Chicago-based Kompute Musik is a musical anomaly. Part label and part artist collective, Kompute has grown from the inner circle of four founders – Matt Nee, Brad Sarpalius, Steve Hitchell and Marcus Gossmeyer – to a clothing line, a roster of over a dozen international talents including Italy’s Alexander Robotnick and an enviable release history with cult-like status among fans. With releases that defy category by dancing across genres from electro to techno and even rock, Kompute’s success almost seems like a fluke – until their methods are revealed. Their artists regularly collaborate, they hold creative expression above all else, they have a central headquarters for their roster to kick back in and they even host Kompute BBQs on the regular. Celebrating their 10-year anniversary, label co-founder Matt Nee speaks to URB on defying the odds and the ‘it’ factor that makes Kompute tick.
The last time I wrote about Kompute you guys described it as “future-retro/alternative-electro/acid-jackin’-house/techno-rock”. That’s quite a mouthful! How does that description apply now…or does it?
It does as much now as it did then. At the time everyone was getting into genres, so it was a joke about putting labels on music. We make rave music. It’s most often called techno, electro, house or whatever, but what we’re talking about here is music for very large high-fidelity sound systems. We now have over a dozen artists on four continents that are all doing their thing quite well, and some of them actually pioneered their genres back in the heyday… Yet somehow it all seems to mix together quite well.
So if genre doesn’t necessarily tie Kompute’s releases together, what does? How are songs and artists selected?
Kompute is a sound onto itself, though there is certainly a general theme. Our hard edge is well known, but there is also a lighter, melodic side. The artists that produce music for Kompute are given complete creative control – they are selected based on their unique vision, dedication to themselves and for a timeframe of very long term.
How does that dedication to the artists separate Kompute as a label?
To the primary artists – myself, Rayalin3, Robotnick, Silz, Garbo, Alex Zelenka, Sam Roberts, Nathaniel Shreve, Livewire, Frankie Vega, John Simmons, David Schmelzer, [Esc]ape, Ali Lawton…and a whole bunch of others over the years…it has been a home. A home to release original materials, albums, make remixes, build a publishing catalog, develop as artists, develop as deejays and be involved in the music business. It also means they have a home in Kompute HQ and the new yet unnamed studio we are currently building, which will be a physical creative space for work and fun.
It sounds like you try to maintain a sense of family within Kompute. Do you find that your artists become friends, collaborate…or attend each other’s BBQs?
Yes! A family…well said. The artists do frequently collaborate, record on each other’s releases and remix each other’s projects. The collaborations just keep getting better. Funny you should mention BBQ…as a tradition, a lot of BBQs come into play. It’s a great format for relaxing and listening to music. In fact we just picked out a grill for the rooftop of the new Kompute HQ!
It’s fantastic to see Kompute continually growing – 10 years is quite a milestone for a dance label. Is it where you thought it would be in ten years? Did you even think about ten years out?
The future is not quite as futuristic as I had anticipated, that is for sure. Things tend to move slowly over time and then all of the sudden, it’s been another year or two. In the beginning we were just doing it. We wanted to make a record, we had a studio along with a few industry connections and we made it happen. The second year we did five releases! After a while the bulk of the label operations were left to me so I started to have talks with people and develop a long view of things. The first and most important idea was to choose artists for the long term and not to chase trends or fads. I think we are pretty much in line with expectations. Now we have a group of artists that we will see through until the end, and we may add one now and then that really compliments the whole. It took a while for us to get here and there is a special gratitude for that.
When did you realize that Kompute was here to stay?
Probably when the first 12″ vinyl pressing sold out in one order. That year there was international press and then, 80% of our records were shipping to Europe. Remixes and more new opportunities came and we toured the US, Canada, Europe and South America. Signing Alexander Robotnick was also a major highlight for sure, as I am a fan, and then there was a special NYE gig on the Pacific coast of Chile where my good friend Garbo and I split a12 hour set from midnight to noon. It was an untranslatable and epic bliss that I hope to repeat soon.
Were there any moments of doubt?
Post September 11, 2001, a period when the powers that be decided it would be best if we ushered in a new era of fear…things changed. We lost our distributor, Sonic Groove, in the Manhattan rubble. I also lost my business manager for the label, all but one gig out of a fully booked three month schedule for Channel One and attendance at our shows dropped from 1000 to 100 overnight. We persevered. There have been some other periods of, lets say, more personal balance issues that have slowed progress at times, hence the partners, but never to a level of doubting the primary concepts or the label.
Do you feel like you and Kompute are now a stronger label because of those challenges?
I think so. Today it is a different scene altogether. Now we have a label manager, an events coordinator and a release schedule going forward six to nine months. At one point a few years ago I realized that I was going to need a lot more balance in my life, so I laid out a plan and took on some great partners. Now the show goes on even if I take a three-month vacation in Northern California or a month in Chile.
With everything that’s happened in the past ten years, have you thought about the next ten?
Now we are at a point where the goals are clear and well defined. There’s a lot going on right now in terms of the company. We have several new partners that bring great things to the table. 2010 is a big year for us, and 2011 will be as well. There is going to be a lot of touring with the new live shows, a lot more events in Chicago and on the West Coast, video via Kompute.TV and the new studio of course. In regards to an ultimate goal, the last ten years were amazing, so keeping that spirit alive and well is a priority.
How are you guys celebrating the ten-year anniversary?
We’ve celebrated with a string of events featuring most of our current artists including Alexander Robotnick, who joined us once again from Italy. We are also releasing the original Kompute tee shirt that has been out of print since 2000. In addition, we will be releasing several full length albums over the next year and doing a label tour with stops in the US, Canada, South America and Europe.
I have to ask…do you have a personal favorite release on Kompute? I know it’s like asking which of your children you like the best…
“Time for Livin”, which is the first single off the Future Forward Society album featuring the voice of Matt Sims and remixed by Alexander Robotnick. It’s a style that we had thought about for a while and I think we got it right. In terms of the level of artistry and the quality of human beings involved, there is not much more I could ask for. I am very proud of the whole Future Forward Society album, as well as The Creep, Soultek Chapter One, Welcome 2 Chicago, Neon Kiss, Ashland, Jordan, Plus and Bide to Abide.
Looking at Kompute’s sound and roster, would you say being a Chicago-based entity has influenced the label’s direction?
In the beginning there was Trax Records, Wax Trax and then Relief. We could end the discussion there but there’s so much more to say. Chicago is a great place. I was born here in Chicago as were a lot of our artists. There is a certain mentality and an almost gangster air over Chicago. Many years ago my friend Nathaniel described it as an alley with a bunch of hungry dogs, and when someone finally throws a bone in, all hell breaks loose. It’s no wonder that the city has spawned industrial, house, acid and jak beat. These are all really raw forms of music. Pure plays on emotion. Very real. For Kompute it is about taking it all in and responding with action. What we are recording is how we are living, night after night. Our artists are all really kids at heart and are acting with authenticity and a certain esthetic. Real knows real, so over years…that’s a lot of real motherfuckers.
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