Label Focus – toucan sounds
WHAT’S THE NAME OF YOUR LABEL, AND WHO RUNS IT?
toucan sounds is a record label for emerging artists, incorporating the finer elements of house, disco, and techno.
Robert PM (that’s me!) is the Label Manager (and half of French Horn Rebellion), and is helped by two A&R’s, Haruka Sakurai (aka Haruka Salt) and Kasper Meacham. We’re based out of YouTooCanWoo, an artist-owned, family-run, independent production company, housing a state-of-the-art music studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. David Perlick-Molinari (my brother, the other half of French Horn Rebellion) is in charge of the company overall with an awesome team of six staff members, who often pitch in to help out the label when we need it (which is often).
WHEN & WHY DID THE LABEL START?
With a music studio at our disposal, and with years of experience in the music industry, we are uniquely positioned to help artists, DJs and producers looking to achieve their vision – whether it’s releasing, co-writing, facilitating collaborations or helping with production. Most of our releases use the resources available at the studio – our rooms, equipment, synthesizers, and people. We pride ourselves on sustaining a stable and creative environment for our artists, conducive to making great music
Before toucan sounds existed, my brother and I were releasing music as French Horn Rebellion. We started the band in the late 2000s and performed on five continents (including appearances at many large music festivals), garnered 100+ million streams (across the usual platforms), were shortlisted for a GRAMMY, and collaborated with names such as MGMT, The Knocks, Autograf and St. Lucia. We were also called upon to produce official remixes for Sia (“Big Girls Cry”), Beyoncé (“7/11”), Two Door Cinema Club (“I Can’t Talk”) and many others.
Through that time, we were building up YouTooCanWoo, and in 2019, we decided to start a curated record label, toucan sounds. We began by putting out music with artist friends and acquaintances (mostly in the Indie Dance / Nu Disco genres) such as Yuksek, Jean Tonique, Jacques Renault and Louis La Roche. These releases started to catch the attention of the local scene, and soon we found ourselves collaborating with many of Brooklyn’s best emerging artists, leading us towards the more tactile sounds of deep house, soulful house, techno, and jazz – which is our musical focus today.
GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’VE RELEASED SINCE THEN….
In 2019, we started inviting local artists into the space. That’s when we co-wrote, co-produced, and released the debut singles, and EPs of the NYC DJ-Duo, musclecars, Haruka Salt, and Dee Diggs. We also have been releasing, co-writing, and co-producing with Brandon Markell Holmes, who’s inimitable voice has become a staple of the label on our house releases, and Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue, who similarly has appeared on our disco releases.
We’ve put out three compilations – two on vinyl – and one exclusively on Bandcamp, where 100% of proceeds go to artists.
Beyond the artists listed above, we’ve also released original music, features or remixes by AceMo, Adi Oasis, Derrick Carter, Eli Escobar, Moullinex, Felipe Gordon, Fat Tony, Glassio, Hoshina Anniversary (aka Shifting Gears), Monsieur Van Pratt, Drop Out Orchestra, Birdee, Bohan Phoenix, Anthony Nicholson, Rimarkable, Sinego and many more.
Since starting toucan sounds, our in-house producers have collaborated with artists on many records that were released on other labels, either in the co-writer, mixer, or producer role, including Purple Disco Machine, Blu DeTiger, Sofi Tukker, Boris Way, and more.
WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE MUSIC YOU RELEASE?
We look for music that inspires us, moves us or sparks curiosity. We also look for artists who are willing to engage authentically with their audience.
WHAT KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY DOES THE LABEL HAVE (ARTWORK, VIDEOS ETC)?
We started with limited resources, and so many of the label’s hand-drawn visuals (including the logo), were originally created by me. As we’ve grown, we’ve been able to bring in some fantastic Brooklyn-based artists and designers. Recently, the talented Adrianne Born guided us through a brand refresh in 2021, updating our logo and overall aesthetic. We encourage our artists to find visuals that match their music, and in that process have connected with artists such as Dean Ruggieri, Jonna Mayer, Conrad Clifton, Slodown, Race Krehel who have created some great record covers and videos for us.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SELLING RELEASE TO DATE? TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHY YOU THINK IT WAS SO POPULAR.
Our top-selling release was a collaborative EP by Jean Tonique and Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue called ‘Open Market.’ The EP had two original songs, and two remixes. The remixes were done by Jacques Renault and Louis La Roche, and one of the originals featured vocals by Adi Oasis. This one felt like a superstar collab, and immediately picked up a lot of attention. The collaboration happened as many do at the studio. Jean Tonique was on tour in NYC and was looking to perform at an after-party. We set up an afterparty, and also a co-writing session at our studio space for him. The EP was the result of that party and co-write.
NAME ONE RELEASE THAT YOU THINK DESERVED TO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN IT DID
DJ Pasta – Batadoris Too, and especially the song ‘Waxing Moon’ featuring Sebastian Adé. This EP is absolutely fantastic. DJ Pasta will be releasing Batadoris Three this year, and it’s equally as good.
IF YOU COULD SIGN ANY ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
MGMT, for obvious reasons. Their music speaks for itself.
WHICH OTHER LABELS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?
Original Favorites: Kitsuné, Ed Banger, DFA,
The sounds that inspired me to make alternative music in the first place were the releases of Kitsuné and Ed Banger. Our early French Horn Rebellion material is heavily influenced by these labels – especially by artists such as Daft Punk, Justice, Digitalism, Mr. Oizo, and Simian Mobile Disco. David and I have lived in New York since the 2000s, and so we have always been big fans of DFA Records too. All three labels have their own visual and sonic identity which helps to elevate their artists.
Favorite New Labels: Haus of Altr, Mister Saturday Night, Sorry Records
These are just my three favorites – there are many I could mention. The Brooklyn underground is a very exciting place right now – plenty of creativity and a lot of emerging artists pushing musical boundaries. And I wouldn’t be surprised if these labels were no longer underground in a year’s time. They have an open ethos of sound, are able to release music that crosses genres, but yet, they still have a cohesion.
WHAT CAN WE LOOK TO FROM YOUR LABEL NEXT?
We’re kicking off 2023 with a massive vinyl release featuring the ‘best of’ collaborations with Brandon Markell Holmes. The four-track vinyl includes mixes from Derrick Carter, Anthony Nicholson, Dee Diggs, musclecars, Joey Mercedes, and Rogue Vogue. There will be a release party January 26 at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn, which will also be Brandon’s debut live performance.
Beyond artists mentioned above, we have new music from Kaleta, Cee ElAssaad, John Barera, Brian Abelson as well as our own projects, Robert PM, French Horn Rebellion in the pipeline.