7. SD LaikaThat’s Harakiri
I set up my label Lost Codes to release SD Laika. I had been running a label with a few friends called 92 Points and I came across SD Laika’s music via Soundcloud as you did back in the day. I thought his music was wild, but the rest of my friends at the label didn’t fully understand it. And I never understood why, though I am sure they do now. I spoke with SD and it seemed that was the general view – people didn’t know what to do with his music. I decided to set up a label and get his music out into the world. It was that simple. I thought it was important as I knew what it is like for people not to understand what you are doing. As I had some connections at the time I could support his music. I had all the material that ended up being this album, but once people heard the EP bigger opportunities came. I certainly wanted that to happen for artists I was signing, and it happened for a lot of them. It was really satisfying for me. I know there is a narrative that bigger labels are the enemy, which I have experienced for myself. But at the end of the day, you want artists you believe in to achieve as much as possible.
It is a shame we haven’t seen too much music after that record. Years later Aphex Twin comes back saying his favourite artist is SD Laika. I am really glad I started that journey. It also stood out that quite a few of the releases I put out were included in that initial Aphex comeback set, like Kamixlo and Acre. I feel like through my A&R I really added to the scene. In a way I am a curator as well. It was natural, I just believed in my taste, and it seemed to resonate with everyone. It is unfortunate that the journey as an A&R had to stop really.
