Some artists in the world of electronic music may be in a rush to find success, but Michael Red sure as hell isn’t. At least, not with his Vancouver based music label, Low Indigo. “The intention from the very beginning was and remains, ‘only when it feels right,’” he says. “I’ve kept that as the motto.”
Scrambling to make a buck is not what this frontrunner of the West Coast electronic music scene is all about.
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And why should he be? Low Indigo is doing just fine without the thirst to make mad cash and find fame. With several successful lounge events like the Cats Only Club Starting Now, and releases that have garnered North American attention, Low Indigo has solidified its position as a label that produces high caliber music. “It’s not a money making thing,” asserts Red. “I let intuition guide a lot of what I do. That doesn’t always apply with other projects that I’m involved in, but with this it’s like nothing will move forward if it doesn’t 100 percent feel right.”
Since its launch four years ago, Low Indigo has produced five EPs that showcases a number of West Coast producers, including okpk, Kline, Oshea Adams, 8prn (aka, Project Pablo), Beamhead, Self Evident, and Michael Red himself.
The selective nature in which Red runs his label has resulted in the development of Low Indigo’s own unique community. Beyond being a record label, it has created a movement in its own right. “It started off just as events, but knowing that it was also sort of an identity,” he says. “There’s something more of substance that you can follow, like a train of thought, [or] a common ground.”
What has transpired through Red’s careful direction has been nothing short of quality experimental composition. “It’s what the chill-out room used to be in big raves. [For example] you’d go to the chill-out room and sometimes you’d hear a crazy jungle set, but in an intimate context. The context is more important,” he says. “[It encourages] a sense of exploration and a kind of spontaneity that breeds freshness.”
For those of us who long for the days of visors, fat pants, and Roni Size CDs, Low Indigo gives a nod to those special aspects locked away in somebodies time capsule. It pays tribute to times when people gathered on the couch to have a smoke and listen to something a little more down tempo. “In that context people are ready to be challenged. And also just to physically sit down, that kind of expands the possibilities as well,” he says. “It’s where you have those really meaningful conversations and you make more meaningful connections with people. And you have those kind of talks that affect the rest of your life.”
Yet, like the old-school ravers, electronic music grew up. But the underground scene on the Pacific Northwest has become an electronic music gold mine. Nestled between mountains and the ocean, this rainy city has become an incubator of exceptional electronic music production. With Red as an organizer for New Forms Festival and a founding father of the city’s notorious DJ crew, lighta! sound, he is very aware of the talent that is specific to the area. “There’s a particular open-mindedness that is a West Coast thing. I see it as a West Coast thing. That keeps me here and absolutely lends itself to the kind of music and stuff that people play here,” he explains. “Vancouver is a young city, so with particular scenes it’s less developed [and] there’s more room to go over other things.”
Recently, Low Indigo released its second music video for the local producer, Self Evident’s remix of Kline and Oshea’s “Don’t You Worry.” It’s an electronic lullaby for the soul.
“When Kline and I were working on that EP [Mirror], he showed me that song and I’m still blown away by it,” says Red. “And then Self Evident really wanted to do a remix of it. It was basically already written in his head. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with it. So that was also very natural.”
The video is set in the heart of downtown Vancouver. The camera follows a young man and his love interest through a dark, sweaty venue where a community of Vancity scenesters sway to the groove on the dance floor. A glimpse into the city’s underground nightlife, the video pays tribute to Low Indigo’s unique vibe and the community that surrounds it. “I was just listening to it, and it wasn’t even a decision. That song, just for me, demands a video,” he adds. “Like, some carvers say, you look at a piece of wood or a piece of stone and there’s already something in there, you just helped facilitate what it wants to be. Again, in the spirit of Low Indigo, just get good people involved and it will just naturally, organically flow.”
Aside from Low Indigo’s clear stance on music is its obvious obsession with cats. The label’s logo is of a cat’s silhouette. Before closing the interview with Michael Red, I had to ask why these cats have become the label’s image. “Cats are the number nine and they are the keepers to the doors of chaos. Cats are very in touch with chaos,” he responds. “And life is chaotic, so embracing chaos is a very healthy thing. Cats do a lot of things that are contradictory. They want to go outside, and then they want to come right back in. So, focusing on cats is one way of promoting and accepting the chaotic nature of life.”
Keep up with Michael Red on Facebook and SoundCloud and watch for the next creation from the Low Indigo team on their Facebook.
