FEATURE: Instruments Of Rapture - And The Beat Goes On...

Three years, ten releases – you might almost accuse Instruments Of Rapture of being a bit sluggish. But as with most things in life, quantity doesn’t equal quality, and with each perfectly pressed vinyl from the Glasgow-based label came the knowledge that you were buying something with real longevity, a piece of music which had been laboured over and delivered with absolute passion, not rush released to fit a deadline or pushed simply to maintain consistency. From The 6^th Borough Project to Tornado Wallace, the last three years from Instruments Of Rapture have produced some truly incredible music, lovingly crafted through a shared vision which was met with complete clarity.

So, perhaps unsurprisingly, the news that the label was to release its final offering this year was met with understandable disappointment. But although the label’s demise may be viewed as somewhat premature, they’ve arguably achieved more than what most could deliver in a lifetime. Founded by Graeme Clark (The Revenge/6^th Borough Project) in 2008, Instruments Of Rapture became one of the few imprints which you could rely on with complete confidence. Releasing edits, remixes and originals, the label quickly defined its own sound - a mixture of classic Disco injected with mesmerising funk, delirious romance underpinned by feverish groove and a Balearic-bliss which captured the raw appeal of deep, emotive House.

Dedicated to putting everything out on vinyl as well as digital, there can be no underestimating the time, effort and soul invested in Instruments Of Rapture...its ten releases are testament to that. But, as the saying goes, when one door closes, another usually opens, and with focus shifting to an increasingly popular monthly night at the Sub Club (in which The Revenge, Craig Smith and aliOOFT! are all residents), it quickly becomes apparent that this was infact only one chapter in the Instruments Of Rapture saga... 

Check out tracks from the label's final release 'The Streets Are Alive With The Hounds Of Music' below, as well as an interview with label owner Graeme Clark aka The Revenge:









Synth: So you recently released the tenth and final outing for Instruments Of Rapture with the superb ‘Streets Are Alive…’ compilation. Can you tell us a little about the release and how it represents the last three years of the label?

Graeme: Thanks. I just wanted to pull together some of the unreleased material from the vaults to create something special for the supporters of the label. It combines the sample-based stuff and some original material and remixes which I think is fairly representative of where the label stood.

Synth: If we take it back to the start then, what inspired you to establish the label? Was it simply to put out some of the records you were loving at the time or did you feel a certain sound needed represented though a more tangible channel?

Graeme: It was really just a fun way for me to release some of the tracks I had been working on solo and with other people. I got the offer of distribution and I figured it would be an interesting experiment but it kinda snowballed and got a bit too serious for me too quickly.

Synth: Alongside the label you also run a monthly night at the Sub Club with OOFT! and Craig Smith in regular attendance. How has that been going and can we expect the event to continue even though the label has ceased?

Graeme: The events are really where I see the idea progressing and we'll be continuing this at the Sub Club and hopefully some one-off events later in the year. I am lucky to have 2 great DJs working beside me (Craig Smith and Ali Herron) and a great venue to host the party. It's very much a testing ground for new material and also a good excuse to play music with my mates and have a party.


Instruments Of Rapture at the Sub Club: feel the love

Synth: You debuted your live show as The Revenge last month, what was the reaction like to that and for those who weren’t there how did the whole thing take shape? Can we expect to see you playing live more regularly?

Graeme: I'd played live with my mate Paul McGlashan many years ago under another alias supporting bigger bands like Faithless, Calvin Harris, DMX Krew and others so it was a relatively easy decision. I just wanted to shake things up for myself and try improvising lots of little sketches of tracks in the live domain with some of my studio gear. I wanted to try it somewhere I felt comfortable and the Sub Club was the perfect place. The reaction blew me away to be honest. The set itself was quite loose and has lots of room for improvement, but that's the idea...a constant work in progress with no real desire to release physical items from the shows. It's more about the moment on the night. I'll probably try and do a very small amount of shows towards the end of the year as we have quite a lot of equipment to take out so it's a bit of a logistical nightmare!

Synth: Instruments Of Rapture has been responsible for some truly incredible output, and you’ve always endeavoured to get everything out on vinyl, do you think it’s still important to get music out on wax as well as digital?

Graeme: Thanks. I would release music on cassette, mini-disc, 8-track etc if I could...everyone has their own listening preferences and as a label you should cater to that if you can. Obviously the cost implications outweigh the reality these days as physical products are generally a loss-leader. I think a physical product makes its mark on the world in a more defined way, and I think I listen to music differently ... in a perhaps more considered way on a physical format than I do through iTunes. The way music is delivered is very important I think, but ultimately music is the answer, not format.

Synth: Finally, perhaps the most obvious question and one you might have been expecting is why did you decided to end the label after three years? Are there any new ventures in the pipeline?

Graeme: I get itchy feet and am always keen to move forward to new challenges. I am currently working on the 2nd 6th Borough Project album with Craig Smith due out beginning of 2013 and am about to start a new label with Harri from Sub Club which is quite eclectic and features some local musicians including Esa from Auntie Flo. There'll also be a limited CD release from Instruments Of Rapture due out in a couple of months with a few extra exclusives.

Instruments Of Rapture returns on Aug 5th to the Sub Club with The Revenge, Craig Smith and aliOOFT! 'The Streets Are Alive With The Hounds Of Music' is available now. 

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