Q & A with Stefan Prescott of Dance Tracks Records: Electronic World Dance Etailer

Every day turns over a new digital outlet... and now more world music players are emerging. Here we talk to Stefan Prescott who has taken his garage sale bin searching, DJ-serving, taste-maker-making brick and mortar store and hung out a digital shingle called Dance Tracks Digital. He says, "Although we were known as a house music brick and mortar store we always pushed Brazilian, Latin, and African dance music. Now we have been able to expand on this in the Digital arena as there are not quite as many budgetary restrictions and so we have been able to build on a solid customer base offering/tempting them into core obscure dance music." And you thought DubMC was making up all this long tail stuff. Read the full Q & A...

1. Give us a quick snapshot of Dance Tracks and Dance Tracks Digital.

Dance Tracks, the store, was founded in 1989, it was at the height of NY house music, although it was always a store where world dance music was stocked and pushed, everybody from Papa Wemba to Shantel found its way onto the shelves. We tried to appeal to the discerning dancefloor DJ. Out of the store came Spiritual Life Music, whose most notable artist was Jephte Guiallame from Haiti. This album was put out  through major labels in Japan and Europe.

In 2003, we saw the advent of digital music and got into development of Dance Tracks Digital (DTD). From the outset we wanted to appeal to music enthusiasts and not just DJs. The business model of digital meant we could potentially reach 100,000s of new customers, (as opposed to the store which was largely limited to DJs and owners of turntables), but to do this we would have to offer a wide variety of genres closely related to our heritage. As nearly everyone dances in one format or another, this meant we could provide catalogue of various genres we had only previously dabbled in.

2. How is Dance Tracks Digital different from what else is "out there?"

Quite simply, we cherry pick labels and catalogues. We do not throw thousands of useless tracks or labels up in order just to have catalogue. This was the same retail technique that allowed us to thrive in the brick and mortar world. We believe the customer wants the expertise of a retailer.

On the technology front, we offer very robust solutions from download managers to audiophile MP3s at 320 bit rate that sound better than most of the larger sites who only offer 128 bit rate MP3s.

3. How did you get into the global side of dance music, club culture, etc.?

It is our opinion that everybody dances in the world. Although we were known as a house music brick and mortar store we always pushed Brazilian, Latin, and African dance music. Now we have been able to expand on this in the Digital arena as there are not quite as many budgetary restrictions and so we have been able to build on a solid customer base offering/tempting them into core obscure dance music.

4. How would you describe the demographics of people who listen to the global side of electronica and hip hop and the electronic side of global music? Also, is it a unified audience with a lot of similar interests and behavioral patterns like most music genres, or is it pretty diverse mix, hard to pinpoint?

Our demographic is fairly easy to Identify. Most are between 22-35 and could be considered tastemakers. At least 60% play out once a month to audiences. Whether this is the general demographic of world dance music listeners is beyond my place to comment.

5. How do you choose what to feature in your stores?

That is purely my editorial decision, but people like you constantly turn me on to new music, which is why I do this job. There is no greater natural high than pushing some obscure Balkan music on the front page and seeing customers come and download it.

6. What are some of your sources for finding new music?

We have always relied on distributors as well our own insatiable appetite for uncovering new music, which has often meant shopping at competitors' stores, sorting through dirty old vinyl at record conventions or private garages. But most importantly just listening to alternative sources of music like public and college radio.

7. What will/does it take to get American audiences to listen to global music?

More travelling to far away lands, a change of government, who might stop this belief system that anything non-American is not of value, and people paying close attention to sites like DTD that try to introduce new sounds to audiences that indeed may go further to pass it on.

8. What do you think about the term "world music?" Does it apply to the music you sell? Is there a better way to represent global sounds?

Not sure that labelling music is a good idea. Too many labels such as "global chillout" are painful and allude to music they do not often reflect. If there were less genres and music was expressed more by feelings and tempos then more people may step into arenas to listen to music they may not have listened to before. But even we are forced to follow some of this labelling in order to help customers navigate the site painlessly.

9. Name a few artists we can find on your website who you think have been underexposed and are positioned for some kind of cross-over success?

Cheb i Sabbah, Wale Oyejide, Abdoulaye Diabate.

10. What does the future hold for you and your store and websites?

Great future. I believe in digital as the revolution to break the cartel of major labels, distributors, and  retailers. Sites like DTD will be information for consumers, even if they go to other sites like I-Tunes to buy. There are now sites like DTD, that offer full editorial podcasts and artwork on artists who may have never surfaced in the brick and mortar world. A good example is Asphalt Tango Records that I heard on the local college station. Within twenty-four hours we tracked them down and had their MP3s available to the public.

11. How does touring affect the kind of music you are selling? Are fans more likely to buy from the concert stage... Do sales come online after concerts? Or is selling music hopeless in the age of free MP3s?

We have seen that if there is cross promotion done in time, an artist may see great benefit form partnering with a store like DTD. Sometimes giving away samples of their work and encouraging the public to buy more. But it only works if coordinated well. The technology solution is swift and easy to use.

Comments

[king l man]

I would have to agree that sites such as this and college, community, public radio, alternative outlets etc. provide a great platform for lovers of music, no matter the genre, to explore and immerse themselves in sounds new to the ear. As a consequence of reading the article I have become aware of DanceDigital, Our Man from Odessa and tons more music! Brilliant, see it works!

Also, the idea of increasing the bit rate for mp3, great! I don´t wanna sound like my Dad, but ya can´t beat vinyl, and I do play CD´s also, but the normal bit rate for mp3 doesn´t come anyware near for former formats for sound quality. Artists can spend thousands in studio fee´s etc, when recording an album, and for it to be delivered on a tinny mp3 doesn´t do the work of the artist any justice. Anything that can be done to improve the sound quality must be applauded.

Thanks and good luck to DanceDigital and dubmc.com

[Stefan Prescott]

Thanks King L man

There is no greater satifaction than seeing customers being turned onto the less recognized Dance Music from around the world. The aim of Dance Tracks has always been to turn people onto new Artists, Labels and styles of Dance Music and therefore comments like this remind us why we are in this business. I would also like to thank Dub MC as without this kind of viral coverage we would not be able to accomplish our Goals.