The dance music scene has had a very chaotic year. COVID 19 restrictions closed the nightclubs, so promoters and labels turned to online festivals and socially distanced events. Mistreatment of the freelancers and workers in the live music industry by the government has sparked protests and political debate across the UK. One of the few comforts we have had through the everyday madness that is 2020, is music.
Without the usual faced-pastness of club nights and festivals throughout the summer, there’s been more time for discourse on the state of the industry, most notably on diversity in the dance music scene. Chris Inperspective‘s Black Junglist Alliance and many other initiatives have been undertaken by industry leaders to increase black ownership, representation and talent in jungle and drum and bass. The Black Excellence LP is a weighty drum & bass album curated by young south London DJ TJ, scheduled for release this month on his Pick ‘N’ Mix Music Imprint. We caught up him with to learn more about the project and his experience putting it together.
It’s been one hell of a year since we last spoke. How has 2020 been for you and the label?
It’s been a really intense year to say the least. Not for just me and the label but the entire World. It’s things like this that put life into perspective. We’ve had a lot of things to focus on, the DNB Raffle, our usual release schedule and new ventures such as building our website and getting our merchandise ready for launch.
It’s been a difficult one trying to manage both my personal life, family health and the label so I want to give my team a massive thank you and love you for keeping me sane, PNM family for life.
Have you noticed any change in the music you get sent given that producers would have had more studio time during lockdown?
For me it’s a different situation as I’ve got my release scheduled sorted for a good year and a bit. I have noticed a lot of new producers coming through, the time they’ve spent on their production over lockdown has definitely paid off. A few new heads I’m hearing and rating are Breakout, SamH3ad & The Heavies.
We’ve seen Pick ‘N’ Mix tracks being featured on Drum & Bass arena and On the Wax, huge! What’s it been like working with these big brands and are you working with any others?
Thank you! It’s been a really good year in terms of brand relations. We’ve managed to get the attention of a few big brands such as Hospital Records, Drum & Bass Arena like you mentioned and UKF. We’ve got a few bits to come out in October for our project The Black Excellence LP featuring 15 amazing tracks.
There’s always been a conversation on representation in drum and bass but this year it’s really taken centre stage. Is the Black Excellence LP a response to that in any way?
The Black Excellence LP is my response to what’s happened this year and in response to talks of the scene being whitewashed. I wanted to take responsibility for what I can contribute to this movement, I am a label owner, so my contribution was easy. Let me release something that shows and puts black talent on a pedestal. As well as that motive, I wanted people to remember that although we may have a majority white scene, we have a lot of producers of colour that make amazing music. This was the perfect opportunity to showcase this.
The roster of artists on the LP is pretty varied in terms of style. What was your experience pulling it all together?
For me it was really hard, but I have to say my previous experience of releasing the 20 track Pick ‘N’ Mix All Stars LP kicked in. I knew what I needed to do and how to make sure the music got delivered on time. The project was not planned, the fact it comes out during Black History Month is an honest coincidence, no one could have predicted what happened this year. I reached out to the producers of colour that I knew and created a group chat, and then they added more people. The power of the internet is amazing.
The artwork is striking, what’s the story behind the design?
My dad created the artwork. He’s always had an array of talents and always draws. This piece is part of a series of pictures he created. It took him around 13-15 days and has a lot of personal meaning, you’d have to ask the man himself for more context. The simple yet complex black and white designs in my eyes was perfect and as the picture was gifted to me for me 23rd birthday, it was a no brainer that I wanted to use it for the art. It’s a family piece, personally and musically.
Is there any advice you would give to other labels in the drum and bass scene right now?
Remember to save money. Businesses need money to survive and currently we are holding our breath. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, create campaigns that benefit the end consumer and can bring money in. Patreon has been amazing for many labels such as Overview, they offer a really good tier system which you should all check out. Also don’t be afraid to be honest to your audiences, money is always a difficult topic to talk about, but a lot of people are feeling the pressure including myself. Your audience always deserves to know the truth and also you never know it could lead to donations that may keep you alive.
Currently I’m focusing more on releasing music than events which are too much of a risk in my eyes. It’s a way to stay relevant assuming the music does well. My sales haven’t plummeted this year. In fact, they’ve increased so it’s definitely a viable way to keep the pennies coming in no matter how little they are.
What’s next for Pick ‘N’ Mix?
Big announcements I’ll tell you about, we have our merchandise ready, our website is being built which is where we’ll sell the merch. If it’s not ready soon we have no problem offering a different way to release the tops. We have 3 releases a month planned for the next 14 months. I just want to stay focused and keep bringing value to our supporters, like I say this is a journey and we still are in 1st gear, I’m really excited to bring you some new music.
The Black Excellence LP is out 30th October, register your interest on Juno Download to be kept up to date with the release.
Soundcloud - tjcampbell / pick-n-mix1
Facebook - PICKNMIXMUS1C
Instagram - picknmixldn
Photography - Skai Khari Joshua Campbell / skai_kjc Artwork - Wayne Campbell / Wacfoo
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