Vision Collector – Records – Exclusive Interview

My interest was born from spending many long hours on the dark intense dance floors of Berlin”

MM – What is Vision collector and how was it born?

VC – Vision Collector is a straight up techno record label born from the passions and drive from those involved. Friends that we’re paired together from the love of music, parties & graphic design.

MM – What initially influenced and shaped you into your individual roles as promoters, DJs and eventually into the studio to produce and press your own tracks.

VC – My interest was born from spending many long hours on the dark intense dance floors of Berlin back in 2009 / 2010. My experience & understanding of what makes a good techno party began there and I quickly learned that this scene was me. It was pure unadulterated freedom and I wanted to capture it and create it in my own way. I was always on the dance floor dancing and this is where I saw myself. I understood the value of the music but also the importance of the aesthetics and the people experiencing the music. I have a huge interest in production and mixing Vinyl so that aspect of my life is yet to develop. I wish to be flexible and delve into every aspect of events. All artists on the label wish to get involved in everything, from the running of the parties, looking for venues, Designing posters, producing records & performing.The entire label works best if everyone involved is lending a hand on everything and letting their opinions and ideas be heard.

Pete has being at the cusp of the wave since the beginning”

MM – What DJs / Artists / Producers are behind your ever driving passion for the scene, and who would you like to work with in the studio, and how important has techno been in influencing your direction?

VC – Natalie Keville is our Graphic Designer and creates the image & brand which represents our feeling an emotion behind the music and shows. She creates art without ego and delivers with intensity. The main DJ artists on the label pushing forward are Niall Dunne aka Pineal Navigation & Nathan Jones, their passion and drive to express the music within them is inspiring to be around. We will be introducing Breen to the label on the next release which is a four track EP consisting of a wide range of sounds such as Industrial, tribal & ambient.  

The main acts we would like to work with outside of our own group are DJ Pete and Jon Hester. Pete has being at the cusp of the wave since the beginning, pushing techno forward and a lot of the time from behind the scenes, His attitude & music is next level and is defiantly someone to learn from. We have had the pleasure of having him join us in Dublin now on three occasions and looking forward to more in the future, Pete has predominantly worked at Hard-Wax record store Berlin for the past 20 Years but recently Joined Grounded Theory Agency run by Henning Baer & now focusing on performing shows, playing under multiple aliases.

Jon Hester is also an artist who we have a lot of respect for. He has a pure attitude & understanding when it comes to music and expression in the Techno environment. We first met at Watergate Berlin in 2009 / 2010 and have kept in touch ever since. Jon is making great waves and has just released an EP called ‘Interstellar Systems’ on Dystopian record label run by Rodhad.

We have a few more artists of interest but hopefully we can reveal who they are at a future date when we get them over to play with us. Techno is very important to us because it’s what resonates most with ourselves on the dance floor so we are best equipped to deliver a night through the medium of Techno. However all art forms are equally important when moving forward, All music from Jazz, Reggae, and moving onto art. We all have a passion for art, from the classics like Leonardo Da Vinci, to Mati Klawin who is responsible for the Miles Davis Bitches Brew album cover.

We are intently interested in ancient cultures and tribal communication, Deep space activity and the tantalising thoughts of faraway planets and different alien cultures and life forms. One of the most liberating feelings is when you open your mind up to the sheer majesty of the universe, and its ever beautiful presence. There are so many places of immense energy to draw inspiration from, if you open yourself up to all of them you will find what resonates with you the most. We are disciples of our experiences. The more experiences we have in life the more equipped we are to better understand ourselves and express what is inside of us. Never back away from what is true to you in fear of judgment from someone else, nature doesn’t judge – & that is our true guidance.

We are disciples of our experiences”

MM – Deep and intune ehh ….You release all your tracks on vinyl, why is this important to your brand and sound?

VC – Wax is important for us as it is the original platform. From the first wax cylinder phonographs which people used to record music onto and listen back, right up to the modern day Vinyl. It is a solid product which you can interact with on many levels. From the artwork on the cover, to the grooves on the wax which direct you to the next track or even the breaks in the tracks. You can pick it up, smell it, feel it and play it. It is sound carved into wax. To be honest it’s a leap of genius and the process in which it’s made is fascinating. It takes minutes to burn a CD but months to create a Vinyl.

More energy goes into it so more energy comes out of it. The relationship between the consumer and the vinyl is a romantic one. Record digging is a past time hobby for a lot of DJ’s, and it’s great walking into a new record store that you have never been to and expanding your music range by being given the option to search records in which you have never seen. And communicate with people in the shop and ask for advice on particular genres or artists. Vinyl is killing the MP3 Industry.

MM – Tell us about your ongoing relationship with the Berlin underground, and you’re upcoming events there this Summer?

VC – Berlin has been good to us over the past two years. Last year we we’re invited to the Arena club for an all night long session. On the line up was Savas Pascalidis, Jon Hester, Adam X and Vision Collector Representing Aaron Costello, Nathan Jones & RSCH 14. The night was truly excellent and one to remember. Our latest event took place on August 5th with the Deep Fried crew at About Blank Berlin. About Blank is one of Berlin’s most underground clubs hosting some of the best resident & international nights in the city. Deep Fried we’re the organisation which invited us over to play.

We believe the underground techno scene in Dublin is still yet to see its best days”

They have being running some of the best events in Berlin over the past 5 years and are one of the most recognised crews in the city. This was a two part event. Beginning with a BBQ and Free beer party at OYE Record store. All DJ’s from the line up played house records while the locals danced on the street outside. Later we moved onto About Blank where the music continued till the early morning. Vision Collector had the closing slot with Nathan Jones & Pineal Navigation playing till 10am in the morning, to a full floor, It was a magnificent experience. The full line up on the night was Rick Wilhite / Jay Denham / Inkswel / Afrozoid / Nathan Jones & Pineal Navigation / Wittes.

We recently hit up Griessmuehle Berlin on new years eve to play a gig. This venue originally operated as a Grain mill for the city before closing down, sitting vacant and re opening as an illegal rave spot for many years before finally being turned into a legal club in recent years.

I had the pleasure of visiting the club once before when it was illegal and it satisfied every need. A baron wasteland in the midst of Berlin providing an Alice & Wonderland style outdoor environment which consisted of an everything & anything goes attitude. This gave me great perspective when arriving back to the fully established working nightclub on New Years eve of this year.

If you can picture a club at the end of the world this is it, like the scene from Zion in the Matrix, this club is dark, loud and full of total ecstatic energy of people feeling the music and each others energy. A very connected place great to explore the inner dimensions of your own mind, within a safe environment with people looking out for each other.

The club its self is a like a shapeshifting magic box, with the ability to open and close different dance floors through out the night / weekend always keeping a fresh exploration feel.

On New Years Night there was a never before opened room, which you literally couldn’t see from one end to the other. Massive is an under statement.

Griessmuehle runs most days in Berlin, and every weekend from Saturday straight through to Monday or even Tuesday. If your going to Berlin and you want a taste of the real raw clubbing culture, this is the club, and the patrons of the city are seeing it that way also

MM – Fantastic ..How do you see the underground Techno scene now in Dublin and where do you see it evolving?

VC – We believe the underground techno scene in Dublin is still yet to see its best days. Dublin needs to be taken back to the rawness. Late night raves are a part of every culture, it’s what humans want. It is only the out of date licensing laws that keep us restricted. People of the future will look back at our closing hours like we look back at the prohibition laws of America.

Good production in the correct room with the right people getting loose, this is where the magic happens. People must first lose their inhibitions in order to find them selves and that is what late night parties are for. It is a part of modern day self development, The aim is to leave feeling rejuvenated. The underground techno scene in Dublin is in its infancy, We must create the environment in which we want to live.

MM – If you ended up trapped on a god forsaken island with only your decks, and your vinyl fly case to your name, what would be the top 10 essential cuts that you must have to survive and why?

VC – This is a very difficult question, our music taste changes on a daily basis depending on mood and environment. We are into all forms of music once it is at a certain quality and reflecting true emotion of a high frequency. We are not interested in productions that pull on your most basic emotions. We want to be brought to a place of wonder when we listen to music. It doesn’t need to make you feel happy but for sure needs to bring you on a journey, helping you to understand situations and reality around you.

We believe music is one of the best forms of education, as long as you’re listening to good music. I’m almost reluctant to name our favourite artists because we are automatically leaving out everyone else that we would listen to. The one truth about music is their is a lot of it, and it has being a part of all culture way before we were even homosapians, I believe we would of communicated through music way before language our opposable thumbs began to form. And music is not unique to the human race, almost all life on earth can communicate through music, or some form of artistic expression. From birds signing to blue whales communicating through music.

I’m almost reluctant to name our favourite artists because we are automatically leaving out everyone else”

Mathematics and music are the two universal languages, full of depth and emotion. One thing the animal kingdom has in common is the innate desire to express.

MM – What’s the future of electronic music in Dublin and Ireland, what needs to change, and what part will Vision collector play?

VC – The future of the Electronic music in Ireland lies in the hands of promoter’s. One main aspect needs to change. The electronic night’s need to be advertised to an older audience. Techno is for all ages, yes, but the style of parties that need to be created are for a more discerning audience. People need to become experienced first in the inner workings of the dance culture before they’re allowed into heavy hitting nights. These environments are not PG, You need to be able to police yourself so others don’t have to. We also need more venues in Dublin, a large part of this has to do with our current government “ who represent no one ” cutting down on money going towards the arts and also collective warehouse spaces.

The politicians in charge need to understand the value of the rave culture first before we on the ground level can develop it. They fully understand this in Barcelona, where they run the infamous Sonar festival every year taking over the whole city, or London where clubs such as Fabric are bragged about on the international stage. They most certainly understand this in Berlin, where thousands of tourists visit the city every weekend to experience the non stop 24 hour club culture set alight by the relaxed licensing laws. It is like we are living in the Kevin Bacon movie footloose, with its prohibition against dancing.

We suffer this same prohibition every night between the hours of 3am – midday. We want to dance, and no one is going to tell us we can’t. The takeover of international bookings every week is somewhat killing the vibe of the dance culture of Dublin. It is the local acts that make up the city and the attention needs to be on them. More people come out to watch friends play rather than watch someone who is just flying in for the weekend. Vision Collector’s role in Dublin over the next year is to make Techno & the rave culture a respectable medium for people of all walks of life understand and appreciate, we want people to embrace it. We want it to be up there with some of the most respected forms expression.

You need to be able to police yourself so others don’t have to”

Only truth and passion goes into it, so only truth and passion comes out. We are about clean energy delivered in a respectful environment void of all judgment & ego. We want to create ever lasting installations of sound and visuals. What are the Vision Collectors next big project / collaborations / plans for the 2016? The next main event that we have planned for 2016 is The Crypt of Christ Church Cathedral on October 7th. It is 7 hours of electronic music from local acts who are involved with Vision Collector. The line up consists of Cian Byrne Little aka Binary Intellect Chris Wyse aka Nonethewyser Jon Hussey Breen RSCH 14 Nathan Jones.

Our new website will shortly be launched as a platform for all future activities. We wish to focus on our online media, podcast etc. 2017 – 2018 will be a great year for the label and the people involved.

Interview conducted by Mike Mannix a Dublin based dance music writer, editor and publisher