12am.com.au : Mixing Music Media


	.: Eric Powell

Date of Interview: 17th March, 2001
Contributed by: Andre Cato & Marius Jones

Eric Powell is a busy man.
We found that out as we began to speak leisurely about England, vinyl and where dance music is heading. Moving to Melbourne under two years ago, Eric is running the UK Label Bush Records from right here in Melbourne. We caught up with the dj/producer/label administrator for a few of Cafe Greko's flat whites....

So Bush makes records…. Right?

You got that right, Bush records do release cd’s as with most major world wide record labels but the difference is that Bush releases approximately 95% vinyl!

So where did it all start for Mr Eric Powell?
Even back when Eric was about 15 he used to have his collection of records at parties and actually get others to put them on for him coz he could not reach the turntable; and yes there was only one!

Eric’s first dj work came from clubs in the North of England at Manchester’s Manalive. This was his first big club and ended up being the title used for the massive Devilfish 12" last year.

So what were your early influences?

Eric used to play a lot of funk and Hip hop in his first few years 88-91 and so even though he went to see artists like New Order and Joy Division, he categorised them as alternative bands that were a pub social scene as opposed to the electronic early house sound that it is now so closely related to.

How was Bush formed?

Bush was formed out of another label Blimp, which did not last very long. It however does still exist in some small way…. The black triangle from Bush’s logo was originally the logo for Blimp and here’s something for you…. Bush records was the name they came up with to describe the black triangle!

How do you spot a Bush Record?

There were so many white labels in every record shops in the early 90’s because they were suddenly available, but there was no way of knowing what you were buying… So they all look the same etc… Eric wanted something to stand out, he loved records with spines so all bush records have spines, he loved glossy covers so all Bush records have glossy covers and then there is the colouring; black and yellow…. Just try and tell me they don’t stand out!

So are Eric Powell and Bush seen as the same thing, promotionally?

When he began he did not associate his dj shifts with the label, and rather tried to make both stand credibly on their own two decks…so to speak. But as time went on they were recognised as being different… Just coz it has bush on it doesn’t mean its hard techno.

Can man live on Records alone?

About 3 years ago Eric thought that the world of dance would change, as electronics became more advanced and the cd technology grew it seemed only natural that it would have happened by now. Using digital samplers and midi you can simply drop beats and samples of anything and set up filters and loops. But the record survives; DJ’s across the world still want to play on decks…Bring on the sl1200.

Do dance artists need the labels?

When Eric was in his early stages of Djing during the early ‘90’s he always wondered why people did not press their own records and just sell them to the shops themselves, in the early days of dance it was hard for artist to even get signed to a label let alone produce records with covers and printed titles! So every week it would be a matter of sifting through the piles of white labels in the record shops.

These days as with all music and things in fashion, people need association. Marketing and distribution and even association of being with a particular label is very important for not only the artist but the consumer. When DJ’s flick through the new 12" records it will often be a label that first catches our eyes.

So its off to Australia Eric……

Eric has been living in Australia as a permanent resident since July 2000 and has proven Bush to be a fully global label

When Eric was given the option to move to Australia he felt he had reached where he really wanted to get as a DJ and was looking to make the Label even larger and more successful. This however is very hard when people were constantly asking you to do highly paid gigs.

During his first year he had to talk to his distributor and manager knowing that he was not going to see them for 2 months and so it was suddenly time to turn this hobby that was a business into a fully blown global label.

How do you book your gigs?

For years Eric has had an agent booking all his gigs and so it was hard at first when he came to Australia to get that side of things worked out. For bookings people can contact Simon Coyle of Agent Mad coyle@agentmad.com.au

So where does Bush get its artists?

The Bush artists are from all over the globe, from right here in Melbourne, to Tokyo and the USA. All share the bush theory. Make it rock! Or as Thomas Schumacher would say When I Rock!

How has Bush been going since you moved to Melbourne?

The last year has seen some of Bushes biggest releases –Manalive being a massive worldwide seller as well as tracks such as Love Story.

Tracks come about in such weird ways. Eric first heard love Story when he picked up a pile of promo records while on tour in the UK. Eric recorded a DJ Excursions cd and put Love Story on as the last track. People all over Australia were asking about this track and so Eric called the man responsible for the track Andrew McFarlane and enquired how it had sold, now it did not seem that well, because it was released on a double pack and so was more expensive and did not have the marketing power of a big label. So Bush took on the challenge, and turned it into something that I am sure will be remembered in many years as one of the classics.

How has Bush being based in Melbourne helped local talent?

Australian artists can stand proud in the world of dance music. Here in Melbourne we have many talented DJ’s and producers such as Astro Boy, Madison Ave, Ivan Gough, Jeff Tyler and Jason Digby just to name a few.

Astro Boy’s track, Darkness Falls has just been remixed by Joey Beltram and Sean Colt.

So does Bush put a cap on the amount of records you produce per title?

Bush has the attitude that it will never flood the market but does not want their records only available to collectors. Eric wants his music to entertain as many people as possible and so you can always know that you can order or find a Bush record.

Where are you playing at the moment?

Eric has a residency playing at Salt Saturday nights from 4am-Close. "Its Great to once again have a residency and be playing to an educated crowd that loves the music". It is a shift that he is still experimenting with and dropping different sounds to see what people respond to. "I play everything from House to hip hop and electro beats".

12am would like to thank our Powell, Eric for taking the time to meet with us, drink coffee and chat about the world according to Bush.

Keep checking 12am for Bush Records releases soon!

	back to interviews