Ahead of the first ever Berlin edition of Independent Label Market on Sunday 7th September, we caught up with DJ N>E>D, real name Ned Beckett and Aaron Gonsher, the men behind Leisure System and international booking agency LittleBig. Ned recorded a special vinyl only mix featuring music from Boards of Canada, Jimmy Edgar, Aphex Twin and many more. We also fired over some questions to find out what to expect from the Leisure System market stall and how they’re developing the label.
Hi DJ N>E>D for those not in the know can you give us a little introduction about yourself and what it is that you do.
Ned Beckett: I run the LittleBig Booking Agency and the Leisure System record label alongside an A grade hard-as-nails alpha team. Leisure System started at the infamous Berghain where we enjoy a residency to this day.
Can you tell us more about this ‘classick vinyl mix’ you’ve recorded for us? Can you explain the theme behind the mix and your track selection?
Ned Beckett: I moved house recently and whilst that’s generally a pain in the ass, it’s great for digging out old vinyl! This is a mix of some of my favourite electro flavours from the last 20 years.
Berlin is a beacon for electronic music. From your experience how do record labels differ across the world, UK, US, Japan et al? Do you feel that Berlin allows more freedom, both creative and financially, to imprints? If you weren’t in Berlin would Leisure System be possible?
Aaron Gonsher: The record label came about after the Leisure System residency had already been in full swing at Berghain, so Berlin and the label are inextricably linked. Part of what we do with our shows is try to offer a musical alternative to the current standards of the city, though. From my experience, international labels are pretty much all the same in terms of having the core goal to showcase and release quality music. Well, at least the good ones are.
The market is being held at Urban Spree, can you tell us about the space and what people can expect from the market and what Leisure System will be doing at the market?
Ned Beckett: We’ll be selling the new Objekt / Dopplereffekt split 12″, which was released Monday, and have everything else from our back-catalogue with some special sales. In the case of the JETS – Midas Touch 12″, which is sold out, the market will be probably the only place people can grab a copy now.
Aaron Gonsher: We’ll also be selling the last of our limited SD card release. N>E>D will also be DJing from 18:00-19:00, and I’ll be playing 19:00-20:00 back-to-back with our resident Barker. We’ll probably have some baked goods at our table, too, because why not?
How are you developing the label for 2015? Any forthcoming releases or events you want to talk about?
Ned Beckett: Not much we can share at the moment, I’m afraid, but 2015 is looking to be our busiest year yet in terms of releases. The Hubie Davison “Khayyam Grey” EP comes out December 1st this year, and we also have a massive party with The Hydra: Leisure System x Houndstooth on November 22nd in London.
TRACKLIST
1. Multicast – Hall Of The Inverted Mushrooms [Obliq]
2. Boards Of Canada – June 9th [Skam]
3. Ddkern – Soul Trap [Mego]
4. Plastikman – Hump [Minus]
5. Jedi Knights – Antacid (Remix) [Warp]
6. B12 – Telefone 529 [Warp]
7. Louis Digital – Dance Floor Microphysics [Arcola]
8. Jimmy Edgar – Vibration [K7]
9. Luke Vibert – Homewerk [Planet Mu]
10. Dopplereffekt – Myon-neutrino [Gigolo]
11. Electro Nation – Generator Room 3 [Electrocute]
12. Bug Orchestra – Uncontrolled Voltage [Serotonin]
13. Andrea Parker & David Morley – Polarize [Touchin’ Bass]
14. Anthony Rother – Sex With Machines [Kanzleramt]
15. Cirkit – [it’s] Retroactive [Direct Beat]
16. Electronome – Een Drumcomputer & Een Synthesizer [Interr-Ference 17. Communications]
17. Aphex Twin – Donkey Rhubarb [Warp]
18. Shy FX – Back To The Core [Ebony]
19. Dopplereffekt – Delta Wave [Leisure System]
Discover more about DJ N>E>D and Leisure System on Inverted Audio.
DJ N>E>DLeisure SystemElectronica