Tessela has announced a new label called Poly Kicks, with the first release out on March 18th.
Bath-based producer Ed Russell has only had a few releases to his name, landing on Punch Drunk, 2nd Drop, Audio Culture and All City previously. His hard-hitting percussive sound was described by RA's Kristan J Caryl as containing "a proto-industrial bass blueprint", although the music on Poly Kicks will be more inspired by jungle and early hardcore than the bass music touchstones of his earlier work.
The label's first three missives will all come from Tessela himself. The first single will feature "Hackney Parrot," a track that's been floating around for a while now and has been prominently featured in sets by DJs like Jackmaster. Poly Kicks releases will come in both vinyl and digital formats, though each release will have an exclusive vinyl track. On the first single, only A-side "Hackney Parrot" will see a digital release. For an idea of what to expect, Russell has uploaded clips of each side of the first single to his SoundCloud.
We spoke with Tessela via email recently about his new undertaking.
Why did you want to strike out on your own with Poly Kicks?
I think it's a combination of things. There are the obvious benefits like having control over my music, when it gets released, and how it's presented. But I think mainly it was because I had thought about starting a label for a while and this is the first time I've felt like I could add something genuinely worthwhile. There seem to be a lot of labels popping up these days which are just labels for the sake of being labels. I wanted to make sure that when I started something it would be for the right reasons.
What makes these tracks different from your output on other labels?
I'm not sure really. I think the reference points are still the same as my other records but maybe these tracks are a little more focused. I think it's the first time I've done a record with an A and a B side that sound like they came from the same mold.
"Hackney Parrot" has been floating around for a while, why is it only getting its release now?
I wrote it about a year ago but didn't really send it to anyone for a little while. I eventually sent it out to someone and it was due for release last October on their label. There were a number of hold ups for various reasons and I decided that the only way I could make it happen how I'd like is if I put the music out myself. As I mentioned before, I'd thought about starting a label for a while, and this track seemed like a good way to begin.
What's the future of the label look like?
I'm trying not to plan stuff too much and just let it take its course naturally. I've got the first three releases lined up but other than that I'm not sure where it'll go. I know the general direction I'd like to take it and an overall aesthetic I'd like the label to have, but that's about it for now. I'm very new to the game and I think until I've put a few records out I won't feel ready to handle other people's music. It can be frustrating when people are unprofessional or inexperienced: I'd like to think that by the time I release someone else's music I'll be able to do it properly.
Tracklist
A. Hackney Parrot
B. Helter Skelter
Poly Kicks will release Hackney Parrot/Helter Skelter on March 18th, 2013.
