We are continuing our journey across Australia’s Techno scene with a podcast by the Echo Inspectors. The Melbourne based duo released their first track on our “Etui Winter Camp” compilation last year and since then they have founded their own Primary [Colours] imprint. Since late 2012 they have released 2 coloured vinyls. So the time is right to sit down and have a chat with Mark Baumann and Lance Harrison about their music and their label.
Dub techno is connecting people all over the world with many artists, record labels and even the odd net labels. How did you find your way to the dubby side of techno?
Mark: In 2001 I was listening to a lot of D& B in London which has its roots firmly planted in Dub so I guess form the beginning this style always resonated with me. But it wasn’t until I picked up a mix and heard Rhythm & Sound’s “Mango Drive” plus Monolake’s “Bicom” track for the first time – these tracks changed everything.
Lance: In 2001 I was running a record store called DMC Records in Melbourne and came across Richie Hawtin’s “DE:9 Closer to the edit” on CD. I had never heard anything like it before and all honesty I still haven’t found a mix better. The main back bone to the mix was Bluetrain’s Special Edition Dub of Dean DeCosta’s “Diminishing Returns”. That groove got me hooked in to the dubby side of techno, from there I discovered more and more great artists and labels around the world.
When did you found the Echo Inspectors duo and Primary colours projects and what´s the idea behind the names?
Mark: Primary [colours] for us was a meaning of fundamental elements and those elements that make up a much larger picture of the world. Primary releases will be just that – colour vinyls blue, red and yellow. But remember there are secondary and tertiary colours.
Lance: Echo Inspectors describes the deep and dark world we love to explore. We love to discover all things mysterious, dark, deep and a little but scary. The name is also derived from the words “Echoes and Spectres” Sounds and visions from the afterlife.
You both are living in Melbourne. Is there a special vibe in the city from where you draw inspriation?
Lance: Melbourne is such a melting pot for all types of music, design and art. You can draw inspiration from the city itself. We tended to get our inspiration in the past from the music we discovered in the smaller, intimate parties that featured the more unknown DJ or live acts. We also draw a lot of inspiration from art and design. We use to get a lot of inspiration from the vibe in Melbourne but we are both getting old now and have 2 kids each, so it is difficult to pull that same inspiration we use to get from going our to clubs in Melbourne and listening to our favourite DJ’s and friends in the scene.
Mark: We now find our inspiration from the records we collect from around the world and from our family and friends giving us full support.
In December 2012 the first release “Lunar Shadows” with a great remix by Luke Hess has been released on your own Primary [Colours] label. What was the idea to start your own label?
Mark: Both of us, with great friends Daniel and Renae, have been running another label, Pinksilver, since 2006. We learned a lot about the industry, selling records and putting out releases over the years. Lance and I felt like we had learned enough and with the sound we were developing over many years we wanted a new creative outlet to release our music. Primary [colours] was then conceived in a pub in Sydney after a few beers.
Many (Techno) producers swear to the skills of special mastering and cuting engeneers such as CGB from Dubplates & Mastering or Pole to name a few. Who is your favourite and why?
Lance: We approached Axel and Manny from the duo Salz to do the remix on the first Red release, these guys have been a massive influence on us over the years. We were over the moon when they agreed to do the remix. Salz then told us that they also mastered music for many of the artists and labels coming out of Cologne and Germany and offered to master our Blue record and the Red. When we first dropped the needle on the wax you could’t wipe the joy of our faces, we couldn’t be happier with the results – these guys have the experience and know how to get the best out of our music.
What can we expect in the future from you and the label?
Lance: There are big news to come on Primary over the next 3 releases, this we will keep you all hanging, but rest assured its going to be for every vinyl nerds’ benefit. We will be having a Yellow edition coming out in the European fall with a very special remix from one of our biggest influences. We then have a second Blue record coming out later in the European winter with another amazing remix from one of the finest in the dub game. We are currently finishing up on a few more tracks for Primary [colours] and hopefully ETUI ;-)
We hope to expand the label further after the new year with Secondary [colours]. Watch this space.
What is the idea behind the mix?
Mark: This podcast is a studio mix – we used Abelton and Traktor to layer 25 tracks into the hour mix. We wanted to explore what new variations come out of that experiment as well as trying to tell a little story. The results are always in the pudding and we hope that you all enjoy it as much as we did putting it together.
Thank you for the intersting insight into your backround and the great mix.
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Etui Podcast #11: Echo Inspectors by Etui Records on Mixcloud
Podcast: Play in new window
tracklist:
01. Sigha – light swells – Hot Flush
02. K21 – polymnia – SWAP
03. Darko Esser – Slightly Disturbed – Sandwell District Remix – Balans Records
04. Syene – Confident Gait feat RoninBeat – ZeECc
05. Re-Drum – Subaquatic Utopia – Deep In Dub
06. K21 – Thalia – SWAP 007. Grad_U – Undepressed Dub – ZeECc
08. Pigon – Painting The Tape – Dial
09. Cio Dor – Ur – Salz Remix – Telrae
10. Echo Inspectors – Ghost Flight – Primary [Colours]
11. Upwellings – Blue – ZeECc
12. Marco Zenker – Force Back – Illian Tape
13. Fluxion – Memba – Echocord
14. Mikkel Metal – Show – Avante Roots
15. Phobos – Moritz Von Oswald Remix – Unknown
16. Stefan Gubatz & Van Bonn – Marathon Octex Remix – Telrae
17. Unknown
18. Cassgrain – Lopnor – Prologue
19. Kalon – man is the superior animal (function_edit) – Sandwell
20. Gnade Und Vergessen-Echologist Pub Tech Tool – Affin
21. SCSI9 – Alphaville – Klik Records
22. Unknown 023. Xpansul & imek – la_salud_(marko_furstemberg_remix) – Apnea
24. Deadbeat – Leviathan – Wagon Repair
25. Frank Hellmond – Sunday – Etui Records
more on Echo Inspectors:
Echo Inspectors artist page
Echo Inspectors on facebook
V.A. – Etui Winter Camp
