What’s Paragraph? Slam discuss new label

What’s Paragraph? Slam discuss new label

6 October, 2008 | 4.47PM

• Written by: jamiegardiner1
• Filed under: Music News: paragraph, soma recordings

This week techno duo Slam announced their new label offshoot Paragraph.

Beatportal spoke to Slam and Soma Recordings boss Dave Clarke to discuss what this announcement means for the Glasgow-based label. 

Soma Recordings, Scotland’s best loved dance label, have consistently delivered cutting edge electronic music for over 15 years, sometimes leftfield but always forward-thinking and able to cross genres in a way other labels can only dream of.

Recent long players from Let’s Go Outside, The Black Dog, Mark Henning and Octogen (aka Marco Bernardi) have gained critical acclaim.

Singles from newcomers such as Harvey McKay have also attracted serious attention.

Where many labels are struggling to survive and adapt to the digital era, Soma have embraced the change.

This week, techno aficionados Slam announced the launch of Paragraph, with digital releases available exclusively on Beatport.

The label’s first release, double A-side ‘City Destroyer’, first surfaced in the early summer on Slam’s ‘Sci-Fi Vol. 5’ compilation and immediately had fans and DJs alike singing its praises.

Indeed the all-important feedback form reads like a who’s-who of the dance music elite, with Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Len Faki, Sasha and Anja Schneider all showing support.

Why the launch of Paragraph at this time, has it been a long time coming?

Slam: It’s been planned for over a year – I remember talking to David Bailey Ross who designed the Paragraph logo at Sonar ‘07.

He’s also is the guy who did Mylo’s ‘Destroy Rock and Roll’ sleeve.

We wanted to have enough tracks of a high quality to release first three or four singles in reasonably quick succession to get momentum going.

There are so many labels around it’s not easy to make an impact otherwise.

Dave Clarke: Slam had also been working on new tracks for the live sets for Bestival, Oxygen and Space etc. this summer and some of those are coming out on Paragraph.

Also, we have a simplified approach to the release – very little promotion, digital though Beatport and vinyl through local distributor Rub-a-Dub.

How do the releases differ from those on the regular Soma label?

DC: Soma is about all of the artists and it has a broader sound whereas Paragraph will be a more defined Slam sound without other artists.

Can you tell us what other artists with be signed to Paragraph?

Slam: Maybe we will have the odd remix later but in the first year it’s going to be only Slam material – edgy techno through to house.

The first release ‘City Destroyer Part 1 and 2’ is a good example with Part 2 being played by house DJs like Silicone Soul.

Will there be a Paragraph/Soma presence at this year’s Amsterdam Dance Event?

Slam: We are not there but Marco Bernardi/Octogen – whose new album is just out is playing at the Electronation party .

For those looking forward to Slam’s follow-up to the massive ‘Human Response’ album, when can we expect a new Slam long player?

Slam: Since ‘Human Response’ dropped, we have concentrated on remixing and doing material for Paragraph, but we will start work on a new album, sometime.

2008 has been a great year for Soma – what do you have in store for 2009?

Dave Clarke: It’s not over yet in 2008 - we still have a single coming from Itamar Sagi with a great Funk D’Void remix.

‘Silicone Soul EP’ will also release ‘The Pulse’, a Joris Voorn remix of Slam’s ‘Ghost Song’.

We’ve also got the ‘Mirror Music’ album on Darkroom Dubs which is Graeme from Silicone Soul with Dave Donaldson, who is Craig Armstrong’s engineer.

We have recently released the debut singles for artists Harvey McKay, Mr Copy (who was a runner-up in Beatportal’s Slam remix competition in 2007), Let’s Go Outside, Croucher and Myles and Jandroid (aka Alejandro Lopez).

We are releasing a compilation at the start of next year under the title ‘Soma Beta’ with new tracks from these guys and more new artists.

The roots are healthy and Soma is going to bloom next year.

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