Gadi Mizrahi has founded Double Standard, a new vinyl-only imprint set to launch at the beginning of April.
For the past eight years, Mizrahi has worked on Wolf + Lamb, the label and production duo he founded at the turn of the millennium with fellow Brooklynite Zev Eisenberg. By the end of the '00s, Wolf + Lamb had developed high esteem in the world of underground dance music, both for their style of reduced yet pop-influenced house and their notorious parties at The Marcy Hotel. Releases by Seth Troxler, Nicolas Jaar, Deniz Kurtel and No Regular Play made 2009 a banner year for the Brooklyn-based crew, earning them widespread attention and the #3 spot on RA's top labels of 2009. But rather than riding the wave of their own success, Wolf + Lamb's founders saw this as a chance to go on hiatus. Zev is currently getting a bit of traveling done, while Mizrahi sets his sights on a cluster of new projects.
The past six months have already been quite productive for Mizrahi. At the end of last year, he founded Just One Night, a production duo with Greg Paulus of No Regular Play. Last month, Spectral Sound released I Can Never Get Enough, his first solo EP in two years. Now, with Double Standard, he intends to continue pursuing his own ideas, producing and releasing music outside of the Wolf + Lamb brand. We caught up with Mizrahi via email last week to get the rest of the scoop.Wolf + Lamb had a great year in 2009. Why take a hiatus now?
We've taken breaks before. Running all these projects together for the last eight years, we felt like it was a good time to focus on some solo projects.
What has it been like operating on your own? How has it affected the way you make music or do business?
There is a lot of comfort that comes with having a partner, but I need to run my own label to be able to execute my ideas without compromise. I've been making music on my own for a long time actually, so that hasn't changed.
Can you tell us a little bit about the idea behind Double Standard? How does the title relate to the music?
I started off with a digital label, and utilized all kinds of digital means in my musical journey til now, including my DJing and production. Now, I feel a natural tendency to start this vinyl-only label, as I have been appreciating more and more the physical side of things–enjoying playing vinyl, and using more hardware in my production. I also have a good opportunity to do it now with the knowledge and attention I've gained over the years. And I'm interested in exploring what committing to this medium will bring. I guess the name represents what this progression might look like to the outside world, but I'd like to think of it as something that stands for high quality as in "double the standard"...
Any new artists from your camp to look out for?
Greg Paulus, half of No Regular Play has his debut solo EP coming out next on the imprint. The EP is amazing. He does all the vocals on it himself (he did the vocals on "Owe Me") and plays trumpet as well.
The first release on Double Standard will be Joint Custody EP, featuring Mizrahi and Soul Clap, the Boston-based house duo. In addition to Greg Paulus of No Regular Play, Turkish-born DJ and producer Deniz Kurtel is also due to release on the label.