We continue our label showcase series here, and in conjunction with Deep House Amsterdam, highlighting some of our favourite labels from around the world, we thought we would catch up with London-based Needwant Records‘ boss, Sean Brosnan to get the scoop on all things Needwant.
Launched in 2009, and boasting a roster featuring Mario Basanov, Nicholas, The Mekanism, Kim Ann Foxman, The Revenge and more, Needwant is truly a label on the rise.
Also, at the end of the article there is a slamming mix from Sean himself, so that you can get an idea of the Needwant Records experience as it was meant to be heard…in the mix! Of the mix, Sean describes, “I wanted to create a mix that was right for the start of summer and to be listened to as the temperature rises over the next few months. I was trying to create a mix that could somewhat join the dots between the Journeys compilation and the more Techno leaning sounds on the label. In the end i came up with a dreamy selection that would work for sunset or sunrise, to be hopefully consumed somewhere more tropical than London.”
“The name was kind of a play on the capitalist ideals of needing and wanting things.”
What does Needwant add to the dance music spectrum?
We like to think some sense of quality. Sounds come and go, but we try to keep a sense of emotion and soul with the music we release. I like to think we only release timeless music and I think we get that right most of the time. I don’t listen back and cringe.
When did you first think about launching Needwant
I’d always dreamt about running a record label, even when I was at school. Some kids wanted to play for Man Utd and I always wanted to run a record label. I loved the dance music culture from when I was about twelve years old; collecting rave flyers and buying old school jungle records. So once I had worked for someone else’s label for a few years I felt like I knew enough to get started on my own.
When did Needwant actually launch?
Then end of 2009, start of 2010. We released a Future Disco compilation and it became iTunes album of the year. Compilations aren’t cheap to make and I had put every penny I had into it. So when two months later it was highlighted on itunes as their Dance Album of the Year it really felt rewarding and gave me the start I needed.
Story behind the Needwant name?
I was running warm parties in London but wanted to do something more art based so I started a little fanzine, just black and white. I asked designers I liked to submit art, poems and artists for interviews. It was called Needwant, the name was kind of a play on the capitalist ideals of needing and wanting things. I used to think quite deeply about things in those days☺
What was the most difficult aspect of launching the label?
I think it’s a balance of finance and then just having the confidence to actually do it. I mean, anyone really can launch a label, it’s just a name on beatport. To actually have a label that operates properly and in profit, for a long period of time, it’s a big job.
But saying that it all comes down to the music, so the most difficult job for any label is to keep the music right, especially when you launch you need to be a bit different otherwise there is no point.
What qualities do you look for in a Needwant artist?
Mainly the depth of the production. They have to have layers of sound. I really love new ideas too and also just real quality and care for what they are doing. I seem to have a knack for finding artists when they are at the start of their career and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s just because they are doing something really interesting at that point and that gets me excited.
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