Haar Records, a label focusing on ambient and techno music, has just released its first VA, Precipitation. Ramona Depares interviews co-founder Justin Meli, also known as Sonitus Eco.

Who is behind Haar Records?

Haar Records is a project between me and Antoni Meli, also known as Serial Depth.

Antoni and I met a couple of years ago and, although we had the same taste in music – what we call the deeper side, the more obscure side of techno – we had a different passion. His was vinyl collecting, while mine was synths, although I have to say that, nowadays, he has a passion for synths that’s even stronger than mine.

I also tended to play more live performances, while he DJ’d more. But I had been toying with the idea of starting a label for quite some time, although I always felt a bit scared of taking the first step on my own. I floated the idea to Antoni and he liked it. And Haar Records was born.

What is behind the name Haar?

Haar is a type of coastal fog that happens in the northern seas, mainly near Scotland. It’s like a thick fog that moves from the sea to land and we taught it would fit well with the kind of music we wanted to showcase. Also, my love for the sea played a huge part in the choice of name.

When was Haar Records launched and what is the idea behind it. Does it target a specific type of artist and why did you feel the need in Malta for this label?

Originally, the idea was to have a platform where I could easily release my music. I have released music on various music labels in the past and, while I had some very good experiences, there have also been some really bad ones. So, I wanted a platform where I could release the music I wanted, and how I wanted it, without having label limitations.

When I joined up with Antoni we decided it would be a good idea to also have a platform for local artists who work in the same field of music, so as to offer the opportunity to release their music on vinyl, besides being remixed by more ‘established’ artists, thus gaining that bit of more exposure needed.

So now, the concept behind Haar Records is to release electronic music that falls between the ambient and techno sphere , with a deep ethereal feel that could be good for the dance floor but also for the headphones.

Electronic music that falls between the ambient and techno sphere, with a deep ethereal feel that could be good for the dance floor but also for the headphones

Would you say there is a strong scene of artists and people who follow this genre in Malta? Do you feel that interest is growing?

The techno scene in Malta is quite strong, but it is divided in smaller niches, all following their genre or their favourite promoter. Without a doubt, these past couple of years we have seen a more mature crowd that is open for a more experimental sound, a crowd that wants electronic music to come out of the clubs. As for ambient music… well, we still have a long way to go.

Serial Depth

You have just released Precipitation – can you explain how this collaboration came about?

The idea behind the release of this VA is to have a yearly (or half-yearly) sampler of what to expect from the label. The artists chosen are friends and locals whom we wish to showcase in the future on Haar Records.

The VA is a collaboration between artists – how were these artists chosen and is there a common theme that unites their work?

I contacted some of the artists and explained the theme and what I had in mind and we built up this VA from there. The theme was morning fog, precipitation, that cold morning air…

Sonitus Eco

Will Haar be considering physical releases in the future?

Our first release was a vinyl release and, without a doubt vinyl will be the main focus of Haar Records. As for the VA, we felt that a digital release would be the best bet, but we might also look at other media in the future.

What’s next in the pipeline?

The release of another vinyl, with another original track of mine, remixed by two artists – a local one and an Italian one. We are pretty hyped about this release, which is planned towards mid-/late autumn.

Do you feel that the advent of digital releases has helped artists – particularly in non-mainstream genres – get more exposure? And does this balance out illegal downloads etc?

Well, releasing a digital release is way cheaper than other media like vinyl, which is still extremely expensive. Moreover, at the moment, thanks to the new fad of vinyl, pressing plants are experiencing a lot of backlog. This means that the time to produce a vinyl is pretty long.

For us as a label, the digital releases are just as important. They will keep the label going with new releases between the vinyl launches. We do the same procedure and promo for both digital and vinyl releases. Illegal downloads are almost inevitable. Sadly, they won’t go away .

Are we seeing more Maltese performing abroad having their releases travel. How do things look?

In the past five to six years we have seen a surge in local producers releasing music on renowned labels and playing in some of the best clubs in Europe and at festivals. We have also seen a revolution of high-quality electronic music coming out of this tiny rock. We also saw the birth of the first local electronic music community, Electronic Music Malta. Yes, things look pretty good for local electronic music.

Do you intend to keep Haar to local artists or would you also be interested in foreigners?

It will be both local and foreign. In fact, we already have a back catalogue of planned releases for a couple of years.

Should any artist want to collaborate with Haar, what should they do?

At the moment we are not really accepting any demos, but we are always open to listening to new stuff from local producers. The VA series is very open for possibilities, if the music fits. Artists can get in touch by sending an e-mail to haar.records@gmail.com, or through our Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/haarrecords