When we asked Empire to give us an insight into some of the music he’s into at the moment, one of the tunes that really stood out was a track entitled ‘No Prisoners’ by Sandman, on the Blank Mind label. Blending a guttural vocal with a marching, almost militaristic tribal-style beat, this is without doubt one of the most original tunes we’ve heard this year. A couple of days later an email from label boss Sam Purcell landed in our inbox, with a link to the A-side of the aforementioned release, and we knew we had to find out more…
PYC: Firstly, tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you ‘into’ music… who is Sam Purcell?
SP: Can’t really find a satisfactory answer about getting into music! But I suppose it has always been something that I’ve had a vested interest in since a pretty young age, as goes for most people. I started making tunes on the computer when I was about 15/16 though and that was probably a turning point where it became a more heightened interest.
Two good friends and myself released an album under the name of ‘Our Sleepless Forest’ a few years back and it’s something I’m still very proud of today.
What’s the ethos behind Blank Mind? Your first release is quite different to most things being circulated at the moment.
Ethos… I would say that the one criteria that I need to meet is producing something I know I would want to buy. Something that I think would sustain my interest and be really worth its while.
In this interview with ShimmyShimmy, you mentioned discovering the Sandman and Adrian Lenz tunes after delving through Grenadian music. How did you get in touch with the guys in the first place, and was it difficult negotiating with people so far away?
Yeah, coming across the songs I would say was something of a YouTube curiosity fortune. I found both the songs quite quickly after looking for more songs like ‘Flex – Jab Jab We Drunk Again’. I felt like I had discovered buried treasure so to speak, and instantly made the decision to get in touch with the producers. Sandman had left his email on the YouTube link for No Prisoners, and he then put me in touch with Adrian.
It wasn’t especially difficult negotiating with them really, as they (Sandman, Adrian & Tremor) were all very accommodating and excited at the prospect of having their songs put out. As a non-entity though I had to do my best to let it be known to them that I would to do everything I could to do things in their best interest.
What came first – the label or the music?
For a couple of years before [this release] I had been making quite a lot of tracks myself and had an aspiration to release things in my own image one day, but it seemed like a very distant thing as the songs were not really ready. I couldn’t anticipate coming across songs like these though, so the label with these tunes, in its current form, was something rather more impromptu.
Is this ‘Jab Jab’ style something you’d like to see more of, and can we expect similar sounds for future releases – or would you like to branch out? What’s forthcoming on Blank Mind?
I’ve always seen it that I was pushing these two particular tracks rather than the Jab Jab as a whole. If there are more songs that pop by that give me the same exaltation then I would certainly do so, but as for now these are the only two Grenadian songs on the cards.
I have two tracks by DJ Clent who is a Juke veteran from Chicago coming for 002 which are a major buzz. At the moment I have a bit of anxiety though as I need to earn enough money back from this first release in order to put it out… time will tell on that one.
They are songs from around ‘98 so it is a kind of re-issue of sorts – though both of them have never really been available over here. The A side ‘3rd World’ in particular is a thing of wonder and I’m hopeful it will turn a few heads like these tunes for 001 have.
The video for ‘Cover Me’ is pretty mental. Were you involved in the production at all or did it already exist when you signed the tunes?
No, it had been done in the Summer of 2010 for the carnival, and I discovered them in February of this year. It was obviously completely remarkable to me and I couldn’t get away from an unbelievable excitement after discovering it, I really became completely obsessed. I don’t think my astonishment will ever really change.
Are there any plans to get them over for a live show? Is this something you’d consider?
It so happens that Adrian might actually be moving from Grenada to Ireland for personal reasons. I met him last year as he was visiting Ireland and in turn the UK, to play in Middlesex, so I think we will hopefully be seeing more of him on these shores. I know that he would like to get involved with the next Notting Hill Carnival, so it would be really great for that to happen.
I think it’s less likely that Sandman will be over unless there is a promoter that is willing to make it happen. Of course it would be fantastic to have both of them play, but it isn’t something that I have the resources to make happen myself.
What other labels/ producers are you into at the moment and have you got any recommendations for people to look out for?
Drake – Marvin’s Room
Splice – PianismI’ve got a definite fondness for Honest Jon’s releases, the Shangaan things have been great.
Generally I like to be listening to as many things as I can, there’s great music new and old coming from every angle if you try and find it.
And finally… any parting words of wisdom?
‘Words exist for meaning, but once you understand the meaning, you can throw away the words.’ Chuang Tzu
Adrian Lenz – Cover Me / Sandman – No Prisoners is out now on Blank Mind (BLNK001) and available from Chemical Records, Hardwax, and anywhere else with an ounce of common sense.