Located in a small city in the South of Netherlands, Eat Concrete—established as a radio show in 2005 and turned label in 2006—continues to cultivate their own breed of danceable artistic-electronic artifacts and have done so with an impeccable taste for quality and ear for disjointedly cohesive sounds.
Igloo Magazine :: When did Eat Concrete start up and what was your inspiration?
Eat Concrete :: Eat Concrete initially started as a radio show hosted by Pete Concrete in 2005 but became a label in 2006. The motivation behind it was to release music by myself and my friends. I wanted to release music that I liked without being limited by style. At that time it felt like a challenge to try to communicate my taste without becoming a genre label. My inspiration came from many labels and artists that I knew from dj-ing, it seemed logical to use a broad taste in trying to establish an openminded platform.
Igloo :: Who were some of your initial artist relations and did your location help or hinder progress?
EC :: While working on the radio show I played unreleased material from friends and myself until I realized there was enough to do a release, so the first two EP’s were being compiled with that. The first four releases were mainly electro, Detroit Techno and IDM-ish but after that I wanted to do something different. I discovered Myspace in 2006 and that made it much easier to connect with artists globally. The fifth release {Twin Earth Atlantic) is a result of that discovery, musically it is branded as the first ‘beat-scene’ album from the label with music by friends (Aardvarck) and some more known artists (Daedelus) from abroad. It gave some recognition and helped me to take my idea’s further, giving room for artists such as Herrmutt Lobby, Take, Enemy Earth, Knalpot and Funckarma. By that time the artist network became global which at the same time made it harder to do shows together. Since the label is basically a solo operation I decided to focus on the music and artwork instead of doing gigs all the time. Unfortunately I hardly have time to make music myself anymore but I do feel satisfied with all releases that came out. I’m located in a small city in the south of the Netherlands which is probably not the best place to run a label but I like it here, being away from hype.
My main challenge was to find a way to release different music while being coherent. I don’t really take into consideration how people think about the label and its music, I guess it’s a personal thing which hopefully makes it interesting enough for people with taste alike.
Igloo :: What were some of the challenges (if any) starting up a label? …and how did you envision the label to stand apart?
EC :: My main challenge was to find a way to release different music while being coherent. I don’t really take into consideration how people think about the label and its music, I guess it’s a personal thing which hopefully makes it interesting enough for people with taste alike. Some practical matters were of course challenging—who would notice the label or be willing to promote it? I don’t have the resources to do massive promotion so that’s probably the reason why Eat Concrete isn’t really known. Of course I want as much people to hear the music but it’s up to them to discover what’s out there. In a way this makes the label as much ‘underground’ as it’s ever been.
I’m not sure if Eat Concrete stands apart, I guess my personal take is something which can be noticed though. Artwork is also important to me, I try to progress both musically and artistically.
Igloo :: What is your motivation in keeping the label moving forward into the next decade?
EC :: Well, it’s two folded I think. Firstly, as long as I feel motivated to do new releases I will. There’s much more things I’d like to try, I hope there will be plenty opportunity. There’s a few releases coming up including a limited 10″ + poster by Dutch electronica pioneer Roel Funcken and a series of releases by newly signed Norwegian singer-songwriter Lasse Passage. There will also be a poster and compilation and some t-shirts available soon.
Secondly I need the resources to be able to keep the label alive and healthy. Releasing limited edition vinyls doesn’t really pay the rent so I have to be creative. This can be a pain sometimes but it makes interesting releases in the end I guess. I hope artists and designers will be attracted to Eat Concrete in the near future and I’ll try to think with them to make nice projects.
Igloo :: Tell us more about how you (and your staff?) take the label’s “sound” to the listeners and fans. Distribution, campaigns, live shows, word of mouth etc.
EC :: Since its start Eat Concrete has mostly been a one-man operation although I’ve had some help from a few good friends. This somewhat limits my options which of course I rather see different. Still, I am okay with focusing on releasing quality projects and feel quite strongly about art for the sake of art. I happen to own this label and hope we can be creative to keep the spirit alive as long as possible. I think ‘word of mouth’ is the best way to become known although I try to stick to my own agenda and not think about success for the sake of it. As long as I release stuff I’d want to own myself I am safe.
Keep your eyes and ears open for more projects coming up, thanks for supporting!
For more information about Eat Concrete, visit their website at eatconcrete.net. [Soundcloud | Facebook]
