Alex Picone Reps Seekers

Say What? opens its interview and podcast series with Alex Picone - a label manager, producer and dj with more than a decade of experience, all the while remaining extremely humble. Most recently, he started party and label Seekers, producing the first ep on the label titled A Bit, while the second and most recent showcases Ewan Jansen’s Rip Tide ep.

Alex exhibits his dj skills in his podcast for Say What?, and takes some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions about Seekers as well as his other projects....

Hi Alex! First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer the questions.

Thank you for checking up on me :).

The last time we spoke you mentioned you were addicted to studio work. What productions are you currently working on?

Currently I'm working on some of my own productions and some with Etienne. We have a really nice time in the studio and soon you will hear what we are doing in there. Our project is called Eticone and an ep will be out in November.

You have been collecting records for more than 20 years now. Can you name one album or ep that you think is “timeless”?

Hard to choose, but first one that popped in my head is The Black Dog - Parallel.

For the next Seekers party in October, you will return to Ibiza where you held its first ever party. Many people have complained about the commercialisation of the island, but it seems like it will never lose its special charm. Why do you think it is still a place worth returning?

Ibiza is a second home for many of us. Its beauty never faded. The commercialization is real and it's scary but I believe there is space for all of us and we should all work to keep our place here. Dj Rhadoo is a good example of a dj who is fighting to keep underground music alive in Ibiza with his residency at Ibiza Underground club. Many underground labels from all over the world are coming to do their party on the island...We're still here.

On the records, Seekers has chosen to leave out the producers’ names. Why have you decided to keep them unknown? Do you think this inspires music fans to dig a little deeper?

I like to hear a track and not know who the artist is, just by looking at the cover of the records...

Can you tell us a bit about Seekers' second release, Rip Tide ep? In the description it is written: "4 beautiful tracks recorded in DAT between the years 1998-2002”. How did you find these tapes?

Well it was not easy to find them, but we like to seek...It took us almost 1 year to release the second record, but it was worth the wait... we are very happy with it :)

You recently opened Smallblackdots, a vinyl distribution based in Berlin. What stores do you distribute to? Can you tell us about its concept and what attracts you to the labels you support?

Yes, together with my friend Nick, we opened a small, friendly distribution. We distribute almost all over the world, from the small shops to the big online shops. We tried to gather a group of labels that share a similar style of music and hold the same respect for quality records. It's not only about the music, it's also about how the vinyl sounds.

Thank you Alex!

If you haven't already, check out his podcast here!!