I found this in my mailbox this morning, it might be of some interest
for some of you:
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* Closure of the Clone record label*
After running the label since 1993/ 94 we recently noticed that we
were going to repeat ourselves. We started as a label influenced by
the first wave of techno and house labels who were just releasing
music for the sake of good and personal music (we cloned what they
did... by just having fun and release music which we enjoyed ourselves).
We have started very immature and without having an idea in mind that
we we're going to make this a business...
At that moment we were exploring the field of minimalish techno and
acid. Then our attention slowly moved to electro, post Detroit techno
and the new sonic territories with modern electronica. We've had the
return of disco in the late 90's and the nu-disco thing and a fusi on
of styles in the early '00. Simultaneously we've released dark electro
techno, campy nu-disco ,advanced modern electronica and personal
favorites in the rebound.
Artists developed into different directions and there is not much we
haven't touched in our field... from very 'obscure' records to
'underground' dance floor hits that got big festival crowds and
balearic holiday ravers moving.
So what is there left to do? Basically there is no challenge at this
moment... we can continue releasing everything we like (from people we
like) without a marketing strategy and without a potential buyers in
mind as we used to do... but we already did so for many years.
At this moment we don't understand the popularity of many artists and
releases....or... actually we do!. We do, to a certain level, because
we've tried many things when we just started our journey into music
when we were teenagers and when we started the label +/- 15 years ago!
By now we do understan d the tricks and formulas of dance music and
the different users. However using these tricks and formulas just to
ensure maximum effect would be betrayal to our own musical ethics
because our goal with Clone records is to entertain ourself with the
music we release (and to be clear... with themusic...and not the side
effects). Somehow we feel we've had an almost complete life cycle of
personal evolution in dance music and thats also how we developed the
label into a versatile label which is releasing different styles of
dance music for different purposes. Its a difficult decision because
the label is doing very well and we get warm reactions from the
strangest places in this world and we could do this for another 10
years!
But in order to remain passioned about what we do, we feel we should
not continue the label as it is.. so we won't.
but no worries.. there will be new things coming, but its just not
exactly clear what, how (and when). More news on th at in a few weeks
time!
There will be to two remaining releases (scheduled for Februari.)
C#55 - I-f ft Fred Ventura/ Ajello - I cut my heart out (Craig
Richards edit)/ I'm ready
C#56 - Marco Bernardi - Mystery Of Nazerus (plus a limited Marcus
Bernardi rmx 12")
then it will be quiet on the label...
oh.. and Clone Clasic Cuts still has some releases lined up (incl a
Unit Moebius CD release), so for now we don't know what will happen
with that.. but most likely we will continue with the Classic Cuts
Series.