Release Good Music with Good People: An Interview with Inner Ocean Records
Inner Ocean Records is a flagship label within the Lo-Fi/Downtempo space.
But take us back to the beginning…
What sparked Inner Ocean’s creation?
The label started with wanting to create our own community of artists and make a space for releasing music; that was flexible and adaptable to each artists needs. We love physical media, so we were inspired to design our own releases on CD/Cassette/Vinyl… and get them in the hands of fans around the world. We started with ambient and experimental music, then after a few years started releasing lofi, beats and hip-hop which lead us later towards jazz, soul, r&b as well.
Inner Ocean is regularly mentioned as a cornerstone of the lo-fi hip hop movement, with many classic albums in your discography.
Did you ever envision the impact you were going to have with Inner Ocean Records?
Short answer is no.
I’ve always just released projects that I like and tried to slowly build community along the way. I think it’s hard to grasp what impact you will have on a global online community, especially when you’re looking at it from the inside and just focusing on the next projects you’re working on.
From the early Inner Ocean era, what are 3 albums that you listen to still and excite you - even today?
Favourite albums from the early days in no particular order:
One of the first amazing releases we put out was by Iranian ambient artist Porya Hatami, his “Land” album is still one of my favourite go to ambient records.
It’s a stunning album.
Second, my good friend Dominic Pierce from Calgary, his album “Hoop Loops” is still a massive favourite.
His art direction, subtle humour and amazing production still holds up and will be a timeless classic.
Third, Brother Mynor “Celebrities Doin Thaangs”. I’ve never encountered another album quite like this one, it’s musically brilliant and hilarious.
Inner Ocean has a strong, distinct aesthetic…
What are your biggest influences/inspirations behind these unique designs and visual identity?
I like a lot of colour and artwork/designs that stand out.
My driving force is: I imagine what an album would look like if I saw it randomly in a record store, if the artwork would stand out to me enough to want to pick it up and see what it is then the artwork is a success to me.
For those looking to dive into the world of physical releases, what’s the most important bit of advice you’d give from your experience of running a record label?
If you’re starting out printing physical music, the artwork is absolutely essential!
At this point in history no one really “needs” physical media to listen to music, so now it’s more of a collectible luxury item. So you need to take the time to make sure you design it to be a standout in someone’s collection. Go the extra mile and spend a bit more to make sure the package is beautiful.
Ambient, lo-fi and the music industry in general has really evolved since Inner Ocean’s inception.
How have these changes impacted your approach to running the label?
I think you just have to keep a keen ear to the ground, and stay on top of the shifting landscape.
Don’t be afraid to try new ideas and follow your gut on your next steps. I’ve seen the rise and fall of many platforms, artists and labels. You know that everything is going to change eventually, so you just have to put out projects that you’ll look back on and be proud of.
In terms of how I run the label, the guiding force hasn’t changed since we started: release good music with good people.
Outside of your own releases, could you name some albums for us that changed the way you think about music?
In my youth in the 90’s, I grew up listening to alternative rock, punk, metal, etc.
Music wasn’t so accessible back then so you listened to what was around you and what the scene was. Somewhere around 2003-2004 I discovered an ambient artist Steve Roach and his album “Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces”, it was a massive 4 disc album on CD (I have an autographed version).
There were several things about this album and the artist that stood out to me:
1) musically it was on the opposite side of the spectrum from everything I knew and when I heard it I was converted to an ambient music fan for life
2) the length of the album was insane and all the tracks flowed together into a seamless piece of music
3) looking through Roach’s catalog I discovered that he was self releasing several albums a year and still does that to this day.
He has a huge catalog and he was shipping out the CD’s himself from his home studio. That might not sound like a big deal today but in those days e-commerce and running your own online store was a new concept.
That was a big inspiration for me and how I started and still operate the label.
Similarly, around the same time I came across an album by John Frusciante that he released online for free called “From The Sounds Inside”, it was all recorded himself on a 4 track tape recorder. The songs are very lo fidelity, I think this was the first time I heard something that wasn’t professionally produced in a studio and realized that music made in your house in a very raw form was still amazing.
What’s one thing your listeners/followers wouldn’t expect about you?
I’ve been making ambient music in different ways and under different names since the early 2000’s.
I think some people might assume I also make beats, since that’s what our label is known for, but beats are not my forte.
Is there one big thing you’d like to achieve with your platform before the end of 2024?
This year we have partnered with a local business I Love You Coffee to have a record store within their cafe.
We’ve been slowly building it out but by the end of 2024 there will be several thousand LP’s and tapes to shop and dig through. We are also trying to partner with other independent labels to feature their albums in the store.
Could you give us a sneak preview of what Inner Ocean Records has planned for 2025?
I can’t say.
We’ll just keep doing our thing.
Find Inner Ocean Records on
Website | Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | X | Bandcamp | Soundcloud
