While his own records usually appear on UK super-label Planet Mu (as well as a few singles on the great Hotflush Recordings), Lynn has begun to release records by himself and others on his own imprint, Kinnego Records which he describes as “basically famous for putting out the first Space Dimension Controller EP.”
The complex world of label management is a new environment for Lynn, though it seems to be a challenge he relishes. “It’s strange, the whole idea of PR and so on, that is all new to me. Even though you can release an album through a label and they’ll do a lot for you, you can be very sheltered from a lot of what is involved in it. It’s just getting used to all that kind of stuff, trying to play the game a wee bit but not compromise the integrity of it. I don’t even have a website for it.”
His practical nature come to the fore when we talk about his vision for the label. “The main way I want it to exist is records in a shop, rather than some hyped-up website where I have to keep giving away podcasts every week to maintain interest. All I’m interested in is being a way to get good music on vinyl. It’s really tough with vinyl right now, the way things are. You don’t need my voice added to the whole talk about it but it’s obviously declining. You’re trying to not drop the quality, but sales are going down all the time. It’s all kind of pessimistic, as long as I focus on the vinyl, but that’s the way I saw it from the start, being a boutique vinyl label.”
Many small labels are turning towards pre-orders as a way of gauging the reaction a release is going to get and Lynn is considering this somewhat safer route himself. “I’m actually thinking that’s the only way to go, to make sure the audience is there for the record before you go ahead with the press. I think there’s a few of those American indie labels, kind of noise and drone stuff, they do that sort of thing.”
We get into some examples, such as Thor’s Rubber Hammer or Foxy Digitalis, where releases often sell out before the release date and one of the things that keeps coming up is the importance of the physical item for Lynn. For many of these small labels, for whom vinyl is an expensive non-option, cassettes are a way of providing that tangible product and Lynn is all for them. “I’m into the whole idea of them as a way of being a physical counterpart to the music, it’s not just a fucking file basically. It has a real identity somewhere. Cassettes sound good too, on a good deck so it’s not like you’re compromising the quality. Well, you are but in a kind of nice way.”
With his last album The Dissolve out since April, it’s been a busy summer so far for Lynn and things are not slowing down any time soon. “Well, I’ve been recording for the past six months pretty much, since I finished the last album. I’ve a stash of stuff that is quite indulgent, like not a lot of dance-floor stuff but working on using guitar and a lot of that kind of stuff. It’s hard to explain but hopefully I’ll get a home for that soon. I’ve also got a track coming out on an Adult Swim online album thing which I think is due in mid-September. Also, I’ve a tune on the Psychonavigation compilation which just came out. I’ve got two remixes coming out, one on Space Dimension Controller’s label, I’ve a remix of a collaboration track he did with a few friends. I’ve more stuff I can’t remember now. I’ve a lot of things in the pipeline, I’m still busy. There’s a few gigs coming up, it’s all good.”
Boxcutter plays The Twisted Pepper this Saturday, August 6th.
