On The Radar: Ears Have Eyes

Music

Continuing the sporadic series of things that are on our radar, we chat to independent Peckham based electronic music label Ears Have Eyes. You might have met one of them before…

Who are you?

Miles – I'm Miles and he's Joe. He can be in the ears and I'll be the eyes. That way we can both have one-another and piss each other off equally with one of the five senses. I see us like Hale and Pace. The management. Except no one's in control of anything and Joe please can you finish my sentence.

Joe – I can't believe you brought Hale and Pace into this.

M – Are they still going?

Where are you from?

M – We both grew up in the sticks of Shropshire but didn't meet until we studied RE together at sixth form. That was boring and we didn't speak again until I moved to London and Joe was the only person I knew. London was a lot smaller then. The nightmare started there.

Joe – This about sums it up really. Nothing further to add.

What is the label’s ethos and musical remit.

M – We track down off centre electronic goodness from mates or unknown artists and always ask for bespoke songs rather than just whatever they have lying around on the floor. Remixes are boring…I've never seen the point in them – it seems a waste of a record to put out five different versions of the same track when you could have five contrasting songs – I suppose it's to do with having a known artist connected- it's a money thing which isn't our game. If I could I'd give it all away but I'm not stupid or rich. Saying that we have got an ace down-trodden electro cunt forthcoming that I've done a re-edit for so I guess there are exceptions.

Why do ears have eyes?

M – Because you can never have enough music and music will never be enough.

In an ocean of music, why should we buy your records?

M – If you buy enough of our records you can make a raft and bob around in the ocean. Nah, seriously, buy what you like but we make stuff that you can listen to at home and play out at disco parties. *singing* 'best of both worlds, that's what we are'.

Surely a vinyl only label is pretty much commercial suicide these days? Are vinyl record labels more or less relevant now that most people consume music digitally?

J – Well we're not strictly a vinyl only label and we're definitely not vinyl purists we just didn't do this latest release digitally. We both love and collect wax and so that's always going to be at the core of what we do. We're a small operation at the moment and you've got to take things step by step. We're pressing 200 records at the moment but we'd rather be pressing 2000. The idea of small runs and exclusivity turns me right off but at the moment no one can afford to press many records so that's the way it goes. This time next year Rodders…

Declare your involvement with R$N right now.

J – I've been romantically involved with the Hansom Note for a while now and it's causing a lot of friction in my marriage. I mean yeah I'm a member of the R$N team. I write reviews, interview people and occasionally share my thoughts on stuff not many people are interested in. I do all this for the love and so I can blag coverage whenever we release anything. The Ransom Note is by far the best.

You regularly review records for R$N, what would be your review of the new Ears Have Eyes single?

J – This record will change your wife.

Why do you only review WAV’s?

J – When I was 13 years old my best friend was killed when an unattended MP3 went for him when we were riding our bikes in the school holidays. I can still see his face… I can still hear the digital aliasing on the high hats as the little fucker went for him. That and the fact that I can't understand why people would want to send their music out in a format that's going to sound dodgy on a decent soundsystem.

You review records, you play records, you make records how the flipping jeff do you go about sourcing material to release? Are you active in seeking out artists or do they gravitate to you?

J – We're lucky to have some good friends who make really really good music. We've always got our ears open and will always listen to the tracks people have sent up. Disappointing though we've only really been sent music that's actually quite good so far so we don't get to go on twitter and guffaw with our mates about the terrible demos we're getting.

What’s your A&R policy with the label?

J – This is a tricky one and I don't think we actually have one. We can't really put it into words but we definitely know what we're looking for. We're looking for innovative electronic music that has something weird, and something different about it. Our first release was a punk record , our second release is this current mix of weird, hypnotic house and techno, and what we've got lined up goes from dub house to ambient to electro. There's definitely a feeling about a track that both of us can see it as and EHE record. Many of my own tracks I wouldn't sign because they don't fit.

If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport… if ears actually had eyes, music would be?

J – What's an asshole? I presume you're referring to an arsehole. What are you? Some kind of American?

Describe the label in 5 pictures.

M – Think its only 4 but probably that famous one of the eiffel tower during the different stages of construction. That, but with the Blackpool tower instead and in descending order like its being pulled down for scrap

If EHE was a clothing label, what would it be and why?

M – PVC vinyl only S&M type deal

Next up on EHE?

J – Next up we've got a split EP from Tilman and Chocky. Both excellent producers so if you haven't heard of them then you should check them out. It's pretty diverse, some downtempo stuff, a bit of weird techno, some disco and some really dubby house. Weirdly though, it all fits together really well. Their sounds go really well together. Then we've got some weird, almost John Carpenter-esque cinematic electro from an ace producer from Maine in the states called Jake Freeman. After that we've got more material by Miles and me released under silly names.

What is Ears Have Eyes mission in a sentence?

M – Making and releasing music that will still be relevant in 20 years when we're fat and deaf.

Why is Miles such a prick?

M – I became a prick when I agreed to this pile of rubbish interview for some jumped up fucking bullshite website run by a total garage of a fit as fuck cunt.