Dave Sitek, TV on the Radio’s guitarist and the production guru behind all of the band’s groundbreaking albums (not to mention every album from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, plus records by Santigold, Foals, Wale, Thee Oh Sees and more), has announced he is starting his own record label, Federal Prism.
Besides sporting one hell of a clever name, Federal Prism aims to push things forward by several steps back from the status quo. In the press release for Federal Prism, Sitek said, “Somewhere along the line music became ‘content’… It’s my full intention to bring it back to music again! I believe in the power of song. Under the spell of the right song, passion is within reach…love is close by…and you are not alone!”
That’s not just idealist rhetoric; Sitek knows the devil is in the details, so he will personally record, mix, produce, and release all of the music on Federal Prism. The label will feature a series of limited edition (500 numbered copies) 12-inch vinyl picture discs curated by Sitek’s unique perspective and sporting a jacket hand silkscreened by Sitek.
The press release goes on to quote Sitek saying, “With such potency, music should be treated with care. The sound, the feel, the presentation … everything! It is a medicine. It is a teacher! With Federal Prism I want to make hand-held music, undiminished by the need to make everybody in the world listen at once. The goal is to ride into the sunset, stereo blasting, and all of what’s got you worried will disappear in the rear view mirror! If you can feel what I’m saying, this music is for you.”
Federal Prism will debut with “Destroyer” by Brooklyn electronic pop duo Telepathe (whose 2009 album Dance Mother was produced by Sitek). “Destroyer” will be released digitally on October 9, and it will see its vinyl debut on October 30. If that’s not cool enough, the b-side of the vinyl will feature a remix by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor with Alessandro Cortini and Atticus Ross.
Any doubts as to whether Sitek is psyched about landing Telepathe and Trent Reznor for his label’s debut? Of Telepahte, Sitek said, “I’ve been a fan of Telepathe for years, and after recording their first album I thought ‘where could they possibly go from here?’…As it turns out , they went ‘in’. They are Blade Runner, they are lonely astronauts , they are mysterious! It’s hard to be progressive, even harder to bring the beautiful and the explosive with you! I knew from the moment the first lyric comes in, they would represent Federal Prism like a giant chrome ambassador! They would flag the new planet!”
As for Reznor, Sitek said, “I sent him the session and before he actually said ‘YES’, he sent back this mighty dark space that he, Alessandro and Atticus had built for me! I was shocked and am certain I will have to keep ripping them off for years!”
Federal Prism is a project to keep on your radar. Don’t be surprised if it becomes one of your favorite independent labels in no time at all. Be sure to check out the Federal Prism website for further details and to preorder Telepathe’s “Destroyer.”
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