We interviewed Rich Kirby, head of the Ivy Wall label.
Hi ! Where can we find you right now? How did you start your day?
You can find me sitting in my garden in Adelaide, South Australia! I started my day with a coffee and a beach run and some uplifting tunes!
When did the idea of starting a project like your label begin to take shape? Has it always been something you wanted to do?
Actually it was just over a year ago, I was struggling with the lack of DJing gigs and keeping my head in the game. The idea just popped in my head and it’s pretty much all i’ve thought about since! I love the idea of connecting artists, and getting music out into the world.
It’s why I got into DJing in the first place, the feeling of sharing music is unbeatable.
You have your first release out on your new label «IVY WALL», LEY’s ‘You’ve Got a Lot to learn’. Can you tell us a bit about the track?»
Ley is an artist that’s emerging from the Liverpool underground scene. He’s a bit of a machine at making tracks and he’s not short of new ideas! This track really stood out to me as it just completely represents the sound I wanted IVY WALL to portray. Its deep, driving, a little dark and is pretty versatile. You could imagine this going off peak time in a club or working just as well on a Sunday afternoon at the beach!
How would you define the sound of your label? What is the concept behind?
We describe our focus as Deep & Upfront House Music! But I like the idea of forward thinking, innovative tracks, pushing the boundaries of what we call deep house.
What artists are you interested in these days?
I’m really getting into Rampa, I love Hot Since 82, George Fitzgerald, Peggy Gou, Jamie XX. The list is endless to be honest!
What references did you have in mind when you created the label?
WOLF MUSIC is a label that I love and respect, although our sounds differ they are pretty much nailing exactly what I want to achieve.
I’ve been into Defected since day one, they are such a powerhouse of a label that demands respect!
Can you tell us something about your current or future projects?
Right now we are working on our second release, which will be a collaboration between two really talented local artists here in South Australia. It’s a little different to the first release, a little harder to say pigeon hole its genre.
We are also working on LEY’s follow up track which is sounding amazing.
