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David Wesley |
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Q. What inspired you to start Sursumcorda? A. In 1998, I was extremely excited about the Internet and the potential for it to support independent artists... Sursumcorda began as a parking place for the music that I had been producing over the years... Somehow, the design and concept caught the attention of other artists and the site quickly became a cooperative for all types of multimedia artists from across the globe... The nightclub/restaurant, which opened in May 2001 and closed in August 2002, was an attempt to make the web concept a reality in the 3D world. Now we are focusing on being a record label supporting an integral approach to music and production. Q. Why did you choose to start Sursumcorda in Minneapolis, instead of larger sized market such as New York or LA? A. Sursumcorda, the web presence, is global in its scope... I live in Minneapolis so it was a logical place to try the club. Perhaps, we will try the club concept again... If so, the location(s) would definitely extend beyond Minneapolis. Q. What are some of the joys and challenges of running Sursumcorda? A. The joys remain discovering new music and art. During the time that the club was open, some of my favorite experiences were courtesy of the Arco Flute Foundation, DJ Krush, and DJ Retroblast. Many of the live shows were archived on the Sursumcorda website. Go to the Live section and look for the link... Q. Any suggestions for up and coming musicians who are trying to break into the business? A. Originality is rare... Music is a very mature art form that has splintered off into a million sub-genres but an original approach always catches my ear... There are some fantastic and interesting things happening in electronic music these days... A lot of the other genres are in a retro spin cycle. Q. How do you balance your personal life with your professional one? A. I try to integrate all aspects of my life... When one is carrying out their life's work, it's difficult to make the distinction between personal and professional. That said, I've had to teach myself how to get by on only a few hours of sleep at night, to be able to make the artistic progress that I crave. Q. Do you have plans to expand Sursumcorda to other cities? A. Again, since we are now focused on being a record label and website, we are, in essence, already expanded... If we decide to retry the physical club idea, we will likely look at other cities... I'm very excited about Europe/Canada and the music/art appreciation appetite, so who knows... Q. How do you keep your own creative batteries charged up? A. My creativity, over the last few years, has been primarily focused on producing electronic music... which has been a shift in genre focus for me. That has kept me extremely energized... I also try to meditate and read a lot of metaphysical/spiritual/political material which often inspires tracks and creative surges. You can experience some of my recent music at: www.sursumcorda.com/davewesley |