Interview with Lovemonk Records' Head honcho Borja Torres words: Pete Isaac
Eclecticism- noun
1. the use or advocacy of an eclectic method.
2. a tendency in architecture and the decorative arts to mix various historical styles with modern elements with the aim of combining the virtues of many styles or increasing allusive content.
Such is the dictionary explanation, but there could be a third definition - Lovemonk Records. This wild and unruly record label from Madrid has been quietly gathering momentum over the last few years with a steady stream of high quality records that refuse to be categorised, pinned down or pigeon holed. Home to a dizzy array of artists from the hard funk of Speaklow, the beautiful folk sounds of Pajaro Sunrise, the worldwide beats of Makala and Watch TV to the myriad of modern eclectic musical wanderings that you'll unearth as soon as you dig into their catalogue.
Designed for the musically adventurous, packaged by keen eyed artists and orchestrated by passion, Lovemonk demands your attention. We caught up with Borja Torres, the driving force of the label to find out how everything ties together as wonderfully as it does! Can you tell me when and how the label began and who are the main people behind it?
It started in 2003 after Bruno (my partner) and me got ourselves fired from our major label-related jobs.
The artistic content at first glance is very coherent, yet is very eclectic. Is there a method to your madness, or is the label mainly organic?
Well, we don’t plan hardly anything, and the few things we plan never happen the way we planned it. We know that a tiny record label is one of the least important things in the universe, so we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Anyway we have a strong policy for the music we release which we resume as "Discos Buenos" (Good Records) and we would put out any record we feel that fits under that moniker, no matter under which tag you could file it. We started the label because we love music and we still do.
Do you model yourselves on classic labels like Atlantic or are you influenced more by contemporary labels?
We don’t model ourselves but we would love to. We love the classic Atlantic records too!
It's impossible to categorise the label musically, was this freedom there from the beginning? Do you feel that any genre is open to you? And is there ever any fighting on what direction to go next?!
Yeah, we don’t choose which records to put out based on the style. We are open to almost any genre if we like the stuff, being a small label allows you to put out only the records you love, we never make considerations about its commercial potential, mainly because sales are so poor that it doesn’t make a big difference.
This stylistic variety sometimes makes it difficult for the “squared minds” to tag our releases, because they want just to tag the label, not any single release.
Is the label dedicated to promoting Spanish artists?
Well, not really, but we are based in Madrid and naturally we are close to a lot of Spanish artists, but some of our releases come from abroad.
. It's not the funkiest on the label(!) but I really love Pajaro Sunrise, one might think this could be your most successful record? What artists are the most successful for you and are driving the label forward?
Pajaro Sunrise has gotten amazing reviews, their reputation is really strong in Spain and they’re becoming a favourite of the connoisseurs outside our borders. Their music is also working really well in terms of features on commercials or movies, which finally helps a lot to break even, even more so than record sales. Perhaps Gecko Turner is our most important artist, but we love all of them equally, as sons (hahaha).
Listen to: Pajaro Sunrise 'Come Down'
The rockin' funk and soul grooves of Speak Low will probably be of most interest to Jelly Jazz fans, what is the story of the band?
Speak Low is an amazing machine, and their live gigs are always a blast. All of them have different projects, some of them really successful in Spain, like the García borthers (brass section), they play with Muchachito Bombo Inferno, or Indio (percussion) who plays drums with Vetusta Morla, the biggest indie act in Spain. Sometimes it’s really hard to put them together to rehearse or even have a meeting, and in fact when we saw the first gig after the album release we were quite impressed but ten gigs later they were simply over the top good.
Listen to: Speaklow 'I Don't Need No.... What?'
Is there a good funk scene in Madrid? And how is funk and soul generally received across Spain?
Funk and soul are mainly ignored by the Spanish media, but there is a healthy yet tiny scene. Enlace Funk is a funk and soul magazine run by an unsung hero, Miguel Sutil. He always claims that Spain is the European Capital of funk. There are a few clubs like Marula, Tempo or El Junco programming small and not-so- small funk, jazz and soul acts on a regular basis. Not too many record labels though, just us and HiTop, quite unactive lately. And a couple of other labels reissuing stuff. Also the music scene here has lately been really invigorated by the arrival of Cuban, Brazilian and South American musicians, especially on the jazz side, and there are some amazing jazz jams taking place all over the city. On the records shop side the situation is really bad, but tapas are great!
Do you use other methods to consolidate the Lovemonk message, ie radio, concerts and club nights?
We have a radio show (more info below) where we play mostly not-Lovemonk stuff, but really good music. I am a DJ and so is Lubacov (Dave, the label manager with me), we do a lot of gigs were we spread the Lovemonk word and from time to time we organise gigs for our bands or bands we like in Madrid.
Listen to: The Lovemonk podcast right here!
Has the label risen well to the challenges of the music scene at present? How are you coping with the download generation?
We are really focused on trying to make money out of the alternatives uses of music (TV series, video games, commercials, music...), so we try to live with the poor sales.
Many labels in the UK are still committed to vinyl as a format, what does vinyl mean to you and do you always strive to get as much music as possible out on vinyl?
We love the vinyl format, so it’s our main concern to try to have everything released on vinyl, but at the same time, the lack of shops in Spain and the bad situation with the distributors is making this quite hard....
Personally I still value the role of a record label very highly, it's a filter to discovering music. Much was said on the rise of MySpace with artists being able to 'sell' themselves, but I feel a label is where an artist can develop more fully. What are your thoughts on the role of a label?
We are quite keen on the labels' role, not only acting as a filter for which bands or which songs should or should not be included in an album, but we also take the weight of promoting, marketing, releasing, even manufacturing their records off their shoulders. And of course the financial side of it is really important too!
What would you say to someone who wants to start a record label in 2010?! Do you think it will be harder than ever to make something work?
I would say don’t do that!!
But in case they finally do, try to have the experts help you (ie for promotion, distribution, etc) and be focused on the creative side of it, which is the important side (without forgetting about the revenues, needed to stay alive...)
The art of Lovemonk is also very impressive, especially the work of Animiwiesasz. Is he responsible for much of the design or do you have in house designers as well?
He does a lot of stuff for us (and he is a hell of a dj and great chap all over) and so does Utah, a freelancer based in Madrid (bass player of The Right Ons and yes, a great guy all over!), and some things are done by myself, amateur graphic designer and quite self indulgent when it comes to approve my own designs.
What can we look forward to in 2010?
I am really glad you ask this question (hahahaha)
We have some amazing things:
The old Lovemonk cats:
Gecko Turner should finish his new album, which will presumably sound quite a lot like Gecko Turner.
Martín Buscaglia has recorded his new album and will be out in Spring, it’s a hell of an album.
Three unexpected debuts:
Boohgaloo Zoo will release an album: think modern day P-funk!
Space Ranger will release an electronic boogie album for the good of all the people who like electronic boogie albums
A super band called Incarnations about which we cannot reveal the details yet.
And a lot of singles, including a double 7" with Makala again spreading the Latin goodness and a surprising design by the one and only Txarly Brown, K'bonus with Kissey Asplund, The Gigoletto Brass Band (a side project of some the Speak Low chaps), Julianne Heinemann with a delicious folky jazz tune, a new Bing ji Ling 12", and more stuff you will know about later!!
And finally, is there something else we should know about? Any skeletons in the closet?!
We have the closet so packed that we may have to buy a new one for next year!!
successful in Spain, like the García borthers (brass section), they play with Muchachito Bombo Inferno, or Indio (percussion) who plays drums with Vetusta Morla, the biggest indie act in Spain. Sometimes it’s really hard to put them together to rehearse or even have a meeting, and in fact when we saw the first gig after the album release we were quite impressed but ten gigs later they were simply over the top good. 
Do you use other methods to consolidate the Lovemonk message, ie radio, concerts and club nights?
Many labels in the UK are still committed to vinyl as a format, what does vinyl mean to you and do you always strive to get as much music as possible out on vinyl?
