LBDTAPE007: Interview with LBD Sounds & Ethno Service

Chat with Olin & Robert

The catalogue number of Ethno Service’s release is LBDTAPE007. Could you explain the numbering system of your label?

We never meant to make it complicated, but somehow it turned out like that. But once we started releasing a wider spectrum of music, we felt we needed to differentiate it somehow. Maybe we should have kept it as 001, 002 and so on, just to confuse people even more.

So now it looks like this, but we never know what can happen next, there is no plan! “LBDISSUES” is for reissues, reinterpretations, edits of funk, soul, disco and experimental records from Eastern European region. “LBDIGITAL” & “LBDTAPE” stands for experimental and live electronica released digitally and on tapes. “LBDAUDIO” is for dancefloor 12″s.

You have recently changed the name of your label to LBD Sounds instead of Little Beat Different. Why did you decide on this alternative?

We have always called the label LBD when we were talking about it internally, right from the start. So after a while it kind of felt very natural to shorten it also officially. However, LBD would be very dry, thus LBD Sounds. We may sometimes argue about label stuff, but this one was actually very easy.

How was LBD born and what did you set out to achieve with it? How has that ambition changed over the years? Gives us some background and 101 history of the label. 

It was born out of shared interests amongst 3 friends of 3 different nationalities. It was very difficult to come up with that name, we wanted it to be a little bit different to what others were doing and at the end it came out as Little Beat Different. It was also the name of our club night, which travelled with us across multiple venues in London. But the label sort of became a primary thing, as we all live in different countries now.

The label is run by Olin and Robert, with the former bringing lots of A&R ideas to the table and the latter focusing on production and distribution sides of things. Every release is being heavily discussed and we usually take time getting things right. We had artists leaving the label because they wanted to have their music out ASAP, but we don’t work that way. The creative process on a release doesn’t end in the studio, it must live with us for some time until it’s really ready. We are not sure if there’s an ambition, maybe just the inner urge to make nice things happen. You accomplish some and then you start again. 

Tell us a bit about the process of making this new release.

Contrary to what we said before, this one was actually one of the fastest releases we ever put out. Robert knows Jonas from his time in Prague back in the days and we also met in London a while ago. We were considering some of his solo productions for a release before and then his Ethno Service project came about and when we heard it, there wasn’t really much left to discuss. It felt just right, raw music that instantly made a mark. And it’s the kind of music that sounds good on tape. It’s not just a fashionable thing to do for us, tape medium can really enhance certain sounds, or distort them in a way. That unpredictability sits well with music we want to put out on cassettes.  

Your visual identity is changing its direction with this new release. Who’s working on it and what’s the idea behind the tape’s design? 

All of the artworks were previously done in-house by Olin. One day he was working on one of our artwork projects with Stefan Mader and realised that it might somehow make sense to cooperate with others on the visual side of things as well. Our label’s ethos was always to work with our circle of friends, so it was only natural that after 12 physical releases, Prague’s graphic design stallion Jiri Mocek has joined the team and will take care of the complete visual identity of the label, with Olin’s executive direction.

What’s coming next? 

The next one has been in the works for years! A certain producer who contributed to it was very surprised when we emailed him that it’s finally coming out 2 years after he sent his track over to us, and that we finally have the test pressings ready. We feel it’s one of our strongest to date, because if you don’t hate a song after listening to it for 2 years, there must be something about it, ha! Plus – it’s basically only a taster for the next one after that, which we have been working on for even longer.

I’m not sure if you would agree, but it seems that the local label industry is sprouting. Any thoughts?

When Robert left Prague 10 years ago, it was a completely different scene back then in comparison to what it is now, after Olin moved to town. There were always things bubbling under the surface, interesting people doing interesting things, but it lacked cohesion. Everyone was doing their own thing. Right now it’s all happening pretty much across genres or scenes and it’s very exciting. Olin has recently included a lot of our favourites in his mix for Radio Punctum, tracks from local producers that go well with remixes on the Ethno Service release.

Chat with Jonas & Petr

Hey guys, congratulations on the release. This is an interesting situation. If I am correct this your last album as Ethno Service. How was it made? How long have you been working on it and how do you feel about it now that it’s out there?

Jonas: Thanks! Yes, this is most likely our last joint release. The last thing I remember from working on the record is the recording and mixing of most of the tracks at a picturesque cottage in Jeseníky last summer. A lot of time has passed since then and I think the release of the record will be a big relief for both of us. The chapter will close.

Petr: A few months ago, Jonas was waiting for me in front of our studio. He was there with a bunch of ant-eaters and maybe there was a badger. The ant-eaters were really big. When I went out in front of the studio they attacked me and Jonas even bit me.

There are two remixes on the tape, contributed by Oblaka and Avsluta. What do you think these two have added to the tracks they’ve remixed?

Jonas: Avsluta added positive vibrations to the track which I personally would only hardly find. Oblaka made jungle out of something that barely resembles jungle. Well done!

Petr: The good thing is that these remixes are an image and not a reflection.

What do you think about the development of the local electronic music scene? Do you follow what’s happening or do you rather stay locked in the studio working on music? Which artists are an inspiration to you, from CZ or elsewhere?

Jonas: Of course, I try to follow the current Czech scene as well as the world scene. From what I’ve heard recently and consider the most inspirational musical experiences, I would probably mention the Genot Centre event at Archa theatre or Fagelle and Bigbrave in Bike Jesus.

Petr: I’m definitely a studio mole. The last thing I heard was a set by Nina Pixel. It was well done and organic.

What was Ethno Service for each of you personally? What have you learned along the way?

Petr: It was a part of my life for several years. Our work was important to me. I learned that Jonas communicates with animals and that can be a real problem for me.

Jonas: I agree with Peter. Ant-eaters taught me that when something stops being fun, it’s better to quit.

Apart from working together you both have personal projects which you’re going to develop further now I suppose. Could you tell us a bit about them and how they differ from ES?

Petr: My GWD project is quite technical and I try to create with a certain conceptual intent. ES was, let’s say, more relaxed.

Jonas: I think my solo Parle_G project is more off-grid than ES. I don’t care about the genre or the listener. The upcoming release has everything from sample-based melodies to ambient, piano drops, field recordings, freesax madness to broken beats and jungle.

The release party of NMA by Ethno Service will take place at Planeta Za on Saturday, May 28th, 2022. Find more details here or on Facebook.

Check LBD Sounds’ full catalogue via Bandcamp or their website, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.