So here we find ourselves with the weather turning around. Spring is in the air and the music is absolutely fresh. We spent a little while contemplating who would take the reins for opening up our second season of SP. We wanted to really give people a reason to dig deeper for their music. This is your chance to dig a little further. We believe that there is nothing more inspiring then seeing a group take their talents and abilities to the next level collectively.
This is the case with the recording label, Fiakun. This concept is a direct result of composer, El_Txef_A and his team collectively putting their resources together along with their passion for creating a unique sound that will resonate with people everywhere. This group wears their music on their sleeve. When we first came across their first collaborative release we were stunned. “Fiakun Team- Around Your Neck” is beautiful EP that has stayed fresh in our hearts since its initial release in 2011.
SoundPark sat down with Fiakun heads, Aitor Etxebarria, Asier Martinez, Jabier Fernandez, Jon Barandika, Jonathan Loma, and Mikel Olasolo to discuss how this project came about, what their unique sound means to them and where this beautiful project is going towards in the future. They really are one of our benchmarks for truly creative and inspiring music. Welcome to SoundPark.
Tell us a little bit about Fiakun? We are just a bunch of childhood friends that absolutely love music. El_Txef_A was the first to take music more serious in terms of making DJing and producing more of a career. We first started throwing parties in Gernika, our home town, and then rented an office in 2011 to start running the label. It’s been great as it allowed us to work together!
Who makes up the creative core of Fiakun? Tell us a little about your individual backgrounds in the industry and what brought you all together for this? There are many people involved nowadays. Willy takes care of the main production for the albums and releases plus handles all the international bookings. Jonathan and Mikel focus mainly on the Fiakun event planning. Jon is our art director and Asier runs all of the digital marketing. We have been running well as a group of six but recently found room for our friend Iñigo to help us wherever we need it at the time.
How does your catalog represent your brand? We really just look for what we love - if we don’t love it we won’t release it, which says a lot about us. If you take a look at the catalog, it’s filled with variety… you can find releases ranging from pure house to pop influenced tracks to stuff that’s geared towards the dance floor. For those not as familiar, some of our artists are Kasper Bjorke, Permanent Vacation, and El_Txef_A – and then newer artists like Ene! and Andres Aguirre.
When someone says “Fiakun” what do you want people to think about? Specifically what’s the vision for the brand? We are looking to show that you can run a concept from your hometown if you do it right. We live in Gernika, the Basque country – Act Local, Think Global! I mean, of course we are a label, but we try hard not to get pinned into any one genre or anything like that.
What are the qualities of songs you guys are looking for when adding music to your catalog? How do you feel this sets you apart from the rest of the labels/imprints that are out there? Sometimes we look for something special… a special artist with unique feelings. Other times, we just listen to a track and get completely wowed and blown away. We also try to make every release special, which is why we really only try to do about two or three releases a year. By special I mean making a proper promo, unique artwork, and releasing everyone on vinyl of course!
What aspects of owning/managing a record label excites you the most and drives you to put out the caliber of material you guys do? We started this from nothing and have learned so much over the past three or so years, and want to ensure we keep learning. Every day is very special for us, as it’s the little things that keep us going. A tag on twitter or an email from someone just showing love… things like that. It’s great when people show us some love; it means we are doing something right!
Tell us a little bit about Fiakun Team? How does the team collectively put music together? So far we’ve released one EP as the Fiakun Team, which was our first release. We actually had some great remixes by Penner & Muder and Roberto Rodriguez. We each have a separate role, but we usually just all get together at the studio and try to capture our moods and what we are into at the moment. We are excitedly planning another EP together, looking to release it about early 2015. After this summer, we have plans to hide ourselves in the studio for a few weeks and see what kind of magic comes out of it.
What was one of the most memorable moments you all had performing together? Our first release was something very special, since it was our first EP together and the first release on the label. We’ve also had some really good memories at a party during Sonar. We got to play with Fritz Kalkbrenner, Chopstick & Johnjon, and Sasse.
What can we expect from Fiakun in 2014? Any releases, parties, or events that you are excited about? We are releasing El_Txef_A’s second LP titled “We Walked Home Together” on a double 12” and CD… The single was actually released on Monday (21st of April) on a 10” limited press vinyl with the entire album releasing May 26th. Later this year, we are doing a special party at Sonar for the three year anniversary of the label and we have a really interesting lineup we’re excited to announce next week… you’ll just have to wait and see!
El_Txef_A, tell us a bit about your new album? What was the inspiration behind it? What does this album mean to you? I always work on an album with a main concept in mind, something to focus me. This time around I just worked with the feeling of peace you get when walking home with someone you really love. This album means a lot to me as it’s the second LP I’ve released and I feel I’m getting close to the depths of me after some personal changes in my life… so it really was like therapy.
