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with Joel Leoschke In 1993 Joel Leoschke and Bruce Adams formed Kranky, one of the most important independent record labels that you’ve probably never heard of. With a firm belief in the underground and a disregard for commerciality Kranky became the voice of the weird and the wonderful. With a formidable back catalogue including Labradford (incredibly influential ambient post-rock), Stars of the Lid (rich textural droning ambience), Low (dark yet deceptively beautiful pop), and Godspeed You Black Emperor, Kranky have helped launched some of the worlds most revolutionary artists. And it is on the eve of their 100th release that O.I.B. managed to catch-up with Joel Leoschke to get the low-down to Kranky’s rise to fame. O.I.B. – What originally drove you to leave Cargo and start up Kranky; and did you ever expect the label to reach such a level of notoriety and importance within the independent music sector? Joel - I left [Cargo] because I was sick of pulling my hair out at all the stupidity that went on there. It got to the point where I couldn't stand the thought of going to work in the morning, so I quit. The label was already more than a year old at that point. I had multiple part time jobs for the next few years, none of which I found fulfilling, but at least I didn't dread going to work. As to the ‘notoriety and importance’ of Kranky, that is not for me to assess. O.I.B. - With a catalogue of well over 100 titles how has Kranky evolved from the debut Ladradford release and the initiation of post-rock (I apologise if you consider ‘post-rock’ to be a dirty term) through to its current incarnation at the forefront of abstract drone, soundscape and minimal electronica? Joel - Genre defining is not for me. Definition is a finite thing, which I would not encourage anyone do with our releases. If you describe something as ‘electro-prog-hip-hop-folk’, it would mean ten different things to ten different people and would not help anyone understand what the music actually sounds like. From my perspective, it's all organized sound whether it's a string quartet, a single static drone, or Van Halen. The evolution of the label should be evident to anyone familiar with the catalog. I don't think it's for me to expound upon, I am inherently biased. O.I.B. - Having listened to Kranky releases grow in depth and variance over the years, has there been a conscious decision to broaden the horizons of the label and how would you define Kranky in 2006? Joel - There has always been a desire to continue expanding the sound of what Kranky does, even from the earliest days. We are constantly pushing at the edges of any current ‘boundaries’ that encompass what sounds the label releases. O.I.B. - I often come across hardened ‘Kranky heads’ who buy every single release without fail acknowledging Kranky as a seal of approval in much the same way as happened with Subpop, K and Dischord. Do you feel that your hardened fan base offers you a level of stability, and to what extent do you feel that Kranky’s popularity is growing with each release? Joel - Kranky has always tried to brand itself as a label in a way that I hope would engenders consumer loyalty. I would like to think that if you enjoy one of our releases, you would like most everything else on the label. As for popularity, our plan to take over the world is moving at a snail's pace. O.I.B. - Having been in the industry for 13 years how have your views of the ever monopolising music industry changed? Joel - The music ‘industry’... it's a conundrum, trying to work outside the confines of how most music is marketed, and at the same time having to use marketing and sales channels that are in place and that everyone else uses. It's not easy by any means. What the hell does most of what we are doing have to do with whatever is currently popular with the kids, even on an ‘indie’ level? Being different doesn't buy you any sympathy with anyone. My view? We're trapped in their machine to a large extent. O.I.B. - How actively is Kranky embracing home digital music technology such as iTunes, and how important is this market to the development of the label and its ideals? Joel - We do sell our releases digitally, you can't fight such a large wave. It has no bearing on the development or ideals of the label though. It's just another way to sell music, one that I personally do not use. O.I.B. - What’s on the near horizon for the ever prolific Kranky? Joel - On the horizon we have new music from Deerhunter, Stars of the Lid, White Rainbow, Lichens, Valet, To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie and a whole lot more. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!
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(Still) Staring at the Rude Boys |
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KRANKY
INTERVIEW 