Page 18 - Zone Magazine Issue 008

completion of release artwork including social media art, teaser video made for youtube channels and this is even before any promotion starts or distribution is involved.
Brent: Once those stages are complete we are centred on our PR and promo campaigns. We use our own database to target the music to DJs, radio and magazines. We push for the music to get maximum exposure, and try to explore any opportunities for it to be played or written about. Throughout a promo campaign using DJ promo's / videos etc we are collecting feedback and information to present to digital outlets in aid to get features on their sites.
After this when its actually released we start to look at social media and manage an anti piracy campaign. We also try to feature our artists on our monthly "Frisky Radio" show at the time of their release.
As you can see it’s an involved process, so challenges for me personally are balancing this between other commitments, family life, and agency. It’s a difficult piece to manage and keep everyone happy and everything on schedule. I guess that is where my other commitments as a planner & scheduler and what we do on the label work very well together.
Lee: We both mainly work on all aspects of the label at present between the two of us with little outsourced. The majority of times we are in different locations and often-different countries when working.
From a different aspect of what we do it can be challenging when we diversify on releases. Its sometimes feel like there is an expectation for us to release similar music most of the time.
How important would you say it is to look at the current trends in music and try stay a step ahead by being experimental instead of the same old groundhog day stage we see happening more and more?
Lee: We both believe its important not to become a one sound label. It would be so easy to release one sound or style and gain a following for mainly for one genre. This is successful for many labels and some artists but where’s the challenge in that? And when that sound is no longer flavour of the month or year your label becomes dated. We are a dance music imprint that’s about aiming to release quality across the board and because of the current pigeonhole mentality this makes our job so much harder but we are prepared to take the rough with the smooth for the benefit of the label and music long term.
Brent: It’s a real tricky but interesting challenging thing to do. You have to distance yourself from what you like what you would play, you have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and sign music that maybe wouldn’t fit in your record box – (USB!!). There are real risks when doing this in the beginning because many of your initial followers will be used to the first sound you released on the label.
Some of our newer material in the pipeline will surprise you and hopefully intrigue you.
What this does do though is start to attract different ears to the label and bring on board different people to the concept of Pro-B-Tech Records, so the unexpected can be also expected.
This is also where scheduling is extremely important with what genre, type of track you release one week or month and keeping it different and fresh each time.
On top of the record label you guys of course run a artist agency, tell us more on the concept behind this and what you expect to achieve from this?
Brent: The agency was always something I wanted to do to co inside with the label.
I'm am always looking for ways the help the artists involved and bring different aspects of what we all do together. Lots of the artists are also DJs so it makes sense that we should try help promote them in this area and its also Pro B Tech brand expansion.
The agency is still new and is gradually building as we know its important that's its looked after correctly.
Its main focus is on the acts / DJs that we work with on the label rather than a full on agency that will cover 30 or 40 acts. We have a great-organised booking system that is very modern making it easy and transparent for the act and potential promoter.
The roster already includes Blue Amazon, Ian Dillon, Sebastian Markiewicz, DaGeneral, TR20, NameSpace and last but not least myself. I see real opportunity within these guys due to the quality in their productions and gigs they are already involved in.
Lee: There's definitely more of a music purpose feel about the agency in helping develop the artists around us. Its wasn't started as a pure business were its about us trying to sign any act who can get us maximum bookings and we take a % of the top.
Exciting times indeed so who can promoters book exclusively from Pro-B-Tech Agency, can you give us a little run down of who you manage?
Brent: Well as mentioned Blue Amazon, Ian Dillon, Sebastian Markiewicz, DaGeneral, TR20, NameSpace and my self are presently available.
It’s a great solid roster with a real cross genre set of artists / DJ’s who are all very active and unique in their own rights. "Blue Amazon" is currently more on the energetic groove side, nothing too hard, nothing too deep or dark but great floor music mixed very well. Myself, Ian Dillon and Namespace is more of a true Progressive sound with twists and turns but all different sounding from this area. You get a mixture of the quality prog sound but enthused with vocal cuts, touches of teck and surprises.
Sebastian has that European flavour to is sets its teck , its groovy but can also
be dark. Tr20 cross merges prog with a more electronic edge and DaGeneral is covering the upbeat techno sound with quality.
This makes me think that "Pro-B- Tech" club nights could easily feature across the globe, taking the brand and artists into new regions?
Brent: That’s the vision but there is still a lot to do and it’s about small steps to bigger steps.
With the amount of interest via global Radio shows such as our monthly Frisky Radio Pro-B-Tech Radio, numerous guest mixes globally with Argentina, Mexico and many more we are working with, combined with the agency and label, We have the potential to take ourselves on a journey to many places and venues as possible
What exciting things can we expect from both the label and the agency, and what sets Pro-B-Tech a step above some of it's competitors?
Brent: There's a lot I don’t want to say too much about at present as its wise to have plans firmly in place before trying to exploit them. We have more affiliations with some major brands on the way, A new compilation album series and a new label, releases and remixes from more new and established producers. Pro-B- Tech / Probtech Agency gigs are being worked on, and on a personal note its a massive milestone for myself thanks to the partnership with Lee is my first production with a very tasty remix package to hit the streets this year.
Lee: I think in regards to competitors is hard for us to mention other labels or what they do compared to us. Were not trying to build a model based around other labels successes in aim to compete. We are very respectful and have admiration for any one out there who is doing well because it’s a hard game we are in. We are challenging ourselves for the best options, the best output and the best for the music and artist. Our will to push for progression and keep evaluating what we are doing won’t stop.
I feel we are very much a label focused on the public as much as industry tastemakers and aiming to make our own mark on scene. So it’s a very long-term plan and journey we are on with lots of exciting times and ventures ahead.
Connect:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ ProBTechRecords/
Beatport: https://pro.beatport.com/label/pro- b-tech-records/27494
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/pro-b- tech
Agency: https://www.facebook.com/ ProbtechAgency/
Radio show : https://www.friskyradio.com/ show/pro_b_tech_radio/
email: Brent@ProbtechAgency.co.uk
Words By Alan Lumley
Pics By Bobby lawson
18 ZONE-MAGAZINE.IE