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March 15, 2015 Enter your password to view comments.
Q&A w/ Darren Braddick
March 15, 2015 Leave a comment
Darren Braddick is the man behind a slew of successful labels that all live under the umbrella of Krafted Music Group that he runs with Paul Sawyer. You might recognise Endemic Digital and of course Unrivaled Music, who we just featured on our Deep House United Vol 2 compilation alongside other labels like UM Records, Wind Horse Records, Lagaffe Tales and several other quality House labels that live on the deeper side of sound.
Q. How long have you been running your label and how did you come up with the name?
I have been running my label group for exactly a year today, I inherited the name from Wez Saunders who I bought the labels from. Then when joining forces with Paul we became Krafted Music Group. (editors note: this was written a few months ago, so congratulations Darren on running Krafted for well over a year now!)
Q. Is it more rewarding to run the Krafted Music Group or working your day job?
I run Krafted Music Group full time.
Q. What is the hardest part about running a label?
Managing your time, being available 24/7 with all the different time zones etc.
Q. Favorite Genre of music outside of what you release on your labels?
Classic House (that’s what got me into this)
Q. Must have tool for running a label?
Q. Favorite Social Media site for spreading the word about music?
Twitter, Facebook & Soundcloud.
Q. What makes all the effort of running a label worth it?
Being appreciated by artists, doing a job that I really love & also being recognised by DJ’s/Producers at ADE last year was cool.
Q. What are your favourite labels?
Defected, Sweep the Floor, Something Different and Toolroom.
Favourite Producers?
What do you get up to outside of music?
Music is my life.
Thanks for taking the time to give us a little look into your label life Darren and we look forward to seeing what you do with Krafted in the years to come!
Now check out the track he contributed from Unrivaled Music for the latest Deep House United Va to get a feel for the great sounds coming from his label.
Q&A with Venntaur
March 7, 2015 Leave a comment
Venntaur, a music producer and a DJ from Tampere, Finland, combines in his deep house the things that he loves: chest-pounding bass, soulful melodies, smooth ambience and groovy rhythms. All of this you can find on his brand new EP with us here on DeepWit, “Hillside“.
Venntaur is currently having fun in the studio and channeling his music-making experience of nearly two decades into fresh dancefloor-friendly tunes.
The future may be an infinite sea of possibilites, but one thing is certain for Venntaur: there will be music that moves you.
Q. Name and Favourite time of day?
I’m Antti Pekka Vilkko a.k.a. Venntaur. I like early mornings if I’ve managed to get enough sleep. It’s the best time to work on your projects because it’s quiet and your brain is not yet overloaded. On the other hand there’s also something intriguing in the deep of the night.
Q. What drives you to make music?
Inner necessity. Making music makes me happy. It’s my “in the zone” thing. That’s the main reason for doing anything in life, isn’t it? Secondary reasons might be connecting with people, making a mark in the world, small or large. Getting nice feedback on my music adds to the forward momentum too.
Q. What program do you use to Produce?
Ableton Live 8. My favorite plugins are from Native Instruments, Audiorealism, Togu Audio Line and Variety Of Sound.
Q. Do you prefer to produce with shoes on or off?
Shoes off, double woolly socks on if it’s cold.
Q. How long have you been Djing?
Not long. I started DJing when I started making music as Venntaur, spring 2013.
Q. Favourite Genre of music outside of what you produce?
Tough one because there are so many. My preferences change according to mood and time of day: for energy I go with technical/math/prog metal like Textures or Meshuggah; if it’s time for a feel trip I put on folkier stuff like Daughter or Anaïs Mitchell; for fun and good times it’s cheesy 80s synth pop or Finnish rap.
Q. What is the best part of living in Finland?
This country is relatively free (as in not oppressed) and laid back. People are generally direct and honest. Nightless nights in the summer. Good opportunities to spend time outdoors in the beautiful nature. Most importantly proper saunas.
Q. What do you get up to outside of music?
Last year I wrote a lot about creativity and productivity in my blog. I also wrote a book about the subject. (Finnish only, sorry.) I haven’t been active in that area lately though, which might be a good thing because there’s more time to make music. If I get a strong inspiration I might work on my own programming projects. To keep in shape I go to CrossFit.
Q. Do you better like better zoos or aquariums?
Zoos, although they might be a bit depressing if you notice that the animals are stressed or apathetic.
Q. Favourite country to eat cake in?
My memory in these kinds of things goes back maybe one week max and before that it’s all a blur :). So I can’t really tell if I’ve eaten cake anywhere else than Finland. Anyways, cake is cake regardless of location. Just eat it and enjoy the moment.
Q. What is the question you wished people would ask you?
I wish they’d ask themselves “Who am I? What is the true nature of this consciousness I am experiencing?” and then we could discuss it.
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Make sure to catch up on Ventaur on his Facebook and website, meanwhile you can hear his sounds on Soundcloud and Mixcloud.
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