Label or not a label, that is the question…

I’ll be the first to admit that electronic music is not my forte. But when asked to go to a show for free I figured I’d take my chances and say “why not”. The event was held at the Goodlife Bar near Downtown Crossing, and if you have not been here yet you should definitely make an effort to do so.  The place itself is very cool and well laid out.  It resembles the Middle East with one bar up stairs and one in the basement where all the action takes place. The “stage” can be better described as a DJ Booth, accommodating exactly to the acts that they want to bring in.  On this night that act was a collection of DJs known as Zakim Records.

I got a chance to sit down with a few members of Zakim while making my rounds at the bar, and really aimed to find out more about what THIS label was all about. The first thing that I found out was that almost none of the DJ’s had ever even met before! This seemed very odd to me since the raw essence of what they are trying to accomplish is to make music and get it sold as a collective unit. Naturally I needed to find an answer, so I berated them with indirect questions until I reached my goal.

What I found out was that the distribution network, (the technical quality that establishes a label) was not a major focus of this label at all. They only sell products at shows and it’s all on vinyl. There are indeed electronic copies inside for people with out turntables, but the strategy itself does not seem to be a priority. What Zakim Records decides to put all its focus on is its online marketing in the local area. They achieve this through blogs like the Beantown Boogiedown, which the label head actually owns and manages. Each DJ benefits from the label because it is another platform that they can attach their name to. Most that I talked to belong to several of these electronic labels, and use them as their most effective tool of self-promotion.

These types of labels better resemble rap groups than they do ANY traditional sense of a record label. For instance, everyone knows who the Wu Tang Clan is but I seriously doubt anyone could name all of its members. For some, especially Wu Tangs less popular members, this is a very beautiful thing. They were the ones left off the track C.R.E.A.M yet they will forever be remembered for it. This is exactly how this electronic label works. Each DJ does his own thing with the hope that someone puts out a game changing mix that can propel all of their careers collectively. Not a bad strategy, I guess.

Maybe a “label” this day and age means nothing more than the root definition of the word. I’m not sure whether that is a good or bad thing, but with what I’ve learned about the changing music industry, absolutely everything is up for interpretation.

As far as the actual music and my appreciation of it, I had to wait until just before I left before I found something that I really liked. The first two DJ’s were very Deep House-esque. I’m sure that this style is great to some people, but I guess I just don’t really get it. The last two DJ’s JSTJR and Colin Domigan really stole the show. Their style was much more dance oriented with a hint of trap and hip-hop blended in. What was really cool about these two was that although they had literally just met, they complimented each other very well. I’m sure that had the crowd been a little bigger they really would have gotten the place moving. But it’s hard to complain, I mean it was a Wednesday night after all.