Overtime with Das Kapital

How did you go about selecting the artists and tracks for the compilation album?

The artists on the compilation are music producers from South Africa that oftentimes I stumbled upon online, or my manager and label-partner, Tim, found in a similar way.

We’re very hands on with the records we receive, which means the selection process can take days or weeks. Most importantly, we wanted the album to represent the collective sound of the new wave of Electronic producers in our stable. It’s an album with a wide scope, but an underlying quality that ties it all together.

If you had to describe this album as a meal, what would it be and why?

The Overtime Compilation is definitely like a tasting meal. It’s made up of smaller, palatable courses that come together to form a complete culinary experience.

What has the response been like since the release?

The album has been getting serious love locally, and is also piquing the interest of DJs and blogs overseas. Our rollout is a multi-week plan that extends well beyond the release date itself, so the real support and results are still coming in!

What current local EDM acts have got you excited and which local acts do you feel should be getting more praise?

Right now I think all eyes need to be turned to Chee. I’ve said it many times before, but the kid is the future of electronic music in this country. I also feel like more eyes in the mainstream need to divert to the underground scenes in both Durban and East London. The music coming out of those areas are getting a lot of love in France, the UK, Italy, etc., because of how raw and unrelenting it is.

I try to push those sounds as hard as I can on my 5FM show every week, because it would be a waste of an incredible platform not to promote the music doing the real damage in the local scene.

Can you tell us about your record label Do Work Records?

Do Work was started in 2013 to release two of my own records. Since then, it has developed into a family of artists, spread across genres and styles. We’ve spent a long time developing and nurturing the talent we’ve taken on, to the point that many of them are signing records on incredible labels overseas, on top of their releases for us.

The plan now is to continue using my position in the global dance music spectrum to promote and expand the blossoming careers of the artists working alongside me.

Can you tell us about your sub label launch plans?

I’ve been receiving incredible music from young and undiscovered artists, because of my In Das We Trust radio show on 5FM – so much so that I couldn’t help but think that maybe it’s time to extend the Do Work brand into a space that allows new talent to congregate, share their ideas on a platform that has reach both locally and abroad. THAT was the birth of SEBENZA, the sub-label of Do Work.

The goal of SEBENZA is to sign new singles from young South Africans, and have them remixed by other such artists, and already established acts both locally and abroad. These releases will be more frequent than Do Work releases, and will be put into the hands of my network of DJ friends from around the world immediately. It’s an exercise in taking what’s new and what’s interesting about our scene, and giving it to the world directly.

What was your experience at the RBMA Weekender?

I had an incredible time there. I always trust Red Bull to put on a show that showcases the “right” side of any given subculture, and they did their job well. It’s a pleasure being able to arrive, debut new music people haven’t heard before, and get the same reaction you’d expect from tried and tested releases. I got to experiment a little, and I had more fun than I can accurately convey here. In short, it was wicked.

What are the challenges of working in the music industry in South Africa?

I think ego and megalomania become bigger problems the higher up the ladder you climb. There are a lot of administrative people that think they’re the authority on what’s happening on the ground, and would often rather sabotage new talent that doesn’t fit their definition of “compliant” than help develop and build them up.

As with any industry though, these elements can be worked around. There are so many amazing people in the South African industry, across all the tiers, and it really feels like the good ones are starting to work together more.

What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to music?

Metallica. 100%.

What’s next in the grand plan?

I have about eight records due out before the end of year, some of which need finishing, so I’m really dedicating any time I have to wrapping those up and getting the labels (abroad) to sign off on them. We’ll be promoting and sharing all of our music and artists in Amsterdam in October at Amsterdam Dance Event, which is a huge electronic music conference with delegates from labels and events companies from around the world.

Other than that, we’re kicking both Do Work and SEBENZA into 6th gear and pushing all our artists into both the major and independent fields in a big way.
I’m planning on taking my club night Overtime national, so it’s now about making those talks into something real.

Other than that, I have a massive audio-visual show lined up for Superbalist presents: Rocking The Daisies I’m working on with some extremely talented people, and I have shows coming in for the rest of the year.

Really, the grand plan is a million smaller things at once, and keeping on top of them.

Purchase Das Kapital Presents Overtime on itunes

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