Sam Purcell had been circling the peripherals of the underground music scene long before launching Blank Mind, the UK-based record label, in 2011. An early urge to create music settled quickly in his youth, eventually morphing into roles for the persistent interest in chronicling sound. A few adventures in this order stand out as wisely articulated audio narratives – exposing a quality of his innate nature and intellect as evidently visible in Blank Mind’s discography.
Each release on Blank Mind hits with precision, never missing a nerve. For reference, see “Suitcase in the Water“, the thriller spoken word D&B record produced with Jacob Dwyer will have your guts in a twist. Stepping up for IA MIX 384, we get a glimmer of the mind of Sam Purcell, digging through his music-centred thoughts and fascinations with a crisp mix fuelling an hour’s worth of listening pleasure.
Interview by Asmi Shetty
"I think this mix represents the kind of music that I tend to play most when DJ'ing, which tends to be atmospheric, dubby and rolling"
Hi Sam, this is one sublimely percussive, lush mix from your end for the IA MIX Series. Thank you so much for the delivery. When and where did you record this? What was your thought process while picking its tracks?
Thank you! I recorded it at my family home in London a couple of months ago. I’ve been based in Vienna for the past 9 months, but I was back in London for a few weeks and my DJing set up is there.
I initially spent a lot of time preparing a long list of tracks I wanted to include – eventually this overthinking stressed me out so I decided it was best to just hit record and go with the flow spontaneously. So this mix is more of an unfettered moment, rather than something I had carefully thought out.
Focusing on your style as a selector – would you say the mix reflects all the bits and bobs of your musical aesthetics? Is there anything in particular that stands out for you?
I think this mix represents the kind of music that I tend to play most when DJ’ing, which tends to be atmospheric, dubby and rolling. It’s a mix of new and old bits. There’s some music by friends like Tammo Hesselink and Notte Infinita who I play in most sets, as well as other favourites such as Dialog, Luigi Tozzi and Claudio PRC.
I started the mix with Sutekh ‘Period 04‘, which set the tone for the rest – it’s a really nice record released on Mille Plateaux record. There’s also a Notte Infinita remix of Big Hands – ‘Girde Maye / Astere‘, which is coming out soon on Blank Mind.
What kind of music soundtracked your teenage years? How has your taste developed over the years?
I listened to a lot of Radiohead, their album ‘Kid A‘ opened the door to electronic music – Warp Records, DJ Shadow and Venetian Snares. I also listened to a lot of post-rock, Animal Collective and cLOUDDEAD.
During sixth form, I got into dubstep, my first night out was the Skream! album launch at FWD. I think my taste has expanded rather than radically changed over the years, discovering more in Jazz, Dub, and experimental music and things like that.
How did you stumble into the music business? Take us through the years prior and towards building your record label Blank Mind.
In secondary school and sixth form, I made music with my school friends Josh Rothberger and Karl Jawara as Our Sleepless Forest – it was more of a recording and collaging project than a traditional band. I had Ableton, and we did all of it in our bedrooms. It was ambient/psychedelic music – quite experimental. We sent out some demos, and our album eventually came out on Resonant in 2008.
I got to know some people in music through Dubstep Forum, and going out to dubstep nights. I knew some people who set up their own labels, such as Hessle Audio for example. So that showed me a pathway of doing your own thing, and I was able to ask various people for a bit of advice and guidance.
"I think the overall label aesthetic is minimal, slightly clandestine and expressive. I try to be responsive to what I think fits the music aesthetically; I used to paint a lot, and like to tie that in it. The overall visual quality is often flat, abstract and non referential."
What did you initially envision for Blank Mind as a concept? What are your thoughts on its evolution and how does that initial concept stand up to its current formation?
There wasn’t an exact concept but I was keen by a desire to introduce different styles and ideas. I found the Honest Jon’s label and shop really inspiring – the open approach, and how they would draw connections and fuse genres – all while having a clear aesthetic and quality control. I wanted the label to be anchored generally around dance music, but to keep an open mind and be expansive and searching.
That principle still applies, but I’d say in recent years Blank Mind has become more connected to people I’ve met and building a community around the label. Getting to know people personally is a nice, organic way of doing things. I still want to be outward facing and not let things become static or beholden to a specific sound.
Tell us your approach to label A&R – how do you source artists and find common ground to create a release?
I follow my nose. Sometimes an idea will come up through a lightbulb moment, as with Lost Paradise when I was travelling one day. Sometimes through people I meet organically, such as with J Chrysalis, Big Hands and DJ ojo.
The Earth Leakage Trip reissue came about in a serendipitous way through buying from and coincidentally later selling the same Elektron Monomachine to Tony Lobue who collaborates with Neil. Occasionally, but not that often through demos, like the recent Lina Filipovich album ‘Music For An Imaginary Dancefloor‘.
For a release there’s normally a ‘hook’ such as one track which I’ll really love and then we go from there. Normally there’s a bit of back and forth between the artists and myself, and we work together to try and shape a coherent package.
Who are the artists behind the label logo and record release artwork? What is the Blank Mind aesthetic?
I work as a graphic designer and do most of the visual design for the label. The old logo with the phonetics, and the newer one with the circle are based around the idea of dualism. I like things to feel bespoke so I have designed various house sleeves over the years.
I think the overall label aesthetic is minimal, slightly clandestine and expressive. I try to be responsive to what I think fits the music aesthetically; I used to paint a lot, and like to tie that in it. The overall visual quality is often flat, abstract and non referential.
The cover art for the Lina Filipovich record is by my friend Lukas Matuschek in Vienna. Other artists include Thomas Albdorf (AudioBoyz), Rudy Guedj (Suitcase in the water), and Neil from Earth Leakage Trip.
Each release on Blank Mind so far has been of the highest quality. Two particular favourites from the discography are the ‘Comme de Loin‘ compilation and album ‘Suitcase in the Water‘, created by you in collaboration with Jacob Dwyer. What are the stories behind these two releases?
Thank you. Both releases came together around the beginning of the pandemic. I had lost my freelance design work and had a lot of time. I put together mixes of sketches to listen to on walks, forming the basis of the Suitcase album. I passed these onto Jacob which he would respond to, which is the reason why the track structures are unusual.
For example ‘Suitcase In The Water’ has this episodic structure in four parts, due to the order of the sketches on the file. So there was an element of chance in how those ideas developed, and weren’t necessarily what I had in mind when I was initially creating them. Jacob is a really talent and inspiring person to work with and it came together really nicely.
‘Comme de Loin’ was conceptualised around a photo of the fox which I had taken on a walk one evening. The compilation slowly developed through music I had received such as Big Hands and Marjolein van der Meer’s ‘Kitty Jackson’, ARCADE, Bianca Scout. I then reached out to other people such as SSIEGE and Clara de Asís and used the image as a reference for a vibe. Clara’s piece was titled ‘Comme de Loin’, which translates as ‘from afar’ and captured the mood of this project and time really well.
I’m happy to hear those LPs resonate, no one really likes hearing about the pandemic or things centred around that time – but these were a direct outcome of it, and I think you can feel it in the mood.
"I feel slightly nostalgic for a simpler, slower time. I’m not much into festivals and think the culture has become more visual, with social media playing a big role in short-lived DJ statuses. Record stores are really important to me for discovering music, Hopefully they won't disappear, but the dance 12” is becoming increasingly less viable and in demand."
Looking back at your label’s discography, what are some of the highlight and most poignant records to have been released?
It’s not easy to pick out particular releases, however I think the records between BLNK010 to BLNK012 (SMX – Hinterland; J Chrysalis – A Kind Robin and Lack – Elementary Means) were turning points for the evolution of the label, as these new relationships with Jack (J Chrysalis), Charlie (Lack) and Andrea (Big Hands) provided a new energy. They’re sentimental as they tie in with a period of my life that feels memorable.
What are the joys and horrors of running a record label?
It gives me a sense of purpose, connection, and community. I feel at my best and most excited when a project is developing. The difficult parts are the endless admin and the entanglement of music with work. The worst horror is back stock – it builds up quickly, takes up space, and is dispiriting.
We’re interested to learn of your current take on the electronic music culture, the genres that are coming back, the state of clubs, festivals, record stores and the often short lived status of headline DJ’s. In what direction are we all heading?
The culture around the music has changed a lot from when I was younger and there is less of a sense of local/regional sounds and scenes. There’s been a shift towards something more rhizomatic and globalised, which is difficult to navigate at scale.
I feel slightly nostalgic for a simpler, slower time. I’m not much into festivals and think the culture has become more visual, with social media playing a big role in short-lived DJ statuses. Record stores are really important to me for discovering music, Hopefully they won’t disappear, but the dance 12” is becoming increasingly less viable and in demand.
Social media has become a necessary component of the music world. What’s your relationship with it and how do you navigate the pros and cons of various platforms?
On/Off – I try to take regular breaks from it. I’m anxious at how Instagram, Soundcloud, Bandcamp have a way of homogenising the experience and the flow and quality of information. I don’t think that’s a good thing. Instagram is quite overwhelming and distracting, it’s good to take breaks so that it doesn’t control you.
The many adventures in sound and otherwise require time and effort. How do you balance health, time and motivation?
It’s a struggle at times. I’ve had Long-Covid for over three years which has had a huge impact on my life. I also work full time, and run the label, so I often stretch myself a bit too thin and burn-out. Extended breaks and time to be curious are important. Otherwise, watching a lot of football helps me unwind.
Thanks for chatting, Sam. We loved the chance to get to know you a bit more. What’s next for you and the label? Before we part, name an absolute underground electronic classic you dig. Until next time!
There’s going to be another release this summer with remixes of Girde Maye/Astere by Big Hands from Notte Infinita, Tammo Hesselink, and Paperclip Minimiser. I’m also planning to get back into making music, rest, recharge, and maybe DJ – if anyone wants me to.
For an underground classic, I’d pick Drexciya’s ‘You Don’t Know’ – lip-bitingly sultry, mysterious, the production is completely dry but it still sounds aqueous and atmospheric. It was my gateway to Drexciya, and I love everything about it.
Photography by Conrad Pack
TRACKLIST
1. Sutekh – Period 04
2. Tammo Hesselink – Lattice
3. Notte Infinita – Yeah, Classic
4. Dialog – Book of Life (feat. Benji)
5. Oltrefuturo – Aural Deception
6. Terrain – Blind Spot
7. Donato Dozzy – Terzo Giorno
8. Konduku – Gelgit
9. Low End Activist – 19STR8BK
10. Claudio PRC – Haidou
11. Luigi Tozzi – Suspiria
12. Big Hands – Girde Maye / Astere (Notte Infinita remix)
13. Porter Brook – Trakt II
14. Jeroen Liebregts – Vloer
15. natural/electronic.system. – Grecale
16. Regis – Asbestos (Sleeparchive remix)
17. Vril – Boom to the Moon
18. Oma Totem – ER – 1
19. Audio Illusion – Energy
