TEA with Subjected (VAULT SERIES)

Far removed from the ministry of airbrushed babes and headphones only worn around the neck, comes 2010's Berlin boom town record label VAULT SERIES. 

VAULT SERIES has joined the likes of Horizontal Ground and Pom Pom in prioritising their music over their personalities. The three-pronged VAULT SERIES crew no nothing other than booming kick drums and four-four time signatures representative of a German disposition.

Over email correspondence TEA caught up with Subjected for a quick exchange on German industrialism and black tea, naturally.

You started VAULT SERIES in 2010. Tell us about your inspirations and influences leading up to starting the label?

The idea of Vault was first thought of in 2009 or even earlier. Sawlin and I had shared the same passion for dark techno but had no way of releasing it because at that stage it was too early. We were collecting and producing tracks but no one really showed an interest so I said 'Fuck it, lets do our own label, I’ll send our stuff to a distributor and see how it goes'. After a few weeks we had a contract with Intergroove.

You initially started the label as a means to release music for yourself 'Subjected' as well as Sawlin and Moerbeck. Tell us about your relationship with these two.

I’ve known Moerbeck for around 9 years. We lived in the same district and I often spent time with him chilling at his flat. He was already making music but it was more hip hop than electronic. We always wanted to produce music but their were always other things going on. Then Moerbeck and Sawlin started working together where they shared and developed a similar style. Eventually I met Sawlin and we began to produce. Moerbeck and I moved to different districts and didn´t see each other as often. When I had the idea for Vault, Sawlin showed me some Moerbeck tracks and his productions represented our idea of techno. I called up Moerbeck and told him my plan for the VAULT SERIES and now all three us of meet regularly to produce music and share a great friendship.

Tell us more about Sawlin and Moerbeck.

Both have been making music for over 10 years and love their analogue instruments. Both are freaks in edging, shaping and cutting their own sounds. Sawlin is also the big daddy, I learned a lot from him. He also has a great ear for mixdowns. And Moerbeck? He is a extremely creative person with his own distinctive style that fits the Vault Series perfectly.

The VAULT SERIES idea of techno is ‘raw and industrial with heavy distortion and experimental soundscapes’. Can you elaborate on your style of techno and what you are trying to express.

We are trying to express the dark, rough and strange elements in music. Music under the surface and out of a Vault. If a sound is to clean we often don’t take it, we are searching for unique strange sounds that you haven't heard before.

The collaborations between the three VAULT SERIES artists must be a very special thing. You all have a very similar yet individual ideas and principles of techno. Tell us a bit more about these collaborations in the studio.

That’s hard to explain. We know how a track has to sound. If there is an element that is to simple we say “this has to be more aggressive or more effected” so we edge and mould our sounds until the result is perfect and everyone is confident with the final product.

Will VAULT SERIES remain solely as a platform for releasing Sawlin, Moerbeck and Subjected music?

For the next few years, yes. Only Sawlin, Moerbeck and Subjected.

Tell us about the Vault Series live?

Yes, Sawlin and I together played our first live gig at Berghain in September 2010. Further live and DJ gigs are planned. We are also working on a larger scale live performance where all three of us will be jamming, improvising and djing together at same time.

How did you find yourself first effected by electronic music and what eventually led you to producing?

It all stems back to the first nights when we started heading out to clubs. We didn’t know each other at the time but the process of how we got into electronic music was the same. As kids we did graffiti, made hip hop and listened to jungle. Then we started going to clubs like E-Werk and Tresor. I heard so much new music and that was the point where I began to DJ and produce. For all of us those nights were very inspiring. The artists we saw are too many to mention but sounds from Detroit like Model 500, Robert Hood and the whole UR thing played a big part. Nowadays we are feeling industrial and dark sounds from artists like Milton Bradley, Xhin and Ancient Methods.

The VAULT SERIES is doing its part in keeping techno underground. How important do you think the role of anonymity is in techno?

I think anonymity and keeping it underground results in our attitude. The music and its output is more important then how many friends or pictures you have on your myspace or facebook account, who cares about that when your output is cheap and boring. This extroversion is sometimes very embarrassing and that’s none of our business.

Tell us about your involvement with Grounded Theory and do you have any plans for a VAULT SERIES label night?

I can't say whether there will be a Vault Series party in the future, but we are working on improving our VAULT SERIES live and DJ showcases. As for Grounded Theory, they have the same idea of representing music as VAULT SERIES. The face value of the artist is not as important, but rather the image of the music and the label. That’s what I like. I’m very happy to be working with Grounded Theory.

Looking back on 2010 how did you find running the label in its first year?

It’s been great and I’m also surprised, our music is played worldwide and the feedback has been mind blowing.

How far would you like the label to eventually branch out?

I’m not sure yet, I haven't had time to think about it. At the moment I’m taking it one step at a time.

What have you got planned for 2011?

No real master plan. We will be releasing new Vault tracks and maybe by the end of 2011 we’ll have the first VAULT SERIES LP, but at the moment we really don’t know.

What is your favorite tea?

Black tea of course… a tea like a vault.

Download Subjected's exclusive VAULT SERIES mix for TEA which includes some new and unreleased tracks.