Cinematic bass beacon RL Grime just announced his latest project, a forward-thinking label called Sable Valley. The first release is “Arcus” a big, moody collaboration from Grime and his buddy graves. The label is currently accepting submissions, and some people have even received “welcome letters,” but what does that mean?
That question and others were addressed in a recent Ask Me Anything session Grime undertook on Reddit. He shouts out some of his favorite artists on the grind, talks about some of his old unreleased goodies, and even gives props to his favorite taco joint in his native Los Angeles. Read 10 of our favorite takes from the full conversation below.
On the sound of his new label Sable Valley
“There isnt necessarily a specific sound or genre, but im going to be signing and supporting music that speaks to me. I think if youve been to my shows, listened to my mixes, or ever talked to me about music, you know that my taste is all over. obviously i love huge cinematic bass heavy dance music, but i dont want to put it in a box like that. it really could be anything (breakbeat, techno, hardcore, whatever) .. at the end of the day its just about records that i really connect with and would be excited to play in my sets.”
On up-and-coming artists he’s feeling right now
“Jackal, skeler, remnant, shadient, whipped cream, g jones, DJ uniqu3, jawns, masayoshi iimori. also shoutout r/wavepool been loving a lot of the stuff they post.”
On his unreleased collaboration with Mr. Carmack
“To be totally honest i dont even remember what that sounds like. i think it was a demo we made years ago that he played a few times in his sets. ill hit him up and see what the deal is with it.”
On Sable Valley Releases, and will he play Lollapalooza in Chicago?
“1. Already have a few releases lined up for the year.. i really want to put out as much music as i possibly can, but obviously i want be hands on with every release, and im very specific about the things i support.
2. ;)”
On Sable Valley “acceptance letters,” received upon demo submission
“The acceptance letter was not me signing anybody. it’s a way for me to begin to build the community that is going to be core (lol) to this label. we’re still figuring out how best we can involve people, but this is something that’s going to be a huge part of Sable Valley. for example, members will have early access to sable valley tours, music, merch etc.”
His thoughts on famous producers who use teams to write their music instead of working solo
“This is a great question. at the end of the day, i think its important to have your ideas come through on music that has your name on it. i think collaboration, and working with producers is a very legitimate part of the creative process, and can often help facilitate ideas that are better than the sum of its parts. i’ve found that its most important that you connect with WHO you are working with .. all my favorite collaborations started organically, with a friendship.
as for the second part of the question, its tough because the more you tour, the less time you have being at home, in a comfortable space, making music … and as you grow, the expectations grow along with you. I think personally how I have dealt with this is making sure to take chunks of time out of my touring schedule to focus on creating.”
On his new label and where that leaves him with longtime NYC collective WEDIDIT
“I really just want to support young artists, and help them, both aesthetically and culturally, find their way. i want the label to feel like a real home for the artists that i sign, and i want to provide a bunch of different ways to support them. mixes, tours, art, videos, collaborations etc. i want artists to feel like they can bounce ideas by me and my team, in a round table sort of way. i want it to feel organic.
in regards to WEDIDIT, nick and shlo were the ones who started it and are going to continue to curate and guide it. as ive grown, starting my own label has always been something i’ve wanted to do. those are still my best friends in the world, nothings changed.”
On if he’d ever go back to Clockwork or create a new alias
“To be honest, i’m feeling more inspired about the RL project, and music at large, than i have been in a long time. after putting out NOVA i feel like i gained some much needed perspective. in retrospect, the NOVA album process was pretty grueling, i worked with so many people and heard so many different opinions that would affect my choices. i’m so grateful to have gone through that process because I feel like now more than ever I have an understanding of exactly what I like and what I want to make. and now, especially with Sable Valley, i feel like i can pursue EXACTLY what i want to be doing on my own terms.”
On his “Arcus” collaborator, graves
“Christian is really one of the most talented producers I know. he’s such a beast on ableton (i just wish he didnt use so many fkn plugins on everything) … we have a very similar taste in both the music we listen to and the music we make. we have a shared dropbox and will just drop ideas back and forth and arcus began as one of those demos. christian and i usually link up whenever he’s in LA and really dive into the ones that are the strongest.”
On the best taco place in Los Angeles
“Leo’s.”
Read the full AMA with RL Grime on Reddit.