With a new record label already launched and a new music-based television show set to launch on MTV Base next month, Deconstruction’s Malcolm Ché and Adrian Ferreira are at the forefront of cutting-edge South African music.
What is your vision for Deconstruction Recordings and how is it different to other labels in the industry?
Our vision is quite simple. We are looking to make quality content available across a variety of media. The artists we work with sign up on a project-by-project basis, as an equal partnership, allowing them freedom to explore rather than us demanding a certain sound or production style that will make it more commercially friendly. The artists also own the copyright to their recordings, ensuring their rightful claim to royalties. Perhaps the biggest difference is that we are fans of the bands we choose to work with and don’t treat them merely as a meal ticket but are rather passionate about their success.
How did you choose the bands that you signed to Deconstruction Recordings and tell us a little about them?
First and foremost we’re huge fans of Cutout Collective and Tale of the Son. For us, we were just blown away by their professionalism, focus, determination and creative belief in themselves. There are other bands that we have our eye on, but we won’t take them on until we can dedicate the resources we feel they deserve.
Tell us about the concept behind DeconstructionTV? What can audiences expect?
DeconstructionTV looks at the South African independent and alternative music scene and the culture of creativity that surrounds it. The programming block will consist of an hour-long chart show, broadcast on television and syndicated across campus and community radio stations, which seeks to be the definitive independent and alternative South African music chart. A half-hour magazine show looks deeper into the creative aspects.
When will it launch and on what channel? How often will it run?
We are in search of a sponsorship partner to come on board and help realise the production. We have set a preliminary launch date for July 2009 and it will be flighted on MTV Base on a Wednesday night during the MTV Base.alt block, feeding into MTV Live and Gonzo. Segments of the magazine show will also be flighted as additional content during the rest of the week on MTV Base. It will be a weekly show, with the first hour as a chart show and the next half hour as the magazine showcase. The radio component will launch at the same time as the television show and will also be broadcast weekly, with the chart show and more in-depth interviews with artists and musicians, as well as cutting-edge alternative music you’re not likely to hear on commercial radio stations.