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An Interview With



Adam Sykes
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Last Sigh: How did you know Steve? Why did he come to you with Band Of Pain's debut CD?

Adam Sykes:  Steve runs Dirter Promotions, and was introduced to me by Justin of Cold Spring Records. He came to me because he knew I wanted to start a record label, but hadn't found the release to begin it with.

Last Sigh:  Where did the desire come from to start your own record label? What specifically motivated you to establish Iris Light?

Adam Sykes:  Basically, the Band Of Pain CD motivated me. It was such a powerful album that to pass it up would've been madness. Ever since beginning Independent Records, the idea had always been in the back of my mind to actually release music.

Last Sigh:  Could you give me some factual information on Iris Light? Location, frequency of releases, number of employees, economical situation, do you do anything aside from running Iris Light, etc.?

Adam Sykes:  Iris Light is based in Cornwall, simply because I love living down here, I hate London, and a lot of film work comes down here. The label only really employs me, I am solely responsible for everything that happens. Between 96 and 97 Iris Light released four CDs. Since the beginning of 98 the label has released another four albums, with another seven planned for the rest of the year. The label is still growing and evolving, what money is made is ploughed straight back into the label. It is never going to be EMI, but is beginning to build a reputation, and a fan base. Other than the label, as I've said, I work freelance in the Film/TV industry as a Sound Assistant/2nd Boom Operator.

Last Sigh:  What does the name Iris Light signify? And, how does it relate to the music you release?

Adam Sykes:  The name came from a poem I wrote and had published in a small collection in 1995. I think the name's main significance is that you can't place it as anything specific. It allows me total freedom to release anything I like, without being hampered by a name that is contradictory to the music. Also, I think it is a beautifully visual phrase -- in and out of context of the poem -- and I think the music Iris Light has released is also very visual.

Last Sigh:  Speaking of your poetry; how did it end up on The Seedmouth comp. -- could you tell us more about your poetry? Is it something you will pursue further in the future?

Adam Sykes:  I speak to Justin from Cold Spring very regularly; we've been friends for quite sometime. At the time he was putting Seedmouth together, I sent him that poem just out of interest -- it was a darker one than some of my previous work. Anyway, he just asked if he could include it in the artwork, so I agreed. I thought it was a really good idea, and the placement of the text on the CD was excellent.
          I've been writing poetry for almost 10 years now; ever since I began writing music with my brother. Someone had to write lyrics, and I took up the challenge! I went through a period before I moved down to Cornwall, where I was writing constantly. Since moving here, the poetry has played a smaller and smaller part in my life. I still write, and am in regular contact with my publisher, but the impetus to put a booklet out has diminished somewhat. I will always write, but to compose enough poems of a high enough standard to publish takes time, and that is something I'm sadly lacking at the moment.

Adam Sykes:  I think it is probably me contacting them, but normally through mutual friends -- Blue are friends of Szeki Kurva's; Hoodlum Priest is a friend of an actor I know; PearShaped are friends of Justin behind Cold Spring Records, who is also a friend of mine.

Last Sigh:  What considerations do you make before signing a band (or releasing a CD of theirs)?

Adam Sykes:  A choice, some movement. I have always been a fan of 4AD, and never bought a 4AD release that was static to a particular point in time. There were very few releases 4AD put out that had the famed 4AD sound, and therefore anyone buying 4AD's releases was presented with another genre each time -- there was always movement in their releases. I think Iris Light is following in their footsteps. Each album is different, and hopefully the people who buy those releases notice the shift and come back for more.
          As for the artists, ( and I hope this doesn't all sound trite and worn out!) total creative freedom. I'm not interested in putting out "radio friendly unit shifters" (to quote Nirvana), so singles have so far been avoided. Each artist is allowed to develop in their own time, I don't demand anything of them. I don't pay out advances either -- I bring the industrial "cottage industry" ethos to the label -- and therefore they are not in debt to the label. They also retain the copyright to each and every release they do through Iris Light. I have always thought a musician is like a writer, or an artist, neither gives up the rights to their work, so why should a musician? I think this has been the main advantage to the label, and the artists, in that it has brought me bands like Blue, Hoodlum Priest, PearShaped and Sonic Subjunkies -- all have been signed to bigger labels, to their peril -- and in turn, they are now all free to create in whatever direction they choose.

Last Sigh:  At what point in the production of a CD to be released on Iris Light do you normally like to become involved?

Adam Sykes:  I try to keep an eye on the way the album is developing, but I only observe. I like to let the bands do what they want to. I only really become involved once they have presented a tape of the finished recordings. A lot of the time - -because I've chosen artists I already like -- what they present is perfect anyway. Even in the mastering studio I rarely interrupt the proceedings, the band knows how they want the album to sound, and the engineer I use for most of the releases is a perfectionist anyway!

Last Sigh:  Would you say Iris Light has a particular sound or style?

Adam Sykes:  Absolutely not. Each and every band is different, and produces different music. I wouldn't want there to be an Iris Light sound; I think each release should stand alone rather than be lumped in with other releases from the label.

Last Sigh:  Do you follow a particular "philosophy" in running Iris Light?

Last Sigh:  Could you tell me a little about how some of the more exotic artists on the label got in touch with you, or you with them -- Aube, Szeki Kurva and Maeror Tri?

Adam Sykes:  Well I faxed Aube, and asked him for an album. He presented me with Stared Gleam, which was/is wonderful. Szeki Kurva's music was introduced to me down a phone line. A friend played me "Bond Averts WWIII," which was on a free CD with a magazine. I called the magazine, and got in touch with Szeki Kurva via them. I then met Szeki Kurva -- they came down to Cornwall to have a meeting -- and we got on really well, thrashed out a deal (actually they checked me out to make sure I had no affiliation with a major label!).

Last Sigh:  How about Maeror Tri? How did you come to release their last CD? Did you know at the time when you decided to release it, that it would be their last?

Adam Sykes:   Initially I contacted them about doing an album, as they have recorded a couple of tape releases for Direction Music -- who I've known for about four years -- that I really enjoyed. They  told me they had stopped recording under the name Maeror Tri, but had enough material recorded to do a full length album. They presented me with Emotional Engramm and I loved it, so Iris Light released it.

Last Sigh:  The look of each of Iris Light's releases is highly individual, and reflect the sounds of the artists very well. To what extent do the artists themselves control the packaging and design of cover art? How important do you think the cover art/packaging is for the music that you release?

Adam Sykes:  Very important. It is the first thing the customer sees and has to make an impression. From my days in the record store I always new that; without effective artwork, an album can sit for months without selling. This is one of the reasons why I haven't gone for really strange packaging, like weird shapes, etc... A shop isn't going to display an album with a hexagonal shaped cardbox around it, because it's not going to fit into the shelves, and if it does, it is going to be handled very roughly -- who's going to buy it then? At the end of the day the artwork has to look good, it is a representation of  the music (primarily), then the band, and finally the label. Everyone involved with the album has to be proud and happy of every aspect of that album.

Last Sigh:  How involved are you in arranging live events with the artists on Iris Light? Do you have any tours or other live events coming up in the foreseeable future?

Adam Sykes:  I haven't arranged any live events for any artist as yet, however, I am hopefully going to be doing a few next year here in Cornwall. I would love to get the bands out there touring, but the logistics of that are just too hard to comprehend. I think as the label grows, there will be more live events arranged by the label, but at the moment it isn't feasible. That said, Szeki Kurva do play live quite regularly in London, and AZT are going to be supporting them at their next gig.

Last Sigh: Being involved in filmmaking yourself, is this an area you would like to take Iris Light into eventually, maybe in the shape of some kind of "music video"? A number of the releases on your label have strong visual elements -- Blue and Maeror Tri most obviously, but Hoodlum Priest too, in his extensive use of media samples?

Adam Sykes:  Oh yes, definitely. With the compilation album that Iris Light is doing next year, I would love to be able to get some directors to film short videos for each track. Unfortunately it comes down to the money, and I know just how expensive it is to actually do this. However, it is an area I really want to develop into at some point. As you say, a lot of the music is very visual, and actual images to complement the music would be ideal, and possibly the perfect medium for the artists.

Last Sigh:  Are there any other labels or organizations that Iris Light has a close kinship to (I just discovered Immerse recently, and noticed that you are on their list of staff)?

Adam Sykes:   I have very close dealings with my main distributors (Kudos Records and Dutch East India). I like to keep them informed of developments, and get their opinions on the music prior to release. As for labels Cold Spring Records, Dirter Promotions and Touch -- I think all three of these labels release some incredible music, and none of them are frightened to just go with their instincts.
          And yes, I've been writing for Immerse since the first issue. Actually, I began writing for Immerse around the same time as the label started.

Last Sigh: What has the "public" reaction been to Iris Light? How would you describe Iris Light's success as a label at this point?

Adam Sykes:   I think the "public" is relatively positive, from what correspondence I get. As the label grows, it  hasn't even been going for 2 years yet, the public reaction will get stronger. Iris Light has been reasonably successful so far. Each and every release has been reviewed positively, and that is important. I can't see the label ever stopping, I'm still too enthusiastic! I think this is apparent, and therefore helps me create more success for the label.
          I wouldn't say Iris Light is as commercially successful as say, for example,  Asphodel, but I believe it will be. The releases have all been excellent, and I see no reason why this won't continue.

Last Sigh: Do you have any comments on the present British/International music climate? How does or doesn't Iris Light fit into it?

Adam Sykes:   British music? where?!  you mean other than the Spice Girls, Oasis and All Saints? For a country that is still considered the center of the music industry, mainstream British music is on the whole mediocre and pointless. Very few releases inspire me. I like Roni Size and Massive Attack, they are getting success for music that is fantastic and isn't middle of the road pop. But then for each artist like Roni, there are 200 who release absolute crap. The avant garde scene here is virtually dead.  No one gets to hear the music, therefore no one buys it -- except, of course, the hardcore fans, and I think there are about 80 of them in the UK! It is really hard to sell Aube or Band Of Pain in the UK, the audience just isn't there.
          The international scene is a little more inspiring. There seems to be a lot of time internationally for music that isn't pop. Most countries -- other than the UK -- have Radio programs that play an incredible range of music, and therefore people get to hear this variety. I've been told by several people the effect of hearing Szeki Kurva on the Radio had on them! In the UK   there are a handful of radio programs that will play anything close to "avant garde" music - and even those draw the line at Japanese Noise! I think Iris Light fits into the international scene far easier than it ever will into the UK scene, and I'm happy about that. Very few of the artists on Iris Light are actually British, and I like the fact that each band probably has more appeal internationally than it does domestically.

Last Sigh:  This is true...I can thank Danish radio for introducing me as a young kid to Simple Minds, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, etc. back in the early 80s, when all the other kids were into Kiss).

Adam Sykes:  I used to live in Norway, and remember listening to Norwegian Radio -- and hearing  Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," and as a 13-year-old it's meaning went straight over my head!

Last Sigh:  Do you have any thoughts on why the British music industry has become so conservative? Do you think there is reason to hope that this might change....Maybe with internet as a new way of communicating to people who are scattered geographically....I mean with the increasing options of presenting actual music on the net, transmitting radio broadcasts, using multimedia....do you think that with these relatively inexpensive ways of self-promotion, it might be easier to reach the potential audience that is out there?

Adam Sykes:  I think in the UK there are about 5 million users of the Internet, so less than 10% of the population. To be honest I don't think that if 90% of the population had access to the net it would make a difference. The press are only too keen to ignore music that challenges people, and this is always people's first route into discovering new music. Even Blue and Hoodlum Priest are getting ignored by the music press, and this just frustrates me -- and them! Although to be fair Jockey Slut aren't ignoring them, which is great.
          I think since magazines like Melody Maker and NME stopped being interested in "new music" -- (remember the 80's, those two publications couldn't get enough independent music) now they are both trying to get the mainstream readership, with features on Spice Girls and All Saints -- I mean both these bands need the promotion, don't they! -- the readership has dropped by something like 31%. People who buy Spice Girls and All Saints records aren't interested, in the main, in reading about the latest new release from a small independent label, and the people who used to buy Melody Maker and NME for the independent music scene aren't going to buy it now, because the Spice Girls get on the front cover. The editors of these magazines are trying to change their audience, and in doing so are limiting themselves more, because no one wants a broadsheet version of Smash Hits!
          So, in short, no matter how hard you plug away at the UK market I don't believe it will ever change. My distributors manage to get my releases into the shops, and the press the label gets does help to shift copies, but then not all Iris Light material is really "avant garde" or noise orientated.

Last Sigh:  What do you feel is the solution then? What have you felt to be the most successful way of marketing the music that you publish, when the established music press shows little interest in promoting and informing about it?

Adam Sykes:   This is a subject that all the labels I know are always discussing. To date I don't think anyone has come up with a really good solution. The most effective way of getting the information about music out there is sending promo copies to Radio Stations and Magazines, and then just plugging away at those organizations until something happens. Advertising helps as well, especially if you want the artists to be interviewed about an upcoming release; the more you spend on advertising the more actual power you have to get the interviews.
          That said, I find more enthusiasm for the music coming from Journalists working for internet magazines. These people seem to be doing their jobs, because they have a love for the music and aren't doing it as 9-5 work. With Iris Light the releases are so varied that some magazines just aren't going to want certain releases -- Jockey Slut isn't going to be interested in AUBE, and The Wire probably won't touch Szeki Kurva -- so targeting the magazines, and thereby the audience, is still a major part of informing the listeners.

Last Sigh: What is for you the most rewarding thing about running Iris Light?

Adam Sykes:   Being involved with bands who are making music because they have a desire to create, rather than because they want fame and fortune. I believe Iris Light is building a little community of like minded people, who are both inspired and inspiring!

Last Sigh:  Are there any artists -- that you have not already released, or will be releasing in the near future -- that you would like to see on Iris Light?

Adam Sykes:   Cocteau Twins! Their music has been blowing me away for nearly 15 years!! I did ask them if they'd be interested in releasing an official Live album on Iris Light, but, unsurprisingly,  they said no! I'd also love to work with Massive Attack, their latest album is superb, DJ Shadow, Coil and Nine Inch Nails. I'm hopefully going to working with Drew from Coil in the future with his Screwtape project, but nothing is finalized. I would've loved to work with Skinny Puppy in their heyday -- Vivisect VI is still an amazing album, and has remained one of my favorites.

Last Sigh:  We have an ongoing debate on Last Sigh about the pirating of music through the mp3 format -- people who own a given CD, encode it digitally on their computers, and then upload the music to an ftp site, for anyone with access to that site to download for free. What are your views on this problem?

Adam Sykes:  I think it is inevitable that people will do that. I've heard of people burning copies of albums onto CDR's and selling to other people via the net. The more the technology of duplication advances in to the reach of the consumer, the more you will find people pirating it. I think it is sad that people are willing to download these tracks from FTP servers but how do you stop it?
          At the end of the day I have always been a fan of music, and therefore would want to own the official release, not some pirate copy with a badly copied sleeve; so people who just download free tracks to me are missing out on the whole package. To me there is always a degree of anticipation about hearing a new album and enjoying the artwork that goes with that.
          It brings the debate round to the question of policing the Net, which is a very heated debate. How effective would policing the net be against those individuals who do pirate music? How effective is the Police against  bootleggers now? It's a difficult subject to really find a workable solution to, but I think it has to be addressed, examined and stopped -- I just don't have the faintest idea how.

Last Sigh:  What are your/Iris Light's plans for the immediate future?

Adam Sykes:  Well, there are four releases coming out in the next three months, including the new Band Of Pain album, the debut CD from Sonic Subjunkies ( who were originally signed to Digital Hardcore), and a collaboration project between Mali Rain, Transambient Communication and a guy from Spiritualized. After that there is a Beequeen retrospective, the debut CD from Welsh duo AZT, a Blue minialbum and an album by Fetisch Park among others. The release schedule is pretty full between now and the year 2000!
          More long term, there will be a Double CD compilation, provisionally titled Optic Nerve, released next year that has an exclusive track by each band on Iris Light on CD1, and remixes of each track by other Iris Light artists on CD2. My own musical projects will also feature on this release. There is also going to be an eclipse of the sun next year which will only be visible from Cornwall, and I'm trying to get the funding for an out door live event to coincide with that.
          As for me, I'm hopefully going to be working on another feature film later this year, and will continue to work in the film industry. It's a very stimulating and fast industry, and I have a lot of friends in it, and my brother also works in it.

Last Sigh:  Thank you for taking the time to do this interview for our magazine Adam.

Adam Sykes:  Any time Michael. I hope we can work together for quite sometime.

Introduction
to
Iris Light

Discography
and
Reviews