The record label International Feel is something of an anomaly. A strange outpost in the choppy waters of contemporary club culture. Operating from a base in Uruguay; a country not known for it’s standing in the international dance music scene, this boutique imprint arrived with a small amount of fanfare early last year, promising fresh new music from Maxxi & Zeus, Locussolus and Hungry Ghost – strange new names that mask the true identities of very familiar producers such as DJ Harvey, Matt Edwards of Radio Slave and Gatto Fritto. No mean feat for a tiny label, no one had ever heard of.

I caught up with the label's mysterious founder who just wants to be know as 'Mark' to find out some more about the cosmic connections (and hard work) that went into starting a record label on the opposite side of the world that has released some of most interesting and atmospheric left-field records of the past year.

Hey Mark, so tell me, what is the music scene like in Uruguay?

This question highlights the best and worst aspects of Uruguay. Culturally it’s a long way behind what I’m used to (having lived previously in Berlin) so the music scene on a ‘pop’ level is the standard bullshit that helps keep the sheep asleep all over the world. Of course there’s interesting traditional music, but I’m not really looking to start WOMAD part 2 either.

Electronic music is virtually non existent – the standard fare in Bars and Cafes here is the Café Del Mar crap that’s a million miles away from the amazing, early CDM albums by Jose Padilla and the original & ongoing ‘real’ Balearic scene. Its so predictable and boring and in the season (December-February) the clubs are mainly playing ‘Big Room/Funky’ House which to me just sounds like ring tone music.

So I guess the answer to the question is that the music scene (and culture overall) is pretty underdeveloped, but at the same time that’s one of the best reasons to live here, because its not consumerism central and the people have a real warmth to them and a set of values that you just don’t find in many places these days.

And where are you from originally?

Not so Sunny Sheffield!

So how did you end up starting a record label in Uruguay?

Came to Uruguay, visited local Mac Shop, met two architecture students, heard their demo of ‘Hands of Love’ on two iPhones, loved it, took it back to the studio, finished it, thought this is brilliant, tried to get a deal for it everywhere, nothing doing, thought fuck this I can do it better anyway, did just that, the end.

Does being geographically removed from Europe help?

Definitely. Being so far out of the way allows me to focus on creative things without getting distracted by watching TV, going out to bars, going shopping etc. When I think about living in Uruguay and actually been nearer to the Falklands than Europe, it’s an abstract thought that can play on your mind a bit. Probably from some weird deep-rooted reptilian genes saying “don’t move away from everything you know”. But when you’re pottering around the house and the studio and getting on with your daily life, it doesn’t really pop into your mind too often and actually, I have a great belief that you should continually push yourself into as many new situations as possible. Comfort zones are the great enemy of humanity.

Here, I get to walk on the beach, paint, make music, produce other artists, run the label, fiddle with synthesizers all day and this means I’m able to get a lot more done than I would in Europe.

Also, because I’m not in London or Berlin and I’m not really taking part actively in a ‘scene’ by hanging out in all the right places. I’m much less bothered about what people think of the label, which makes the A+R policy a lot more adventurous and free – Europe seems a long way away. So I do what I do, browse around a bit on the Internet and do creative stuff. Which is the way it should be.

Hungry Ghost

What sort of feedback have you been getting on the releases so far?

We’ve been getting great feedback from lots of different quarters from day one, which, whilst not the ‘be all and end all’ reason to keep going, is very nice food for the head. To know that you’re putting your heart and soul into something and people are responding to it is very gratifying.

It is, however, irrelevant to the labels day to day ‘activity’ – we simply want to release great music, with great art and if people latch onto it, all the better. Of course good sales mean we can keep reinvesting in the label and future releases, so actually, that’s a contradiction, and it is important to be loved!

A while back I posted an old mix from 24:hrs Soundsystem, one of our first we ever recorded together. The other day while listening to some music I found this mix I did back in 2008. At the time we decided to give it away to people attending our biweekly party at Tranan here in Stockholm. I'm not sure if anyone actually listen to it back then and for some reason I never posted it here so here's you're chance if you never got the mix back then. I'll get back with a tracklist later but many of you will recognize many of the tracks I think. There's some Tensnake, Ilija Rudman, Prins Thomas edit of Ytre Rymden Danskola, a very nice Mungolian Jet Set remix that I'm not sure if it ever got release and some more.
via 2-4-hours.blogspot.com

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) are the New York based, LA born agit-pop-funk band who are just about to release their fourth album. From humble beginnings fusing house beats and spoken word extractions of the Flashdance soundtrack to supporting the Red Hot Chilli Peppers on tour, they have survived punk funk and the indie disco to remain relevant and interesting to anyone with even a passing interest in guitar music and electronics.

We caught up with front man Nic Offer to find out what his 21 sauces of inspiration are, and what he has for breakfast.

1. What gets you going in the morning?

The cats still haven't learned to feed themselves after all these years.

2. What five records would you take to a desert island and why?

Sly and the Family Stone - There's A Riot Going On

Black Uhuru - Red

Brian Eno - Another Green World

Luomo - Vocal City

Roxy Music - Avalon

I realized over time that these were 5 of my favourite records because I kept returning to them, because there was so much still to discover in them. I feel that all of these are linked in that they are all loose and dense, soupy or swampy even so that I've never been able to get my head around them completely. That also makes them great for a desert island.

3. What inspires you to create?

Coffee

4. What book or piece of literature are you reading at the moment?

Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates

5. Favourite piece of literature and why?

The Fermata by Nicholson Baker

I guess because it's the book I passed on to the most of my friends. Maybe it's not that great, only half of them really like it, and maybe I just pass that one on because it's easy to read and it always seems like your friends who don't read are the ones asking for books. Or maybe I just don't hang out with enough readers. Actually I thought the end was going to be a little better, and I remember thinking if he pulled it off it was going to be my favourites book. He didn't pull it off as well as he could've but I can't think what else I’ve liked better right now, so I’ll stick with that. Oh, what am I thinking it's probably Ada or Ardor by Nabokov. Jesus Christ, that's a book.

6. Favourite club?

Berghain

7. What one historical figure inspires you or would you like to meet?

Walt Whitman seems like a nice bloke

8. List five movies that you couldn’t live without?

The Idiots

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind

Purple Rain

Nashville

Boogie Nights

9. Favourite director and actor?

That scene where Philip Seymour Hoffman cries on New Year's Eve in Boogie Nights gets me every time. Actually everyone's just great in that, so i'll say Paul Thomas Anderson for my director.

10. Favorite piece of architecture or building?

Home

11. Favorite combination of food or recipe?

Rye toast with extra sharp cheddar cheese, poached eggs and hiracha sauce. I make it every single morning, it's like a big joke to all my friends.

12. Favourite musical genre in the last 100 years and what would you mix it with if you could?

70s soul is probably my all time favourite sound. It just always makes me feel good. And everything sounds better with a little 70s soul in it, right? I mean anything that samples it always sounds better, hip hop, house, dubstep, what have you.

13. Favourite internet site?

I learn something new from Wikipedia everyday.

14. Who has had the biggest influence on you in your life?

Probably one of my ex’s.

15. Stevie or Marvin?

Even Marvin would say Stevie. Well I guess, actually Stevie would probably say Marvin too, but he'd just be saying that as he's a great guy. I remember this one time after I got back from a trip my old best friend had started hanging out with my new best friend. They had really hit it off and didn't seem to have as much use for me anymore. We spent this kind of awkward night together walking the town, the 2 of them talking excitedly about everything and me kind of trailing behind them. One of the things we discussed was Marvin [Gaye] vs Stevie [Wonder]. At the time I was completely wrapped up in Marvin, but they both shook their heads at me and agreed that Stevie was the one. It wasn't till years later that I realized they were both right.

16. Favorite 5 music artists currently listening too?

Tame Impala, Conforce, The Mole, Jorge Ben, Ariel Pink.

17. Favorite piece of art or artist and why?

I like Splash by David Hockney. You can almost hear it splash. Everything in the picture is so straight, simple and pure, and the splash is just a messy abstract blob in the middle of it. There's a print of it on a friend of mine's wall and I always catch myself staring at it.

18. Artist you’d most like to collaborate with?

I have this dream of doing some kind of Rick Rubin production style album with Aretha Franklin where I get to pick all the songs for her to cover with a back to basics raw soul band. I'd choose stuff like Midnight or Only You by Yazoo and Bad by U2 (trust me on that one, she would do her own thing and really turn that out. No one can do a cover like Aretha)

19. One obscure band you think should be more popular?

Berg Sans Nipple

20. What’s your ringtone?

I used to love having the current hip hop hits for ring tones, I assigned different hits to different friends, my ex had R Kelly’s ‘Your Body's Callin’’. Gorman was The Purple ribbon All-Stars’ ‘Kryptonite’, Allan was Trey Songz’ ‘Say Aah’, Paul was Led Zeppelin’s ‘Immigrant Song’. My new phone won't let me do that though, so I just have some ravey type of thing that's actually kind of all right. Sounds slightly magical.

21. Do you have a favourite sauce?

I put Hiracha sauce [hot chilli sauce] on almost everything.