the Soul to the floor...Melodika Recordings”

What made you decide to start Melodika Recordings?

The amount of demos I receive each time I play, anywhere in the world. People are always giving me their music.

And not just the number of demos, also, the quality. It was too sad to let all these talented young people with nice music in their hands go by without releasing it.

What is the purpose/plan with the label?  What can we expect?

So, regarding the situation for the new artists, the purpose is to give them a chance to present their music to the world…more officially.

The purpose is to help some new artist to start their career, to make some contacts, find some opportunities and to move forward.

Get out of the jungle of millions people proposing music on the net.

What artists will we see on Melodika?

Mainly young artists, newcomers or friends.

Pedro Cali from Belgium, Matt Chester from UK, Lee Holman from Ireland, Taho from France, Kid Whisky from Belgium, Itokim from Japan…. and many more, I hope!

Will you or any more established artists make appearances on the label?

It’s not the purpose…I don’t want to use the label to promote myself. It’s more to promote some other people.

Established artists? Don’t know, it’s not the purpose to…If some artists really want to release something on Melodika, and if it’s good music, I would be stupid to say no.

But once again, its not a goal I want to reach.

I would be more happy if the label is growing up with new artists, if some of them can start a great career, with Melodika or not…I would be happy if some of them can sign some music on big labels, too.

So you have a new album. Could you fill us in on the details of this?

Sure, it’s a new album under my moniker Soul Designer. It’s called ‘Evolutionism’, and it’s out on Third Ear, that great label from UK/Japan.

It’s the second album after the first one (’Walking on a Little Cloud’) on F-Communications.

It was long and hard work, cause I really wanted to make a new step into the techno soul.

I wanted to mix all my influences together (funk,jazz, blues, Detroit/Chicago techno)…was not easy cause I wanted the album to be, at the end, a real electronic/techno album.

Also, I wanted to develop a message about our evolution…I mean, human evolution, about nature, was really important to me to deliver a message.

I think, making soulful music is already a message itself, but I wanted the message to be more precise.

Put some words on the music…just check here to get more infos…www.myspace.com/souldesignereurope

Has this album been a long time in development?

Yeah, two years…a parts in the studio, but also a part to listen to my favourite music again, a part to think about the concept, the goal I wanted to reach, how to reach it…thinking about how it had to sound…was a real challenge for me, I didn’t want to fail.

How have the reactions been to your album so far?

I was really surprised about the reactions…I was afraid about that, cause, when I work on some tracks, or an album, I don’t care about the trends, the hype or whatever…I just want my music to sound as I hear it into my head…

So…the album, was not really “trendy”…not minimal or electro-rock flavoured…Detroit influences, P-Funk, and mainly black music…

And finally a lot of people and journalist were surprise to hear that, and are happy to hear something different.

Finally all these trends are a chance for me…It doesn’t sound like 99% of the music you can find nowadays.

I don’t want to say, these music are not interesting or good…that’s not the purpose.

But finally to be out of the trend is a chance ;-). I was especially surprised about the reactions in Germany, it seems, they want to move to something different…so, if they want to move to soulful/funky techno or house…they are welcome!

Will you be touring in support of your album?

Yeah, sure, I already started…

The album was out earlier In Japan, so I’ve been there…after that I made a tour in Brazil, in Russia, some dates in UK like Glastonbury, I just come back from Ten Days off in Gent, and now I will play in Spain for Aquasella festival, then I will go to Beijing, and go back to Europe…

I don’t remember all the gigs, but the tour is just starting, and of course, I mainly play live.

Any thing else you would like to let the people know?

I invite the people to join my mailing list to be updated about everything….Melodika, my gig dates, new releases…they just have to go on my website : www.fabricelig.com (the new website is about to be launched) and then enter their e-mails…and we will be connected!

AND....  Here’s a link to my latest set from the Ten Days Off Festival in Gent, Belgium:

www.noisefloorcrew.com

ALSO!!!  Please check the New « Slices » DVD magazine to check the Fabrice Lig feature in Charleroi, his Hometown.

Melodika Recordings releases AVAILABLE NOW:

MKD001 - Pedro Cali - Retrofuturism
MKD002 - Matt Chester - Broken Shores EP

Fabrice Lig’s next projects:

Fabrice Lig : My U.F.O , Figure rec
Fabrice Lig Purple Raw 2, Versatile rec
Rob Mello, Critical (Fabrice Lig remix), Classic
DJ Hell, Wonderland (Fabrice Lig remix), Int Gigolo
Shaka, Cut U Loose (Fabrice Lig remix), Mental Groove
Soul Designer, The Soul is Back remixes, Third Ear

Fabrice Lig upcoming dates :

Soul Designer Evolutionism World Tour :
10/04 : Tamaris : Houndeng, Be (DJ)
10/17 : Fabric Club, London, UK (Live)
10/24 : Tresor Club, Berlin, Ger (Live)
10/31 : Rex Club, Paris, Fr (Live)
11/01 : Decadance, Gent, Be (Live)
11/07 : Sub-Scape 3rd Anniversary at Café Capital, Antwerpen, Be (DJ)
12/12 : Café d’Anvers, Antwerpen, Be (Live)

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