STANDARD CULTURE: How did you guys come up with creating a label dedicated to edits in the Spring of 2012?
AARON DAE: I originally had the idea, while living in Chicago, after Ron Basejam (of Crazy P) gave me a folder of edits at the Winter Music Conference about 5 years ago, but it just never came to fruition. Fast forward two years, I'd since moved back to Brooklyn, JKriv and I had linked and were working various DJ gigs together, and he was running his Deep&Disco imprint. Along the way, I had passed him the Ron Basejam tracks and we discussed making the label happen. It was mostly just discussion for what seemed like an eternity, but we eventually got it off the ground and running.
Ron Basejam Love Don't Wait (Razor-N-Tape 006)
Two and a half years after its birth, what is your greatest pride?
Aaron: I would have to say our decision to launch the Razor-N-Tape 45 series. Both J and I really love many different genres of music and it's refreshing to have an outlet to release modern soul/funk soul/hip hop tracks that don't necessarily fit into the regular Razor-N-Tape mold.
Kan Sano Everybody Loves The Sunshine (Razor-N-Tape 45 001)
What’s your definition of a good edit?
JKRIV: Well, to me the whole point of an edit is to take a great song, and just make it more playable for DJs. There are 3 kinds basically: 1) the old-school cut and paste (or razor and tape style, as it were), 2) the kind that builds a new production using pieces of the original song almost as a sample, and 3) the type of edit that John Morales and Kon generally do, which requires having access to the original multi-track recordings. My edits are typically one of the first two kinds, or some combination of the two. I like edits that preserve the integrity of the original song, and either make it more club-friendly, or highlight some sections that don’t get the spotlight in the original version.
Lovebirds Edits Funk So pretty (Razor-N-Tape 007)
In 2014, what label really impressed and inspired you?
JKriv: I gotta give up to the Local Talk / Basic Fingers family for sheer volume of quality releases. Secret Squirrels has been hitting it consistently on the clubby edit tip. And I think Golf Channel really has been pushing the boundaries, putting out some very adventurous yet playable stuff.
Dimitri from Brooklyn Show You My Robe (Razor-N-Tape 004)
What’s your vision of the label for 2015?
Aaron: They say “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" and 2014 was a pretty good year for us. However, we'll be testing the waters a bit this coming spring with a double vinyl album style release on RNT Reserve from LA based duo POOLS (aka Mike B & DJ Morsecode). One record will be more laid back listening vibes and the other will be remixes that are primed for the dance floor. Stay tuned...
