Joana, thank you
very much for accepting to talk to us about Logarhythm.
Could you tell us where the idea of Logarhythm came
from, and did the project start?
Sorry for the delay. It has been busy trying to arrange
all the tours and trying to get our website live!
Logarhythm came about after various conversations with
various funding bodies about the lack of funding of
electronic music in the UK. After the PRS foundation
started Live Connections, a scheme that funds live electronic
events, I was approached by the arts council to set
up a network of promoters that would create a support
unit for small tours and create an organisation to help
develop the audience and also the exposure of this type
of music. So Logarhythm is a great help of the arts
council to support a scene that exists but struggles
in the underground and hopefully bring artists, labels,
promoters and audiences from all over the UK together.
I guess it’s a pretty ambitious plan but so far
people are supporting each other and the results have
been positive
What is the purpose of Logarhythm, and who
is it aimed at?
Logarhythm is aims at various people. Firstly, promoters
helping them with press, audience development, promotion
and marketing help. We find that when 3 or 4 promoters
share costs it makes touring in the UK easier. Secondly,
artists, allowing foreign artists to come to the UK
and artist from various regions (ie Leicester, Glasgow
and Bristol) to tour the country and not just play on
their local pub or club night. It also helps electronic
labels that struggle to tour their artists in the UK.
And last but not least it helps artists raise their
audiences in Britain outside of London.
What is the involvement of the Arts Council
Of England in the project?
The artist council was the main motivator in the project.
Their promoters’ scheme has helped music areas
such as world music, jazz and various others. The small
electronic promoters needed this type of support. It
was essential just to get people aware of various regions
and different promoters.
You gained the support of major players on
the electronic scene, including Warp, Rephlex, Mego
and Force Inc. Was it easy to get them on board? How
did you manage it?
Touring the UK is an expensive and laborious work. You
have to deal with various promoters and artist and labels
tend to lose money doing so. By creating a network you
can lower costs and work together making sure that the
acts get better exposure and a better support and less
time consumed doing so. Labels were very responsive
to the project because no one has ever created this
type of support, which exist in Europe, over here!
Are the artists touring with Logarhythm involved
in any way in other activities relative to the project,
such as seminars?
We organise workshops to help promoters lower their
cost by sharing information on cheap printers or ticket
sale organisations, learn about marketing, applying
for funding and informing then about different funding
institutions plus help them become more competitive
with commercial promoters. We plan to do more software
and technical workshops that would be of interest to
musicians next year. But we are trying to take each
step at the time.
Is Logarhythm only opened to British artists?
Does it cost them anything?
No. We like everyone as long as they have some talent
in their bones. It doesn’t cost a thing. In fact
we are proud to say that we offer decent fees for the
artists on our tours and make sure they are well looked
after.
How is Logarhythm organised? It is a major
project touring the UK at regular interval, or are there
loads of small initiatives all over the country at the
same time?
Logarhythm has various members across the UK and it
offers tours which come with a full package of marketing
tools (posters, flyers and PR companies that support
the different promoters) plus there are no guarantees
for the tours which mean that there is no financial
risk for the promoter while the artists are guaranteed
a fee. We will organise four tours this year and hopefully
another four next year. But once the network is set
up we find that it is easy too organise other tours
using the same promoters even if the financial risks
are higher. For example this year we shall be doing
tours with Venetian Snares, The Bug, Chicks On Speed
and Felix Kubin using Logarhythm promoters but without
the Arts Council safety net of funding. But I believe
that we can make this work and this can be a good result
for the funding, that it has led into a project that
is actually commercially viable due to the fact of various
organizations coming together and helping each other!
The live performances during the tours are
only the most visible part of the project. Can you tell
us about the workshops and seminars organised by Logarhtyhm?
Workshops are a way to get all the promoters that tend
to be isolated in their own region and working from
their own room to talk about problems, projects they
are working on and find out ways to solve problems from
each promoter’s different experience. We also
have speakers from various organisations to teach us
how to become successful promoters. Speakers will include
members of the PRS Foundation, the Arts Council of England,
London Arts, The Hub (fund raising organization) and
Sonar.
How can people find out when and where they
happen and how can they take part?
Simple. Check our site: www.logarhythm.org.uk
I hope our proper site is live when this goes up on
your site! If you are an artists or label and want to
use Logarhythm for touring get in touch with me. If
you are a promoter and want to promote our nights please
get in touch. The more we are, the stronger we will
be. If you just want to come and watch the shows just
check the site for updates on the new upcoming tours
or to find out what the other promoters are doing outside
the logarhythm tours!
Was the choice of having Chris Clark and Mira
Calix for the first tour determined by the fact that
both artists have got a really strong identity and,
at least in Mira’s case, a involvement in projects
that reach far beyond the realm of electronic music?
They both have new releases, which is good to tie up
with as it makes sense, people are aware of the music
and makes them more willing to come to a show. And Chris
and Mira are not afraid to play live, and those are
good characteristics on our books!
The first tour went on for ten dates. Will
the following tours be similar in regards to number
of dates and cities visited?
It varies. The Rephlex tour will have fourteen dates
so we are up for long days on a bus! We have promoters
over sitxteen cities and they are all supporting the
tour and it depends who has the possibility of organizing
the shows. I hope to reach more places and tour different
cities but there are limits of what artists can do.
I believe that ten-to-twelve shows is a good number!
The next tour, due in July, will feature Req
and Kid Acne. Does it mean that hip-hop artists can
benefit from the activities and help provided by Logarhythm
even if their approach doesn’t have much to do
with the electronic culture?
I am trying to diversify the genre of music that logarhythm
covers. The last thing we want is to get snobbish about
the music we promote. I would like to think that we
are about good music made using electronic equipment
and not just about a particular genre or trend. There
is good music all over the place for different tastes,
cattering for different people. We try to vary. I am
hoping to do some garage stuff next year… I am
told there are some good experimental sounds coming
out of that scene… let me know if any one is up
for touring that has the music to back it!
This year will see three more tours after the
Req / Kid Acne one. Do you expect to maintain the momentum
next year?
We are down to two more tours… the last one this
year has been pushed for next year… there is only
so much we can do with our funding. I would want to
do another four tours next year. One of them should
be with Skam and the other one with Force Inc. I am
still planning the other two! But I have some ideas
up my sleeve!
Logarhythm is certainly a very ambitious project.
How do you intend to quantify its success?
We want more promoters and more tours of the UK, we
want better exposure in the media and more kids raving
to good music!
Emain interview June 2002
Thank you to Joana and Serena |
