DDb Interview Series (1010) - Inner Islands

I want to thank Braden for his patience and time and cool answers.

Please visit his label's web-site here - Inner Islands.

1.

Your web-site is totally green. Does the color mean anything? Because it is so green, you know…

There’s no real meaning to the color of the site. Green just has a nice feeling to it.

2.

‘Inner islands’… These words somehow remind me a childish feeling when I could escape to my own inner world where I had a wood with a lake and a cave with a monster… What correlations did you originally see in the label’s name?

The name is a reference to Antelope Island, it’s a magickal island on the great salt lake. It’s a special place to me. Inner Islands is also a reference to self-exploration.

3.

How did you start the label? Is it like a family business? What is that primordial thing that pushes you doing things?

Well, I used to run another label called Magic Goat Music. As my life and creative process began to change, Magic Goat no longer felt like the right thing for me to be doing. Inner Islands developed naturally out of my personal changes. In a sense it’s a family business, I’m very close with all the artists involved with the label. While I run the label, Sean (gkfoes vjgoaf, Ashan) has made a lot of contributions to help keep the island afloat. I feel that what we are doing is really unique, I am very careful to only release music that is very special to me, music that holds space for openness and realness with ones self and surroundings. I do this label mainly because it feels right.

4.

Advise us a splendid book, awesome tape and freakiest film.

Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, Divine Songs by Alice Coltrane, I’ve heard that Klingon porn is pretty freaky.

5.

Let’s dig into the catalogue! Tell about your favorite gems and how they’ve appeared.

Honestly I feel strongly about all the releases on Inner Islands. Each album holds an important part in the catalogue. If I was to single one out it would be the album Presents by Nearone, it was recorded by Sean and Rosa while they were WWOOFing. It super minimal compared to some of the other releases on the island, which allows for a lot of extra space for the listener to sink into.

6.

Next question I will ask to every person in DDb interview series.
What have changed in independent music world with the developing and spreading of the Web?
Any positive improvements? Any negative repercussions?

I feel like it’s very easy for people to record and release music these days without being to passionate about it. It doesn’t take much to record an album on your laptop and put it out on tape or bandcamp. Because of this I feel there are a lot of people making music not because they are particularly driven to say or express something from within themselves, but rather just because they can. I’m not saying this is bad, but it just makes for a hell of a lot of albums being released all the time. It’s kind of overwhelming to navigate through all that’s happening. On the other hand the ease of recording and releasing music does help passionate individuals with limited recourses get their vision out to the world. Just like everything else there is pros and cons.

7.

What would definitely put you off in a demo? Do you receive lots of submissions?

I get a few demos a month and I really appreciate people sharing their music with me. I’m looking to work with sincere people, so impersonal submissions turn me off a bit. You can tell when someone knows nothing about the label or if I’ve just received the demo as a part of a mass email.

8.

Describe a perfect party! And don’t forget about the music…

Well, I’m not the best at socializing in a party situation, so dance parties are my favorite. Recently I went to a dance party were my friends Stag Hare and Andy Cvar played tunes for hours. Stuff ranging from house, early disco, hip-hop, rocksteady etc… It’s easier for me to dance than chat it up with strangers. Generally though I enjoy just chilling with a smaller group of close friends over a bunch of people I’m only casually acquainted with.

9.

Seriously, what is the hardest thing you stumble against running Inner Islands?

Getting people to listen to the music. ;-)

10.

What’s next?

The last WYLD WYZRDZ album will be released early next year along with the debut from Ashan. I also have an album finished for my new project Coyote Dreamer that will most likely be released through Inner Islands. Other than that, I’m hoping to connect with some new artists to work with on the island.

11.

Do you see any new music schools in the contemporary independent music world? What is that going right now that could have possible become either a tradition or a poignant reminder in the future? Or do we have a constantly growing chaos everywhere?

I’m not sure really, I pretty much just listen to the Grateful Dead.