LimeWire Music Blog

Just in time for Halloween, I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Owens, the label manager for Ghostly International and Spectral Sound. Founded by Sam Valenti IV in 1999 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ghostly is one of America’s most innovative and influential independent record labels. Continue reading below to find out why…

Are there any differences in philosophy or focus between your two sister labels, Ghostly International and Spectral Sound?

Ghostly International focuses on avant pop (electronic, rock, hip hop, and everything in between) and SMM (ambient atmospheric listening music) while Spectral Sound focuses on dance-floor-friendly music.

A lot of your artists record and perform under multiple aliases — Matthew Dear/Audion/False, Dabrye/Tadd Mullinix/James T.Cotton, Michna/Egg Foo Young, et al. Why don’t more labels allow their artists this kind of freedom?

I don’t know if it is the labels that do not give the artists the freedom. I think it is actually a little more common for multiple aliases in the electronic world. If the musical leanings and personalities are distinct, it makes sense to have multiple aliases. We’re here to let our artists grow as they choose.

What’s your all-time high score on Pac-Man?

Who pays attention to score? Obviously, not that high of a score…

Most of your artists make electronic and/or computerized music. How do the more guitar-based pop bands (School of Seven Bells, Mobius Band) fit into the family portrait? Do you consciously try to diversify your stable of artists?

They make sense because we love the music that these bands/artists/producers create. There is no calculated effort in our choices to diversify. Everyone at Ghostly has eclectic tastes so why can’t the label? It would get a little uninteresting if we felt a need to stick to one defined style. Ghostly is a reflection of our growth as a company and as people.

Why does Ghostly place such an emphasis on graphic design? Do you see the visual and musical aspects of the art you guys produce as being separate, or just two facets of the same project/aesthetic?

We believe design sets an important tone to one’s identity. You don’t put something on your walls at the house if you don’t identify with it. Don’t you always remember the artwork to your favorite records? Let’s make the visual as powerful as the music such as labels like Factory and 4AD have. If an artist is going to pour that much energy into the music, so should the designer, right?

You were one of the pioneers of packaging other types of media with your albums (toys, vinyl, CDs, USB drives, hardcover books, etc.), as well as the digital-only / digital-first album release. Here’s your chance to take credit for changing the music industry by toying with the way albums get distributed…

WE DID CHANGE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY! Ghostly was never just a record label in the traditional sense. What does the term record label mean anyway? We are about building culture around the music that can engage, compel, and always reinvent itself. This means more than an audio file. It is a lifestyle.

We know about your established stars — Matthew Dear, Dabrye, et al. Who are some of the new up-and-comers in the Ghostly family?

Well, you mentioned School of Seven Bells. But we also have new releases from Tycho, Deastro, The Chap, The Sight Below, and more to come from the already established artists too.