Founder of Soirée records, an international  Detroit based, electronic music label with a primary focus on underground, intelligent, rhythm science, raging from HOUSE techno, Downtempo experimental and beyond. Soirée records has not only provide an outlet for Thompson to release his own material but it’s also become a musical launch pad for artist around the globe.

Establishing a sister techno label, Xplor music has taken his already growing influence to even greater levels with an endless repertoire of quality groundbreaking tracks, Thompson secure to a continuous demand for material from both major and independent labels around the world. Drivetrain talks to SIX AM just off the heels of his newest release on Soiree records. 

 

Hi Drivetrain! Thanks for talking to SIX AM, how are you doing?

Doing well. Keeping quite busy.

To get things started you have a new release on your own imprint Soiree Records, what can you tell us about this release? What kind of vibe and energy can listeners expect with this EP?

The EP features tracks by Drivetrain and Melodymann. The two Drivetrain tracks have a retro-disco feel, but with a modern sophistication. There’s no mistaking the influence of the bass lines. The vocal also reflects that momentous era in music.

The Melodymann tracks have a retro-funk feel. Riding on slap bass with chopped up vocal samples and jazzy keyboard riffs.

The EP also includes a contribution from Melodyman. Why was it fitting for Melodyman to be a part of this release?

Melodymann has been a part of the Soiree Records family for some time now. For this release, his style fits perfectly because of his selection of samples and the era from which he chooses them.

Speaking of Soiree Records, why did you decide to start your own label? What have been some of the unexpected challenges that you faced? Has there been any change in the direction of the label since you started?

I started Soiree Records as a means of getting my music exposed. Prior to the label, I learned to play multiple instruments and played in bands. When I began producing electronic music, I wanted to have control of how my productions would be managed. So I established my own label.

Some of the challenges have been with getting publicity and promoting the music properly. Because our music is also available on vinyl, another challenge we continue to face is vinyl distribution. Despite its comeback, vinyl sales are still far from their glory days.

The focus of the label has not really changed fundamentally. We’ve always been interested in a particular character in house and techno music, but not limiting ourselves to those genres. We have also been known to delve into downtempo and experimental at times. What’s important is the quality of the music and a certain “je ne sais quoi” about the character.

Soiree Records is stated to have a focus on “Underground, intelligent, rhythm science” based music. Can you explain to our readers what does that mean to you? Can you give specific examples and inspirations that they can reference?

Our music is underground in that it is not “cookie-cutter” or formula-based. It follows no “known-to-work” recipe and we’re definitely not about complacency. It’s about pushing the boundaries and discovering new sounds and techniques that inspire emotion. Doing that successfully takes intelligence. It’s a science.

For example, the unexpected track, “It Can Never Be The Same (Part 2)” by Drivetrain, goes off of the beaten path as a downtempo, jazzy track with a bass guitar soloing through the entire track.

Or the avant-garde Symphonium V, “The Resurrection.” It is essentially a classical style opera.

Then we have some really amazing house tracks like Marc Cotterell’s “Love Is The Message” and “Magicgrooves” by Santonio Echols. 

There’s some banging techno tracks like “Call The Sun” by Rennie Foster. and deep techno like “Forward Thinking Back” by FBK. 

I could go on and on. I feel very honored to have the capacity to release this amazing music created by so many brilliant international artists.

You’ve also launched a sister label Xplor music. Why did you decide to do a different label? What is the primary difference between Xplor and Soiree? Can the sounds of these labels work together or are they completely distinct sounds?

Xplor Music was an experiment I did years ago. Its purpose was to showcase deep techno and experimental music. We had a really good run, releasing some absolutely incredible tracks. Although Xplor Music took a slightly different musical approach, the music of the 2 labels could surely be recognized and mixed together in a single set, as they often were. I decided to put Xplor Music on ice as resources to operate the 2 labels successfully were not available to me at the time.

Thanks so much for talking with us. Do you have anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

Soiree Records has released the music of over 100 different artists from around the planet and there is no stopping in sight. Our music is still available on vinyl, digital and streaming formats and easily accessible at your favorite music retailer or website. Also, I’ll be on the road DJ’ing in Europe during the last quarter of this year. Road trips have always been a great inspiration for me for producing tracks and overall studio engineering. Meeting extremely talented and like-minded people, plus having the prospect of bouncing musical energy off of dance floors is a privilege and experience I can never get enough of. For me, it’s all about the pursuit of producing and presenting music that reflects my roots.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you.

 

Connect With DRIVETRAIN: Instagram | Facebook | Website | Youtube | Soundcloud | Mixcloud