R.A.N.D Muzik recordings are a Leipzig based record label, a sister project of the vinyl pressing and distribution company R.A.N.D Muzik. Headed by Reece Walker, aka Carmel, the label have just released their 9th edition of their RM series of brightly coloured and sounding records.
In my short time being a dance music obsessive I am yet to discover a label as intriguing as this one. Whether you look at the creative artwork or colourful sleeves, listen to the awesome electro, hazy house and engaging ambient, this label is one I was so excited to discover the story behind.
I spoke to Reece about his own journey as a DJ and producer, but more importantly what makes this special little record label tick.
A: Hey mate, thanks for chatting to me, can you just quickly give us the story behind R.A.N.D Muzik recordings and how you got involved?
R: Yeah sure, so I’m an Australian called Reece, living in Leipzig. I lived in Germany a little when I was younger before moving back to Australia. Four years ago I moved to Berlin but found it had changed a lot since I was last there. Things had become very expensive out there and it is tricky to work there as an artist so I found myself in Leipzig. I had always been making music and realised I needed to do something to stay in the country, I needed a visa. R.A.N.D Muzik is actually a vinyl pressing plant did you know that?
A: Yeah, I was aware. Did you start working for them firstly before the label kind of took off or?
R: Kind of, I’m from Perth, Western Australia. I had an old techno project called Senate and me and some friends had a go at putting on some gigs and throwing parties. It wasn’t my thing at all, it was super stressful. But I was really into Workshop records at the time and got an offer to put on Lowtek. He was a bit older than me and came with his family. His son was 9 years old at the time and didn’t speak any English. I spoke a bit of German and got along really well with him and his family. He was one of the founders of R.A.N.D Muzik in the mid 90s in East Germany. I kinda said to him I was thinking of moving back to Germany. He said if you go to Leipzig check out R.A.N.D Muzik so when I arrived I tried to get a job there. They didn’t have any vacancies at the time but they stayed in contact and I think at some point they just asked me to send them some music. We put out a record together; RM241216.
This record did well and so they asked if I wanted to be involved with some more stuff. I think they kinda of liked me and had some faith in my music and wanted to help make something for me. I ended up working in the quality control of the pressing plant.
A: Amazing, almost every release on R.A.N.D Muzik Recordings has been insane. Such a variety of genres and artists, I actually found the label as I’m a huge fan of Roza Terenzi, I saw her name on the Phonica Wall and instantly bought it.
R: She is from Perth actually, a friend of mine.
A: Wicked, I just wondered how you went about putting out music. Do you accept demos or like Katie are a lot of your artist’s people you know well?
R: It started with compilations, I just really enjoy them. I feel like a good compilation is just such a good record. A different style in every part of the record. I was really nervous when they asked me to run this label, being a foreigner in Leipzig. It began with artists I enjoyed in Leipzig, Credit 00 was one of the first artists I spoke to. Up until the A squared record I hadn’t really reached out to anyone I didn’t know asking to put out their music. It had mostly been just people I had met throughout my life with music. Now more and more I am looking to release stuff from demos, one of the latest records, RM12007 from Mother of Pearls.
A: That is a ridiculous record, fucking hell.
R: Yeah so this was a demo, I don’t normally even listen to demos. A lot of the times the demos we get are quite good but they just aren’t what we are looking for. I opened this one and wrote to the guys and yeah.
A: Whats the deal with what is put out, do you have to consult the guys who head R.A.N.D or is it entirely your decisions now?
R: Nah, they are super chill with it which is great.
A: You make music under the name Carmel, I wondered if you had released anything on other labels, I know you have a few tracks out on R.A.N.D?
R: I did something on Kann recently, that came out in April.
Before R.A.N.D I was making music as Senate. I really love making music collaboratively. I did an ambient seven inch for Lobster Theremin called Georgia.
A: And then the R.A.N.D mix of Georgia? That is stunning. Which came first?
R: Yeah thanks mate, the ambient version was first and the R.A.N.D mix second.
A: I was just gonna ask you about the artwork and the colours behind the labels releases, a lot of the e.p.s have some really neat little artworks and are brightly coloured, where did that idea come from?
R: So a friend of mine, cheslo.de. He’s just a dude I met in Leipzig. Really nice guy. The story behind the colours is quite funny, the first record was black and white, and then the second record was also black and white. Of course no one knew they were different, people thought they were the same. I realised that they both look exactly the same and there isn’t enough detail in the design for it to be distinguishable from the first and so just decided to use some colours.
You know some things in the past which just really stay with you, like something random you saw on tv when you were 7 years old. I always think of this remember watching this show, Today Tonight, some stupid show after the news. Someone on that show professionally enters competitions, those cereal box style product competitions, one of the tips she gave was you should use different coloured envelopes. When you enter those competitions with a colourful envelope people are more likely to pull it out. So I always had that memory in the back of my mind. I imagine people flicking through their record bag and seeing the coloured record and thinking, I should play that!
A: Funny that you say that, I was having a mix with my friend the other night and literally had that exact thought process. Was flicking through deciding what to play and saw the A2 record and thought fuck I should play that.
R: There must be some science to it, colour association I suppose.
A: I just wanted to ask about Leipzig as a place. It doesn’t really get many of the headlines being so close to Berlin. What is it like to live and go out there?
R: Yeah the last few months obviously less exciting. But it’s cool, I think as a foreigner I might have a different perspective to people who have grown up there. There has always been this cliche of Leipzig of being the new Berlin. Which is silly in some ways because it could never be Berlin. It reminds me of maybe somewhere like Bristol? I think what it has that Berlin shares is this kind of, very left wing political scene. It is in this area of Germany also suffering a lot of far right extremism but Leipzig remains a little left wing hub amongst that.
A: What are some clubs you go to would recommend?
R: Depends on the night, but I would recommend IFZ and Mjut. There are also a lot of of parties, free parties are often the best. There are a lot of good clubs as well.
A: You mentioned you tried putting on a few parties back home in Perth but found the process to be quite stressful and financially draining, have you tried throwing some parties in Leipzig?
R: Nah, I have been thinking recently it would be cool to throw some R.A.N.D Muzik parties. Let’s see what happens I am not totally against it.
A: I think you should!
R: I think another smaller venue which is really nice is Links Neben der Tanke. One thing I would say about Leipzig is we could use a few smaller venues, 100 capacity type stuff. There is a little bit of a missing niche, I think 100 ish cap venues are such an important size.
A: We haven’t really spoken about it yet, you DJ as well as produce?
R: Yeah, yeah I do.
A: Two very different crafts, which did you learn first?
R: Yeah insanely different, isn’t it weird how you kind of have to do both. Kinda absurd that putting out records gets you DJ gigs and yet it actually has nothing to do with DJing in a club.
I discovered producing first, I used to be in bands and stuff, ive just always loved making music. I didn’t get into DJing until I was maybe 23. I was always buying records before I started DJing. I do really enjoying DJing.
A: I haven’t listened to a mix of yours, how do you DJ, do you have a specific style?
R: Depends what I am playing but with breaks and stuff a lot of quick mixes and cutting to get out of things.
A: Did you have much of a focus going into recording your Mantissa mix or was it pretty freestyle?
R: Nah not really, just included some unreleased bits.
A: A lot of the R.A.N.D releases have a heavy electro influence, I assume you are into your electro?
R: Yeah definitely. There isn’t much I don’t like to be honest. This tech house thing is a great example, it is a bit of a dirty word. And when you dig, stuff from the 90s is actually insane. I love garage as well, some of the Dr Banana stuff is great. There was an insane Fabric mix Four Tet did a few years ago and that was my first introduction to garage.
A: Who are some of your influences, who do you listen to daily or have been some of your biggest inspirations?
R: At the moment, not sure of specific artists. I have got into Detroit techno a lot in the last couple of years. I have delved a lot further into that recently, and then yeah as I said a lot of UK tech house bleepy stuff. I am a really big Jan Schulter fan. Things like Bushwacka since corona has set in.
A: Been sick to chat to you, besides the recent release future you on R.A.N.D Muzik is there anything coming in the next few months we should listen out for?
R: Yeah so the next one is from an upcoming Leipzig artist. Salamo. And it is insane he is such a good producer
A: Sick dude thanks for chatting to me.
R.A.N.D Muzik Recordings if you hadn’t gathered yet by listening to its releases or hearing from Reece is one of the most exciting and interesting labels out at the moment.
Similarly to the Long Distance Relationship Compilation by Post Bar in Helsinki I have spoken about before, this label is a confident reminder that we should look to cities beyond the seemingly most influential for creative inspiration and upcoming talent.
Besides his label’s own releases, Reece Walker’s music, under the name Carmel I feel will slowly stretch far beyond the music scene of Leipzig and for the sake of underground dance music I truly hope it does.
Give Reece and R.A.N.D a follow on their socials: