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You will find in this category each week, an interview or a biograhpy of a Dj or artist which is breaking the news. All styles are on the “menu” of this category: minimal, house, electro, techno or even trance in some cases.

The topic will be supplemented by other Djs following the latest electronic music news.

 
House
21
Union Match Music - Belgique

Hi Bastien,

After you get us graciously, a few weeks ago, the interview of the Belgium producer Kolombo, we wanted to know now more about the Brussels Union Match Music Recordings, that employed you, thanks to the following questions. After nearly a year of activity, it is the perfect time to know the recordings better as you have became quickly too, one of the pillars of the Belgian labels on the electronic music scene, mainly lead by Compuphonic and Spirit Catcher signed under Union Match Music.

First of all, could you tell us more about the label and your role?
> Union Match Music is a label that promotes the Belgian house music with a keen interest focused on the melody. That said, we try as much as possible not to lock ourselves into one style. The watchwords are : quality and eclecticism.
Personally, I do the coordination in general of the label. It goes from the coordination of events organized by Union Match Music to more mundane tasks (eg, social network management, writing press releases, newsletters, etc.)
 
More specifically, could you please tell us, who was behind this label at the beginning, when it was launched in October 2009. Indeed, from what I read, the label was born from the initiative of Compuphonic aka Maxime Firket. What was the aim of launching this label? Was it an easier way for him to release his own productions? Was it a way to promote the Belgian electronic music scene in general with the artists close to him?
> You’re right. Initially, it was Compuphonic (Maxime Firket) who had the idea of Union Match Music. But the “why” was not the release of his productions. In fact, Max never had the slightest desire to leave his tracks thanks to Union Match Music. Indeed, he has great successes abroad and his productions have been signed on major labels like Turbo, Systematic, 20:20 Vision, Freerange, Parquet Rec. and so on.
He had the idea to start a label because it was reported that Belgium scene has a lack of quality promotional structures for artists from the electronic music scene. The idea was to provide a platform for Belgian talents to release their tracks in good conditions in their own country while trying to attract foreign producers. Belgium is a small country, but it contains an enormous artistic potential, precisely because it is subject to many external influences.

By the way, from where come from the label’s name?
> "Union Match" is the name of a famous Swedish matches brand (formerly Belgian). The name "Union Match Music" clung perfectly to the image and philosophy of the recordings.

First, it recalls the motto of Belgium - which has an unfortunate tendency to forget these days - namely "Unity is strength". The component "union" is fundamental in our approach: we want to build a team of producers and friends who respect each others and demonstrate a willingness to work together.

Union Match, is also a positive response to the crisis of the disc. It brings together producers of talent and put together some producers to create an artistic project. These collaborations - that take the form of guest appearances or remixes - create a mixture of styles and techniques, which always gives an interesting result.

In short, Union Match Music is a family, a united team and also the Belgian response to the disk crisis. We hope this label in the form of a matchbox will generate at least a few sparks!

Who are the main artists affiliate to the label?
> We can say that we have a good basis of Belgian producers like Compuphonic, Kolombo, Spirit Catcher and Fabrice Lig. These are a family of artists and we know we can count on them too, for example, to sign a remix or to play for one of our parties.
We consider them as the core activists. The recording is also opens to the international scene with some foreign producers like Ante Perry, and for the next release under Union Match Music, there will be Glimpse and Lee Jones.

Could you tell us if there will be some new producers or DJs that will sign on Union Match Music, if it is not indiscreet?
> The next release of the label should hopefully be published late in October 2010, with a digital and vinyl version. This is an EP of remixes of the song "Sequoia" from Compuphonic. In addition to the original track, there will be two remixes signed by Lee Jones and Glimpse. The original song and the remixes are all imbued with a special atmosphere, full of emotion, with one side almost cinematographic…

One or two months later, it will be the turn of San Soda to release an EP under Union Match Music. He has concocted a truly amazing EP with two fantastic tracks. A remix of Max is also expected for this release. But now, we are only focus on the release of "Sequoia". One thing at a time…

An artist is not exclusive to a label. How does a producer as Ante Perry or Kolombo will decide to release this or that production under a label rather than another?
> I think artists will be better able to answer this question. If you want my opinion, everything depends on the track they produced. Producers like those I’ve mentioned previously are very familiar with the different labels and what can interest them. There are too a matter of image, reputation, character, etc. The contacts and the public relations have also, I think, an important place in the game. So, as you can see, it depends on many things.

Belgium is located between France and Germany. Does Belgian artists have are not tempted to released their tracks on a French or German label rather than signing it on a Belgian label?
> As I said, the choice of label depends on many things. But it's true that for house music, Germany is hotter than Belgium! Maybe it is a little less true for France. For Belgium, the house producers had few choices. This is one of the reasons that motivated the launch of Union Match Music. Faced with the "competition" from other countries, to prove yourself, you need to release track of quality for our image of professionalism.

Could you list for us two or three Belgian artists that you'd like to introduce to our readers, signed on your label or not?
> I honestly recommend to people who like house music to plunge into the discography of artists signed on Union Match Music. Beyond technical consideration, they have also developed a world of own sounds. Go and discover their work!

Your label distributes both vinyl and digital versions of track? Do you know the split between the sales of digital and vinyl versions of your release?
> For financial matters, there are certain tracks that will be released only in digital version. Indeed, pressing vinyl is expensive and difficult. We keep this object more as a promotional tool and not as a source of revenue. We released a vinyl when the recordings was launched. It was just a kind of card to make ourselves known and to show our seriousness. The second release was only in digital and the third EP will exist in digital and vinyl.

What is the biggest pride of the label in terms of production?
> I am very proud of all the tracks released on Union Match. Musically, I have a preference for the track "Come Closer" from Kolombo. The remixes of Sequoia are both excellent, just like the original. On the future EP of San Soda my preferences will goes to "Home Again".

Finally, here are some questions a little more direct, to identify definitively Union Match Music.

The number of people who are working for the label
> The core of the team is fairly small. Max handles the art direction and I do the coordination. There is also our designer, Olivier, who works from Holland. He managed to create the graphic identity for the label, strong and very classy. The company Playout! gives us too a huge hand in all that regards contracts with artists, distributors and download platforms.

And finally, we can also count on the support of many partners and friends who help us at different levels.

The music that runs in loop into your helmet?
> I listen a bunch of times the last album of Caribou. Besides that, there are the tracks of Aeroplane. It also depends on the period...

Do you have any other upcoming projects, like organizing parties under the name of the label that will be organized? I also read that you had a radio show on Pure FM on Saturday. Is it still relevant?
> In a year, many parties happened thanks to the label in Brussels, Namur and Ghent. The next party, the eleventh, is to be held @ Decadance in Ghent on Oct. 8. Others are planned in Brussels, Liege, Ostend and Ghent. And we think also to leave the borders of Belgium to see how it dances in the neighboring countries! But there's no hurry. We prefer to move and establish our reputation in Belgium before going blindly into another country. It is a strategy.

Concerning the radio show Pure FM, we are currently negotiating to re-enlist for a second season. I have no more information on the subject at present.

Finally, as the label was created in October 2009, what will you do to blow your first birthday?
> We will try to match it with the "release night" of our third release. Whatever happens, we will mark the occasion. A year worth celebrating!

Bastien thank you again for this interview. I hope we will have the opportunity to see each other in a short time and who knows, maybe we will get an interview of Compuphonic, the founder himself…

In the meantime, I advise you all to go for a ride on the Soundcloud account of label, to be aware of the upcoming releases. With a little advance I wish you a happy birthday and a lot of good things for the end of 2010. Musically.

Dj Aroy

 
Written by Dj Aroy
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