IndieRec interview with Beth Sereni of Kriztal Entertainment, January, 2005
By David DiSanzo
http://www.indierec.com

Electronica, Smooth Jazz, Alt-Jazz, Lounge, Cocktail, Come Down, Chill Out, Etc, etc., etc....

I work in New York City. In New York City there is a radio station that refers to itself as "CD 101.9". Back in the late 80's when the station adopted its name CDs were a new medium. Attracting listeners with the fact that they played no vinyl, only CDs the station adhered strictly to a playlist of what's known as smooth jazz. It is that mellow-ish instrumental aural wallpaper that artists such as Kenny G popularized. Not even daring enough to be considered New Age, this music became the soundtrack to every taxi cab ride that I have taken over the past ten years. Luckily enough I they were all short rides for the most part.

It's funny that a musical genre such as this, essentially a watered down version of strong and creative artists such as Dexter Gordon, would be valued so highly in New York. I suppose I am being a bit too opinionated but regardless I need to point out that this radio station is now expanding its horizons and its playlist. They've started to incorporate mellow electronica to add a modern touch of sophistication to the mix. What this brings to the station is tricky to discern as a lot of this music leans in the direction of Kenny G but with a break beat thrown in. A large portion of it, however, is actually born out of an innovative and creative artistic vision that transcends the binary medium and comes through to the human ears as not only provocative and stunning but emotional and relevant.

Much like the dawn of what is now known as New Age, this music was created out of a healthy desire to make use of modern tools and technology to provide a soundtrack to life that would be motivational and sincere. Early inspiration for New Age came from Tangerine Dream and other electronic / progressive rock acts (influenced by Pink Floyd) as well as the avant-garde. Once it became mass marketed and overrun by band wagon labels and artists one had to really seek out and hunt for the original, the special.

A new label out in Miami has been mining this music for a few years now, searching the world over for its premier artists, those with the power to transcend the blandness that this category of music can easily succumb to. What they've hit upon is a splendid assortment of artists and compilations that run the spectrum of funky to loungey to soulful to laid back intoxication. For someone exploring the genre for the first time or someone looking for the right music for a dinner party or late night soiree, this is the place to start.

My recommendations: Try Flunk's new release called Morning Star. Flunk are an outfit out of Norway that perform poppy tunes with breathy female vocals using both electronic and acoustic instruments. Their music sounds both organic and original and is capable of taking you on a sonic adventure in melody and sound. For compilations try the Vintage Chill series of four volumes (one for each season). These discs contain some of the finest chill out music out there including wonderful tracks by artists such as Hardkandy from the UK and some interesting remixes of classic jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald.

It's about time that someone does justice to this modern genre. There's an awful lot of these types of compilations in the shops these days, especially in the import bins, but if you are looking to jump in without really knowing the various artists yet, Kriztal is the place to start. You are pretty much guaranteed to find something of quality and substance that appeals to you and that will stay with you for a long time.

www.kriztal.com

Beth Sereni is the Label Manager and the A&R; rep of the company. Read on to find out more about her business!

IR: As Label Manager and A&R; Rep of Kriztal Entertainment can you give a little background info on the company as when it started, in what territories it has a presence, and the overall goal is as far as the music being produced?

BS: Kriztal sprang forth from a combination of events. I was working at the time as Director of Production for Pandisc Music/StreetBeat records which are sister labels to Kriztal. After hearing a copy of Hotel Costes Etage 3, I was convinced that there was an audience for this kind of music and we should look into releasing something similar. So we came up with Cabana Beach Club, the first volume of which was released on our StreetBeat label in October 2001 which was compiled and produced by Charles Afton. While working on Volume II, I was looking for a master for one of the requested tracks in the local music store and found Mole Listening Pearl's "Room Service Volume I" and the rest unfolded from there. Let me explain, Mole was a record label based in Heidelberg, Germany and I had never heard of it before. But this compilation had all kinds of cool music on it. We decided then to form a new label, Kriztal that would be devoted completely to this style of music which can be described as lounge, chill out, downtempo, broken beat, nu jazz, etc. The idea was to introduce this music, which was well known overseas, to a waiting North American audience who would be otherwise unfamiliar with it. We felt our target audience would be 25-45, an audience tired of Smooth Jazz and not into Top 40 - but also people who would never shop in the Electronica/Dance section of their music retailer. We had a mission to educate. We are currently released domestically in the US and Canada and export all over the world including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, UAE, Japan, Australia, Korea, Singapore and South America.

IR: How large is Kriztal Entertainment?

BS: We are a small independent label with a very small full-time staff of 4.

IR: How was it that you came to work there?

BS: As mentioned, I was working as Director of Production for our other two labels and when we started Kriztal it became my baby, so to speak. I became Label Manager and took on all the A&R; responsibilities (finding the music). I am also responsible for the look and feel of Kriztal product, managing graphic design, etc. Incidentally, I still do my other job :)

IR: How do you find your artists and what sort of arrangement is made with regards to music licenses and master ownership (i.e., how long does a typical license last)?

BS: My passion for this new music began, as mentioned, with a compilation from Germany. I tracked down the Label Manager and he sent me the rest of his label's catalog. I also went to a local music store in South Beach which had a lot of "chillout" releases. I found tracks I liked and contacted the labels either through email or via telephone. One thing led to another and I became a kind of late night and early morning internet surfer of global music. I subsequently traveled to Europe three or four times to seek out and meet new labels and artists. We license all un-owned material obviously and while that isn't my area, typically we pay an advance recoupable against future royalties. Usually these agreements are for the North American territory only but do allow for export of finished goods. We don't generally have exclusive licenses unless we are licensing an entire artist album. The terms are usually 3-6 years, depending.

IR: How many releases per year?

BS: In the beginning we were putting out music at an overwhelming rate. I was working around the clock just to stay on top of it. We put out about 18 albums in the first 12 months or so. We've slowed way down now that we have developed a "brand" and focus on 6-8 per year.

IR: How difficult is it to market the releases? What is your primary marketing tool?

BS: Marketing in the beginning was on the grass roots level. We sent out over 1,000 promos per release to "tastemakers" such as trendy boutiques, bars and restaurants, hair salons, bookstores, coffee shops, etc. for in-store play. For example we sent our first two "Vintage Chill" CDs to over 600 winery tasting rooms as it was a wine-themed series. We also send out every release to an in-house press and media list for reviews and online content. We have presented at gift shows around the country as well as some wine fairs at which we always received phenomenal feedback. The whole idea has always been to reach non-traditional retailers, that is, shops that would not normally carry CDs, like hair salons or the trendy boutiques previously mentioned. Through this philosophy and the powerful results of word of mouth, we have developed a loyal following. Of course we do a great deal of marketing with traditional music retailers through listening stations, product placement, etc.

IR: I know that it is impossible to get music on the radio these days so do you target college and internet primarily?

BS: We always knew radio would be a challenge. Our best hope in the beginning were RPM shows on college radio and specialty shows on public and community radio. Of course we also targeted internet radio. After a while, we decided to service Smooth Jazz radio as well, hoping that the programmers would see the value in this style of music and how it represented a modern update to their current programming. After a favorable article appeared in the trade rag, Radio & Records, touting the benefits of this genre of music and specifically mentioning Kriztal, it was a slow but continuous effort to get more stations into the "chill" format, at least partially. Just over a year ago a privately owned station in Santa Fe became the first 24/7 chill radio station in the country (Blu FM : www.blu1029.com). And just two months ago New York City's Smooth Jazz station, CD 101.9 FM, who had been experimenting with some specialty chillout programming, relaunched as New York Chill, incorporating about 30 percent of our type of music into their 'round the clock schedule (CD 101.9 FM : www.cd1019.com). This is what we had been counting on all along, and this is certainly our target market.

IR: What are your plans for growth?

BS: We will continue to seek more avenues of non-traditional retailing and of course, releasing more good music! We are working on getting our music into Film/TV and advertising, in fact, one of our artists, Flunk, has a track appearing in a January episode of Fox's "The O.C.", which is about as much exposure as one could hope for.

IR: What do you look for in an artist that you are thinking about signing up?

BS: Well, first, I have to "hear" something and I can't tell you what that is. But if it's playing in my office it has to make me stop whatever I'm doing and listen. I get a lot of demos across my desk and it's the rare one that does that, seriously. But then I try to identify if there is an audience in our demographic. I try to hear if there is crossover to Smooth Jazz, for example. It's all just a feeling really.

IR: If an artist in interested in becoming part of the roster how should they proceed?

BS: I am always open to new material but there are some guidelines. One, don't send MP3s or links to downloads. I don't have the time. and neither do most people who do what I do. I'm much more receptive to a physical CDR in front of me that I can put in the car while commuting, etc. That's where I listen to most of my demos. Also, there are so many people who don't label their discs with contact info. That's just not smart. Also, many people write or print the track names on the CD itself. If you're going to do that, please also submit a track listing separately. There is nothing more frustrating than listening to a track you like and having to eject it out of the player to find out what it is. Also, keep the tracks down to 3 or 4 of your strongest material. Finally, know what we do and what we sound like. We're not a trance label or dance label so don't send me club tracks. It's amazing how a little research can strengthen your presentation and increase the odds of a good reception. Our address and guidelines for submission are on our website at www.kriztal.com

IR: Thanks Beth. I am looking forward to 2005's release schedule.