Imprints: UNT Records

Imprints brings you regular profiles of the most exciting record labels the world over, with input from the movers and shakers who contribute to their local electronic music communities.

Name: UNT Records
Vibe: Dark and moody techno
Founded: 2007
Location: Canada
Upcoming releases: John Norman Verb EP with a remix by Alex D'Elia, and singles from Rafa Ortega, Seamless, John Norman and more.
Artists-to-watch: Rafa Ortega

Any time a business undergoes a changeover of hands, the outcome varies. For the London-born, Spain-implant label UNT Records, new ownership has been its one-way ticket into techno ascendency. At the helm of this climb is John Norman, who has since taken over, expanded UNT Records into Canada, and sprinkled the seeds of his underground, Detroit techno style at its roots. UNT Records has travelled across the pond and back but maintains ties with releases by artists from around the world. Norman recently took a moment from his busy, many-hat wearing responsibilities to tell THUMP where UNT Records is and where he plans to take it.

THUMP: Explain the name. Does UNT stand for something?
John Norman: It isn't an acronym for anything specific. However, we do have some goals that are captured in it: Unite artists, Nurture their skill and talent, Transcend their own possibilities. That is UNT.

Why did you decide to form your label?
Truth be told, I did not form UNT. I had been considering starting my own label and when I found out that my good friend Jozef Mihalik was selling the label UNT to focus in other areas of the industry, I decided to step up my plans and take over. UNT already had a good foothold and shared the same philosophy as I did. It's also home to some of my very first releases and is the first international label to release my music. UNT nurtured me early on in my career and I want help do that for other artists.

How would you describe the label's sound?
The sound of the label has developed over the years. It's had some deep house, some tech house, and some great techno tunes. The focus now and going forward is very much in line with my sound as an artist—tough yet melodic, moody, and rhythm driven.

How did the label go from London to an expansion into Canada?
UNT made the move to Canada when I took over at the end of last year. That's just our physical office location; however, like many labels we have artists from all around the globe. We don't focus on a physical location but rather on a great sound.

What's your favourite label that isn't your own?
Without a doubt, Drumcode. I definitely look up to what Adam Beyer has built in terms of the sound of the label and the family of artists. Drumcode is also a reflection of his own personal sound as an artist, which is inspiring.

What makes your label different?
At UNT, we help emerging artists grow through the pairing of their work with larger more established artists. Our goal is not to add saturation to the market, but to ensure high-quality releases each time. We look for tracks that are going to have longevity, which will keep getting play six months or two years down the road. Outside of the label I own a music publishing company, so when we sign a track to the label we also work with the artist by providing guidance in term of their rights as a music writer and publishing. In some ways it's a return to an older model of label running.

Which release would you recommend to introduce a new listener to your label?
There was a track released about a year ago by Lekno called "Torus", I think it gives a really good sense of the shape and direction we're taking now at UNT. The track is simultaneously urgent in rhythm, but also relaxed and groovy—the tensions it builds it creates an interesting sonic journey. My upcoming track "Verb" is also a good indication of the sound we're about. It focuses on a warm and brooding bottom-end and rhythmic use of vocals.

How do you choose the artists that you work with?
A lot of the artists we work with send in demos. I look for a professional presentation and an artist who has done their research—you know, someone who has a sense of our sound. Nor should they have sent me something that's already public on their SoundCloud account. If I like the tune I will do a little bit of research on the artist myself. I'm looking for artists who take their craft seriously and are willing to continue to grow with us at UNT. I don't care how many Facebook likes or Twitter followers they have, that doesn't change what the music sounds like.

What's the next release on the label?
My track "Verb" is the next release on the label and it has a wicked remix by an Italian artist named Alex D'Elia. After that, we have a really great track from Rafa Ortega called "Drift Mode" which I'll be providing the remix for.

What challenges do you face running the label?
I'm not just a label owner, I'm also an artist and music publisher, and because of that time is one of the biggest challenges. You also need to be focused on several things at once—I'll go from conversations with another label to sign one of my tunes, into a conversation with an artist I'm signing to my label. On any given day, I wear a lot of different hats. It's really exciting, but definitely a challenge.

I also think it's important to be relevant through good music and not just release music to release music. I won't put out a track that I'm not 100 percent behind. So many labels just release constantly, and let's be honest, you can't be releasing that frequently and have everything meet a consistent quality. For UNT, sometimes we get demos of tracks that sound good, but just aren't right for us. As an artist myself, I know how hard rejection can be, but I know I need to put my label boss hat on and think about what is best for UNT. And that is quality, not quantity.

UNT Records is on Facebook // Twitter // SoundCloud
John Norman is on Facebook // Twitter // SoundCloud