This is the conundrum I’ve been sitting on: ever since I first stumbled upon net label Aural Sects, I’ve been debating whether the homophonic ‘Aural Sects’ sounds as good as it feels or feels as good as it sounds. Owners and operators, Bunny (Pe† Ceme†ery), Joe (spf50), Jack (Fire Coral) and Micah (I AM WATER) have not offered me any clarity on the matter, but they definitely have me feeling some type of way.
The internet-based imprint was birthed in the fog of the early days of witch house, the lovechild of a group of people banded together by their mutual distaste for the traditional music industry structure, and a shared vision of complete creative freedom. The Aural Sects team reject a lot of the usual trapping of the ‘biz’, disregarding things like contracts, monetary loss and monetary gain and fixing their gaze solely on artist development and community building. Essentially, Aural Sects is a family – bound together by blood but minus the expectations.
As with anything popularised through social media channels, Aural Sects has had to put in work in order to stay relevant. The introduction of new technologies and social media platforms has assisted in growing the label but it has also increased the number of web imprints in existence – meaning more vigorous A&R to discover new sounds. Fortunately, dedication is a unifying trait within the Aural Sects crew, who are ready for the challenge and unafraid of the future. To date, Aural Sects has gifted us gems from some of my favourite acts, including VS//YOUTHCLUB, Psychic Rites, Fifty Grand and Party Trash, who will be releasing their self-titled LP next month.
We peeked through the looking glass and spoke with Aural Sects co-founder Bunny, below:
<ACCLAIMmagazine> A/S/L?
<Bunny> 26 / Space Alien / Manchester, UK.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> What’s your real name, not your cyber name?
<Bunny> Daniel Kay-Traynor.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> When did you first join the online community?
<Bunny> Late 2000, but I had a techno-free hiatus from 2004 – 2009.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Be honest, what was your first internet handle?
<Bunny> This is everyone’s horrific hidden secret, isn’t it? slay8r_81 and I’m suitably ashamed.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Preferred net browser?
<Bunny> Chrome.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> How many hours a day do you spend online?
<Bunny> All of them.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Favourite social media network and why?
<Bunny> Facebook, because my feed there is tailored beautifully.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> To hashtag or not to hashtag?
<Bunny> #Always #Fucking #Hashtag.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> What do you think a selfie says about a person?
<Bunny> It’s a perfect encapsulation of what that human is at that moment, culture included.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Who is your biggest online influencer?
<Bunny> @Horse_ebooks.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> What was the last thing you looked up on Wikipedia?
<Bunny> Monster primes.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Where is your favourite place to shop online?
<Bunny> Boomkat – they send beautiful data and equally beautiful vinyl.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> How does your online identity compare to your IRL identity?
<Bunny> That’s a false dichotomy.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> How has the internet helped to develop your creative endeavours?
<Bunny> I couldn’t even brain correctly without the internet, let alone create.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> How do you keep up with the constant evolution of online tastes and trends?
<Bunny> Look after your feed, and your feed will look after you.
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Best GIF going around ATM?
<Bunny> You had to ask this the week this came out, didn’t you?
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Can you show us a meme that best represents you?
<Bunny> This:
<ACCLAIMmagazine> Final words to the haters?
<Bunny> Try harder. Or give up. Either way I will kill you with my love.
/END CHAT
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