I think I’ve lost count now. So many new labels in the age of digital; so many bedroom hopefuls now have the opportunity to control their fate within the business like never before. Hopefuls who may find themselves as the next “big thing,” or find themselves as a spec in the chaos we find ourselves today in the music industry – hidden and forgotten. Yet, you can’t forget about those who have been here for years. Djs and producers who have devoted themselves to the craft and have finally taken the plunge at the business side of the market, they now face even more competition for every ear.

Wither it be from the dj, the crowd, or even from the press is what Lance Jordan faces as he issues out the first release of his new imprint, Dusk Recordings with Sylvia Tosun's Sleepless. So, I find myself with Lance to talk about the business, how he has shifted gears from simply being a music enthusiast, to producer, to dj, and a businessman, while tracing the steps it took for him to get to where he is now.

“I’m working on several projects always at the same time. Main thing right now is Dusk Recordings, the new label as I just finished up two tracks for the next two releases. With Dusk, I’m taking all of what I learned (at NY Love) of what mistakes not to make, and I’m gonna do it right (with Dusk). Business is always a learning experience; you always get better at what you’re working towards.”

A challenge, absolutely, but in today’s market the challenges have expanded by tenfold. It’s funny, every time I hear about how the scene has faded, how the music has suffered and staled itself with no sight of reaching its potential, I find it a shame that people can’t sit back and simply enjoy dance music for what it is – dance music. Does it really have to be so new or forward-thinking to a point where it has to be dramatically different than what is available for it to be respected or appreciated?

The Dusk label, as Jordan points out will “be a place not only for my own music, which there is tons of, but also to bring up new talent: new artist and producers I’m working with.” I then ask him what made these particular vocalist or musicians stand out from the crowd. The answer I got was a bit surprising, as I learned that Jordan has become a teacher, literary, for individuals who seriously want to learn music production. “It’s been a rewarding experience and I’ve discovered some exceptional talent. In my opinion, there is always a need for new talent: new artist and new voices. The A.M. Corona Mix of Sleepless was done primarily by one of my students, Martin Corona. Sun is Rising is a collaboration between myself and another student of mine, Bory Z, while Janis Leahy, the vocalist on Twilight came through a close friend of mine. She did some of the vocals on Deep Dish’s latest album.”

Music has always been apart of Jordan’s life since he was born. Growing up in a musical family, his mother’s side were involved with the record business as vocalists, songwriters, and music producers while his father was also a songwriter, and quite a successful one in his day; “It was defiantly in my blood” said Jordan. Following his parents passion, his mother would give him a solid foundation of pop music in the likes of The Beatles even before he could walk. “(My mother) said, unlike my sister, I would sit very still, or I would move to the music, but (still) listen very intensely. I remember being in a car seat and listening to A.M. radio, and listening to all the interesting sounds, wondering how on earth they were made.”

"I’m dedicated to making a product that I am proud of…something that represents how I feel about life, and the world.”

- Lance Jordan

With pop sensibilities in place, it would be the time of big hair, boys dressed as girls, and the new wave of industrial music that would then capture his attention. With bands like New Order, Early Ministry, Sisters of Mercy, and Sessecion in his cassette deck, their sounds would add another dimension to Jordan’s take on music.

This then brought up his early days in the city and his current surroundings in New York. As much as things have changed musically there, some things always stay the same, and it has been the constant musical soundscapes of New York House that have defined his interest in dance music. He tells me that dance music for him truly began in the late ‘80s with his first experience in the clubs. Such a sound addict, he always craved the low-guns of the bass spreading inside the body. “Even before I could go out to clubs, seeing bands in concerts, it was always the boom of the bass. I love bass, so when I got to going to clubs, it was like “yeah, that’s the feeling.” That warm thump on your chest; I just loved it,” Jordan recalls.

And this music that he has devoted his time and life to has been created with computers, synths, and drum machines, but it has been the personal computer that have made a profound effect on each of us. For the good and the bad that it carries, Jordan has come to accept that “profit margins have declined; people have had to lower overhead. It’s almost like computers are a blessing and a curse. They make things more possible for more people, but they make it harder to make things profitable.”

So, Lance Jordan is a music enthusiast, a consumer, a dj, a music producer, and now a businessman. He understands that for a business to survive, it needs to stay above the red, but will he need to sacrifice quality if he knows a single or album will sell well to keep a label from going under? If there was one question I wanted answered, it was this, and though he gave his answer, I never got the feeling that profits were even on his mind.

“Quality is relative. I measure quality by intent. If a person sets out to achieve goal X and they hit it dead on the mark, then they have made quality product X. As far as how I define quality, I’m dedicated to making a product that I am proud of. Something I’m proud to have my name on and something that represents how I feel about life, and the world. Music is expression and communication. Dusk is a word that well describes the energy of the music I make and the music I represent. It’s that place between light and dark, where day and night meet, and ironically, the titles of all the Dusk releases scheduled so far fit that theme. The interesting part is that I have named none of them.”

Since Jordan brought up his influences, I got curious about the evolution of dance music and it’s estrange relationship with the masses. As in the ‘70s, there was electro, in the '80s, there was synch-pop, in the '90s, there was a clash of house, techno, and breakbeat, but its been 5 years into 2000, and no artist has pushed the underground sound like Kraftwork, the Chemical Brothers, or Fatboy Slim, yet, electronic dance music is healthy in the States again in the clubs, and in parts of Eastern Europe and the world. The mainstream still hasn’t grasped a hold of it; much less understand why people like yourself dedicate your life to it. Why do you think that is the reason? And who’s going to influence the next generation of electronic artist?

“I think the reason dance music has not been embraced in the States are many, starting with the political system. You wouldn’t think politics has much to do with music, but with things like the (U.S.A) Rave Act and the constant assault on freedom and privacy, one has to wonder?

You might ask, well, why Hip-Hop then? Why R&B? Because by commercializing it, it has been sold to white Middle America as a commodity, with no real social value or meaning; it’s a fad, a style with no real depth, and to the “real” hip-hop and R&B, artist from the streets, they’d rather sell out to corporate America. But that doesn't answer why not dance music. Part of the answer is that it's a deep culture. It doesn’t go well with consumer culture. The average person can’t understand this music the first time they hear it. It’s more like a cult. You have to be drawn in, but part of the problem was certainly the drug correlation. The Rave Act is strong proof that the (U.S.A) government seeks to control any culture of free thought and House music in this country is the only music that stands for freedom of thought.”

“Well, I’m an eternal optimist and I see good things in the future. It’s hard to predict what the sound will become, but I’m hopeful that we’ll start to hear more radio stations opening up the airwaves. The growth of satellite radio will help and I imagine we’ll start to see more live acts using electronics in a much more creative way than mainstream music today. Not just a drum loop, or a sample, but people playing with machines more. Few have been able to do it well. It took a long time for EDM (Electronic Dance Music) to develop into music that while very technically created, sounds very musically when heard. It’s a very cultivated thing.”

Afterwards, we finished the interview, but I could tell that Jordan became a bit hesitate about some of his thoughts. I asked him why would he. “Well, ya know what they say about opinions…but thanks.” Would he think that he would come off in a bad light? Though I didn’t see it that way, after speaking with him, he had my admiration as he gave his opinions on a few issues and he even admits that “I’m very open about what I think, but I am aware that my opinions is just one, and I’m often wrong. So I try to remain humble.”

And somehow from that, we actually continued our interview right after it ended. It was brief and it was non-music related, but by the end of it Jordan told me this: “People without opinions, are well, I think lost. People are so much more brainwashed than they usually have any idea of. It’s called Coercive Persuasion. Large corporations often use it as a main policy. Look up that phrase on the Internet, you’ll be shocked by some of the things you’d find.”