Interview with Hayden Berry – Preserved Sound.

I have been a fan of Preserved Sound and was lucky to discover them early on and have several of their releases in my collection. Over the years they have maintained a handmade aesthetic while producing releases over a variety of genres while cultivating a roster that includes Vitaly Beskrovny, Tess Said So, Adrian Lane, Ales Tsurko and label boss Hayden Berry’s own Visionary Hours project. Hayden generously answered the questions I sent to him.

What were your intentions in starting the label? Was it to release your own music or document an artist(s) or scene? 

Preserved Sound was started by a small group of friends in Krakow, Poland, in 2011. Between us we were in four different musical projects producing music in the post-rock and ambient genres, and we felt that we needed some kind of platform to promote and release our music. We put on a concert by all four artists played and gave away a free 4-track sampler. This was followed by releases from Visionary Hours, New Century Classics and Lights Dim. At this stage, Preserved Sound wasn’t so much of a label, as a collective of artists who believed in strength in numbers and that we were better of promoting our music together than individually.

 

Shortly after this, we had an idea to release a compilation of ambient artists from Ukraine and Poland, and worked with our friends at AZK Promo in Kyiv to pull together some of the most important ambient artists working in both countries. We released this as a hand-made, limited edition double CD called It’s Not Boring, It’s Ambient, featuring artists such as Emiter and Pleq from Poland, and Heinali and Endless Melancholy from Ukraine. The compilation can still be downloaded for free from our website. On the back of the success of the compilation, we started receiving loads of requests from artists asking us to release their albums. And so Preserved Sound was born!

You’ve developed a catalogue by putting out several releases by Vitaly Beskrovny, Tess Said So, Adrian Lane, Max Ananyev and others. Is it important to build a catalogue as opposed to being a destination label (by that I mean a label that has releases from artists who release on many other labels)?

Preserved Sound has always been about building a family of artists, rather than being a “destination” label. When we decide to release a particular artist, we do so with the understanding that the artist will develop, and we hope that he or she won’t just create the same album over and over again, but will deliver something new. Our artists understand that Preserved Sound won’t make them rich, but they also know that they are contributing to building a space for them to grow and develop their work. This is why it’s important for us to be loyal to our artists. We don’t use contracts, and our artists are free to take their albums elsewhere if they choose. Like many small labels, we operate on a good faith basis.

What are the fundamental requirements in putting out a release? Is it purely the music, the relationships formed or are there also economic considerations?

The only requirement for Preserved Sound to put out a release is that we like the music. This means that we’re prepared to take the hit if an album doesn’t do as well as we expected. But at the same time, it’s important that an artist is prepared to help promote their album. We’re all in this together, and it’s important for us to know that an artist won’t just sit back and expect everything to happen, but will be fully involved in the process. The more an artist is engaged in promotion, the further the album will go. Like Richard Knox from Gizeh Records mentioned in one of your previous interviews: “The only thing I’m concerned about is; are the people involved nice and is the music good.” This sums it up really!

 

Labels have come and gone in the time you have been running Preserved Sound. What has kept you going while others have stopped?

 That’s a difficult question to answer. Running a small label can be a lonely pursuit, and I question why I do it on a fairly regular basis. I have a full-time job and a young family, and the time I can dedicate to running the label is pretty limited. I suppose the one thing that has kept me going is the belief in the music Preserved Sound releases. I enjoy the process of developing a release, from initial contact with an artist through to sending out the product. There’s something quite addictive about it! I also like the idea of giving a platform to unknown artists

 You’ve released one vinyl LP in Richard Youngs’ Red Alphabet in the Snow. Is this a format you would return to?

Yes! I’ve just released Beyond the White by my own Visionary Hours project as a limited edition vinyl of just 99 copies. And I’m releasing a new album on vinyl by Richard Youngs called Arrow in late spring 2018. I’d love to release more on vinyl, but the cost is quite prohibitive. It’s important for a label to be accessible, and unfortunately vinyl isn’t the most accessible format. How many people under the age of 25 can afford to regularly buy vinyl priced £15 or more? Not to mention the postage costs!

 

What does the future bring for Preserved Sound? How far do you plan into the future?

 I never used to think we planned very much into the future, but when I look at what we’ve got lined up for 2018, I suppose you could call it a plan. Other than the Richard Youngs vinyl, we have a new album by cellist Aaron Martin coming in January. We’ve also got a couple of albums by new artists to Preserved Sound—more on that to come soon. Tess Said So and Poppy Nogood are also recording new albums.

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