Perc Trax launches new sublabel, Submit

You've already launched one Perc Trax offshoot this year-how will this one differ? Can you give us an idea about your vision for Submit? The main Perc Trax label and the new Perc Trax Ltd sub-label are linked by name and sound. The Ltd label as mentioned when it was launched is for reissues, one-off projects and collaborations but of course it is another arm of Perc Trax. Submit is something altogether different, I want it to release music that is raw, improvised and frayed at the edges, some of the music will be rhythm-based, but none of it will be aimed directly at the dance floor. Everything I find interesting will have the potential to be released by the label: solo producers, bands, songwriters, people working with experimental sound installations, anything. In terms of formats, it will release on vinyl, CD and digital but I also want catalogue numbers linked to non-musical objects. Not just t-shirts and merchandise but anything I think the label’s supporters might be interested in. Within three or four releases I want Submit to be its own label, where my name or the fact it is related to Perc Trax is rarely mentioned. The first release is a collaboration with Einstürzende Neubauten. How did that come to be and what was it like working with them? I have been a Neubauten fan for a long time, and after Wicker & Steel I was interested in collaborating with artists I respected to open myself up to new ideas. I contacted Neubauten and they replied quickly and seemed interested. We decided to work on the Stahldub tracks that were originally released in the early 1980s, as they had the sound I was really keen on and had enough space in the music to allow the new interpretations to work without feeling like I was unnecessarily adding sounds to already complete tracks. The original tracks were performed live with no metronome or click track and for my new versions I did not use any time-stretching or warping. Each edit was done purely by ear and the large amount of edits in these new versions meant the project took a very long time to complete. All the new sounds that were added were processed to fit the sonic fingerprint of the original recordings as I wanted to create something that sounded as if I was present at the original recording sessions. The idea of looping sections of these classic tracks and turning them into club techno tracks was the last thing on my mind. Tracks were sent between London and Berlin and Neubauten were always very positive about how things were progressing. Obviously they have much more musical experience than me and see things very differently to me, but the working relationship was good. What else have you got in the works for Submit? Will there be any more collaborations like this? There are no more collaborations planned for the label. This actually is the last of my post-Wicker & Steel collaboration to be released after my recent EPs with Truss and Adam X. After this release, Submit is preparing a CD compilation with an accompanying vinyl sampler which really sets out the sound of the label for future releases.