It’s Selador Recordings’ 10th birthday. Their anniversary celebrations are centred around a series of truly mouth-watering collaboration EPs that we confidently predict will soundtrack the year to come. So, without further ado, please allow us to introduce you to the first batch of runners & riders…
You can now listen to the full premiere of Quivver & Olivier Giacomotto’s track ‘Snailblazer’ exclusively on When We Dip while reading the great interview we had with the label owners Dave Seaman and Steve Parry. Enjoy!
WWD: Hey Dave & Steve! Thanks for speaking with When We Dip. What are you both up to right now?
Dave: I’m just arriving home from a weekend of gigs in the US. I was in in Charlotte and Philadelphia. I had lots of fun but I’m paying for it now. Shattered!
Steve: I’m currently looking at ways to get to London on Easter Sunday for our birthday party at Studio 338. It’s a logistical nightmare as it’s all replacement bus services that day due to them working on the rail tracks. I may end up pretending I’m ‘billy big time’ and fly down to London in a private jet! 😎🤣😀
WWD: Congratulations on reaching such a milestone 10-Year Anniversary for your label Selador! How do you feel when you look back over the last decade?
Dave: We’re really proud of our achievements overall. A decade in this business is nothing to be sniffed at. It’s hard work. A lot of time and effort goes into running a label consistently over a long period of time and there’s little in the way of monetary reward, so it’s a real labour of love.
Steve: Yeah, it’s extremely time intensive but we do both really love it. We’d be mad if we didn’t because as Dave just said, it’s definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme! But the whole process of searching out new music and then wrapping that up into a perfect formed package can be addictive. It’s a buzz unleashing a fantastic new release out into the World.
WWD: What has been your proudest achievement to date for the label?
Dave: I’m proud of what we have released musically, we have worked with many amazing artists and I’m very happy that we’ve kept it musically varied too, not sticking to one specific sound. This is something we consciously tried to do from the off, as that’s how both Steve and I play – our mantra has always been “from house to techno and all flavours in between”.
Steve: It’s also been a great way for Dave and I to get back in the studio a lot more than we had previously been doing – and that makes me happy too. I also get a little jealous when Dave makes new music, as it spurs me on to have to make another new track. I think it’s a very friendly and healthy musical way for us to push each other along!
WWD: How do you think the industry has changed over the last 10 years?
Dave: It’s been a period of transformation for sure. Coming out of analogue and embracing the digital era has been a lengthy learning process but I think we’ve adapted to it quite well now. You never stop learning though which is why the industry is still so vibrant and exciting. It never really stagnates. At least not for long.
Steve: Yes, many things have changed. Streaming for example has now become the dominant way people consume music, be it via Spotify or YouTube or wherever. Plus, social media is now a crucial part of any artist, dj or label’s time, and love it or hate it, it’s a necessary evil for marketing yourself. Things are constantly changing and if you don’t embrace it, you certainly get left behind.
WWD: We premiered Olivier Giacomotto x Quivver ‘Snailblazer’ on When We Dip today. How did that collaboration come about?
Dave: The whole concept for our 10th birthday releases was about putting artists from the roster together to collaborate on tracks. It’s something we did for our 5th birthday and it worked really well. I knew John was a big fan of Olivier so I just reached out to see if Olivier was into the idea and he jumped at the chance. Turned out the respect for each other’s work was very much mutual.
WWD: You have assembled a huge and very impressive array of artists to combine for collaborations (including Hernan Cattaneo, Anthony Pappa, Just Her, and 3D) to celebrate your anniversary. Were you pleased with the reaction from artists you asked?
Dave: It has been incredible. We have over 40 artists involved now. Pretty much everyone we asked immediately said yes.
Steve: Yeah, it’s a great way to get as many artists as possible involved and we think adds something a bit extra special to proceedings. It just ramps up the excitement levels further anticipating what two artists will come up with when they join forces.
WWD: What other collaborations can people expect over the next few weeks?
Steve: The next EP has Dave’s collaboration with Hernan Cattaneo, my own track with Renato Cohen. Zoo Brazil with Circulation and James Harcourt’s team up with Heîk. It’s another top notch cast if we do say so ourselves!
Dave: And there’s at least two more EPs after that as well so stay tuned!
WWD: So, you mentioned the party you have on Easter Sunday, 9th April, in London, at Studio 338 with Hernan Cattaneo, Just Her plus the Warm Up Festival residents. Do you have any international parties planned?
Dave: Yes, there’ll be a few more. We’re just discussing that at the minute with a few different clubs, but we’ll definitely be milking it. You don’t reach double figures everyday!
WWD: What are your hopes for the next 10 years of Selador?
Steve: To still be here! Haha! Seriously though, I think we’ll just keep striving forward, keep releasing music that we love, alongside the growth of Seladoria, our touring club parties. And who knows what other additions and developments lie ahead. We’re always up for embracing new things.
Dave: I think long term we’d like to be doing more Seladoria events. Parties are really the fundamental reason for doing all this, the frontline, the place where all the hard work comes to fruition, on the dance floor. So, to be able to bring our artists together more often to celebrate what we do, would be fulfilling. I think that’s where we have our sights set next.
WWD: Thanks for speaking with When We Dip!
Steve: Our pleasure.
Dave: Thanks for having us and the continued support.
Release Date: March 24th, 2023. Buy Here
Olivier Giacomotto: Facebook // SoundCloud
Quivver: Facebook // SoundCloud
Selador: Facebook // SoundCloud