In a scene as saturated with labels as drum & bass, building a reputation takes more than putting out a load of bangers. The real currency is relationships, trust and a genuine passion for the people behind the tunes. For Yamatai boss James, that can be as simple as a voice note.
Rather than waiting for demos to land in his inbox, James spends his time reaching out to artists he rates, chatting away and building connections that often turn into something more. It’s a personal approach in an increasingly digital world, like striking up a conversation in the smoking area or getting chatting to someone in a record shop. Sometimes, a proper conversation can go a long way.
Five years in, Yamatai has grown from an idea shared over a pub drink into a label taking its sound around the world, with international shows and a roster that includes James’ artistic idols. There’s a lot to be said for that kind of progress, especially when the whole thing is still driven by one very chatty, very passionate drum & bass head who just wants to tell people when they’re making great tracks.
We caught up with James to talk about building Yamatai, the power of a voice note, earning the scene’s trust and why, for all the music and madders, it still comes down to family.
Hi, how are you?
Hello, I’m all good. I would say it’s definitely been a more difficult year this year. Very hard to juggle in fairness. There have been a lot of changes in my personal life. My job is quite far away, so there’s not a lot I can tend to with the same energy and effectiveness as last year, mainly with the label but also with my personal life. So that does take a bit of a toll on me.
We’ve also tried to push the bar even higher with the label this year. I’ve definitely bitten off more than I could chew. It’s mainly just me running the label, and there are a lot of moving parts at once, which can be quite difficult to keep on top of.
But overall very good. Very happy with how things have gone and how things are going. But there are always going to be bumps in the road, aren’t there?
If there aren’t bumps, you don’t learn anything…
So what have you been up to most recently?
We had a show in Malaga over the summer with the Cohesion crew. That was cool. It was kind of like a little holiday getaway as well. I was over there with Dub Ten, K Sonic, VOXI, Lex, Melysma and Yatzua, a great bunch to spend a good couple of days in the sun with.
We’ve run a total of around 18 events this year alone, all across Europe and beyond. Berlin, Passau, Malaga, Copenhagen, Basel, LA, South Africa and a few more. I honestly can’t put into words how fun it’s been, but my body is definitely starting to feel it.
You seem to be spreading out globally quite quickly for a relatively young label. How have you managed that?
It’s literally just a case of me voice-noting loads of promoters on Instagram or emailing them. Just using a bit of charisma and trying to be like, ‘Come on, let’s sort something out…’
I’m very chatty, so I’ll ask promoters, or even people who might know promoters, about organising a Yamatai show. At the end of last year, I had this dream that, for our five-year celebrations, I’d put on a show every month, ideally in a different country, to share the celebration with our fans across the globe. After sending more than 200 messages to promoters, we’ve achieved that goal. It takes a lot of messaging, but that’s definitely how you get events these days.
Love it… Connections globally…
I was lucky because I know Jesta from Momentive in LA. He’s been buying from our Bandcamp since the very beginning, so he was already a committed fan. It was quite straightforward to get something going with him, and from that has blossomed a great relationship. We’re now looking at annual Yamatai shows over there!
And it goes without saying, but congratulations. How do you feel about reaching this milestone?
Thank you. I guess it’s probably a similar answer to if you were to ask anyone about five years. I think most people would say that they didn’t think that they would get to this point, or be as far as they are now.
I think that definitely is the same for us.
I find it quite hard sometimes to realise exactly what we’ve done in that five-year spell and it’s very easy for me to not take it all in and reflect on it. For example, LA was quite a realisation moment for me to actually digest the direction and journey that we’ve been on. It’s been a very interesting five years, a time I would never trade or do differently.
It’s been a whirlwind, madness and lots and lots of fun times and something I’m 100% proud of. I’ve met some of the most inspiring, talented and amazing people through this and I’m forever indebted to the scene.
When you take stock of moments like LA, are you mostly proud? Are you tired? What’s your initial thought?
There’s nothing better than seeing all the guys we’ve worked with over the past five years reaching the goals they set when joining us, whether that’s being booked for shows in New Zealand, Australia, the USA or across Europe. Knowing that we’ve helped nurture and boost those careers has always been the goal and the sole reason for the label existing. There is an element of tiredness, but that definitely gets outweighed when it comes to the satisfaction I get when I see results for the guys and girls that we put a lot of time into.
Did you have a clear strategy? Were you deliberate about the label’s growth?
There’s never been a set plan. I rolled with it and saw where each path led. I’ve always wanted to get Yamatai to a position like Critical, for example. Critical is probably one of the main reasons the label was started. In terms of stature, influence and music, that’s always been the goal.
But in terms of a plan, nothing, just always wanting to do better every year and keep things fresh and interesting. Year-to-year there’s not too much planning that goes into it. Bar this year with the events.
I’ve got a big old whiteboard over there with loads of little markup plans and goals and stuff and I just haven’t looked at any of that or even kept to the written goals. It’s just staring at me. I’m disappointed that nothing’s been ticked off!
It doesn’t feel to the outside world like nothing’s been done at Yamatai this year…
Let’s go back to the beginning. How did the label start?
We were pretty stuck within the drum and bass landscape. It was just one of those evenings at the pub where a couple of friends were just shooting ideas across and one of us mentioned running a label. At that point I was doing more personal stuff within music, DJing and learning production. So originally I wasn’t actually too involved with the label. It was only maybe a year after where some quite interesting situations came up and two people had to leave, and the decision landed on my lap.
I basically had to decide whether or not I wanted to continue with the label or push for my solo artist career. And eventually I decided to go with putting all my time into the label, funnily enough that’s become the best decision I could have made.
The whole image is based on Japanese culture and Yamatai is very heavily referenced in Tomb Raider, which is one of my favourite films. That’s why the label has a lot of Japanese and Asian influence. Our designer, James Gaijin, also has Asian heritage, so it works well. We get some really, really cool artwork and insight, which makes a world of difference when it comes to the backstories behind the artwork.
What is Yamatai?
Yamatai is basically a lost city in Japan. The Chinese documented that this place was real, and the same was recorded in Japan, but no one’s ever found it. It was this massive civilisation that was run by a sun goddess called Himiko. It’s super interesting. Last year, when we went to Japan for Mum’s birthday, we set aside a good four days to find Yamatai, which unfortunately didn’t end well. It would have been an amazing tale if we had actually found it!
I used my Canon camera over there to take photos of a lot of stuff and we were going to use those images to create artwork for the label this year, but plans sort of changed. I would love to add these in somewhere because it was a trip of a lifetime and is as raw to our style as you can get.
For people who are new to Yamatai, can you talk through the music? Do you think you’ve got a sound?
We do have a sound. Two years ago, we were releasing a much wider variety of music — super-techy, minimal, touching on neuro. But we’ve funnelled it down to a Bristol-inspired sound, with rollers and minimal at the heart of it. Think Sofa Sound, Symmetry and CIA, that kind of thing. We do also throw wild cards in every now and then just because we like keeping everyone on edge.
Straight club bangers, I’d say, are what we do. That’s our bread and butter. People are going to crucify me, but I’m not a massive one for liquid. Every now and then, though, we get liquid landing on our laps that we have to release. We’re working alongside D.Side and Foray for next year. Both of these legends have been making some of the most impressive liquid, atmospheric beats, and I’ve been keen to get them involved.
How much does Bristol influence the sound and direction of the label?
Loads. Since moving down here, we’ve tunnelled in on this particular sound because I’ve been surrounded by it. I work closely with Tom from Transparent. He’s one of my best mates and he’s been a massive influence on me, and we’ve both been heavily influenced by that Bristek sound. It’s such an amazing style of drum & bass and it’s impossible to ignore.
That sound is so popular and does so well; people absolutely love it. There’s been an influx of artists making it, especially among the newer generation. When you’ve got people like Molecular, DLR and Genic that are pushing it very heavily, obviously you’re going to have a lot more new producers trying to make it.
It comes around in waves, doesn’t it? Styles always swap. We’re going through a little jump-up era at the moment, whereas maybe six years ago it was more minimal-focused. It’s interesting how it all rotates naturally. It’s bizarre. I’m very keen to see what the next era is. This is why drum & bass is one of the best genres: it’s always evolving and changing, never stale.
It’s good that you have the foresight to see those cycles…
Having the ability to release all styles rather than just one style is such a good accolade to have as a label. It keeps the label interesting. You’re also reaching out to bigger audiences and really pushing your artists’ creativity. So definitely don’t shut yourself off to other subgenres.
How do you A&R?
We touched on it earlier. It’s mainly me voice-noting people. This has been the most successful way for me to build relationships with artists and sign music. Voice notes feel more personal than a bog-standard message.
We’ll chat with artists, find out more about them, schedule calls, discuss design work and mood boards — the lot — and then talk about promo. We like to make it an in-depth experience so artists know exactly what’s going on, and we love bringing them into the creative process of building the release, too.
So people don’t send tracks to you? You hear someone’s sound and go to them: “I like your sound. Would you consider releasing with us?”
I’d say 90% of the people that we bring on I will probably message first. There are a few times where we’ve signed music through the submissions email or through word of mouth from friends. I’m so involved with the scene that I hear a lot of music just by searching Beatport or looking at charts and promos. Then I can reach out.
Why do you think you prefer to be the instigator?
I guess there’s some element where, if I was an artist and I had a label approach me that would make me feel amazing, almost like being headhunted for a job. It would make me feel validated, knowing that something I’m doing is being appreciated and noticed. I like to bring that, nothing beats a compliment. I absolutely live and breathe drum & bass, so I’m always passionate about letting people know they’re making bangers!
It is also an element of me being impatient. I’m not going to wait for you to send me music if I can just message you straight away and ask for it.
How much freedom do your artists have, and how much feedback do you give during the production of a track?
We give a lot of freedom. I think when it comes down to technicals, I have Kalane who helps me with that. He’s a mastering engineer, so he’ll go through the tracks, recap the technical elements and see if anything needs amending. I have no idea what I’m doing in that sense, and he’s so insanely good at it. We wouldn’t have the sound quality we have today without him.
We’ve had so many stories where we’ve had artists that are… I wouldn’t say against the feedback… but aren’t 100% with it, but then they’ve changed it and then they’ve come back and gone that actually sounds way better now.
Mastering is where we’re a bit stern. We let people know we need to get it right because that defines the volume and sound of the label.
We don’t usually change the creative direction. We like to hear how artists want to present themselves. We’ll add a few notes here and there, but it’s always up to the artists themselves to try things out and see what works. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t get involved at all, because we do at certain points, but that’s only to offer our outside perspective.
Hooks, fillers, mid basses and intros are all so important these days. One catchy hook can do so much, and that’s something often missing from today’s music. The same goes for intros: most tracks don’t have developed or interesting intros, and I think that’s a missed opportunity to take a track to the next level. It’s not a must, but a really well-thought-out intro always grabs my attention when I’m listening to demos. That’s just me, though.
Other labels might not really care about these elements but I do feel this is how you get music that sticks, that consistently gets bought, streamed and spoken about.
Let’s talk about the remix project…
There should hopefully be 16 remixes. They’ll be from tracks spanning 2024 to now. Some have been on the circuit for the past two years, and we’ve been giving them a good old test. We’re potentially working with QZB on a remix, as well as Minor Forms, Genic and many, many more.
It’s nice that we’re coming to the end of it and actually getting them out. I just wanted to top the first project we did, bring in some more insane names and really celebrate the originals. I wanted to beat our last remix project, that was the main goal.
I remember when we did that first one, I think we must have been one of the only fresh off the press new labels to do a project of that scale. And it left a really big mark. People were like, “My God, who’s this label?” And since then, that definitely changed the direction. So I wanted to do the same thing again.
But I also wanted to work with a lot more artists that I’ve looked up to and supported over the years. So, it was nice to have a chat with the QZB boys. That’s just mental to me. Working with people like that — it’s crazy. People I’ve been listening to for years are releasing on my label? Mental!
Going back to the first remix album, how did you manage to do something so big so quickly? How did you earn people’s trust?
A lot of time, messages, money and good music. A lot of the other artists on the release knew us from our promo mailouts and had heard the good music we were putting out at the time. In terms of existing relationships, it would have just been Kyrist, she’d been supporting our music from the get-go, so it was lovely to get her involved.
But again, it was all the classic James voice notes at the original point with the rest of the gang. It was just me chatting absolute shit and then asking, ‘Can you do a remix for me?’ I guess that question of trust is one I should ask some of the guys on that original album at some point, that would be interesting to find out.
Trust and reputation are such big currencies in the scene, so it’s impressive you’ve earned both so quickly.
How did you choose to remix?
We just send a big folder to the artists and let them choose a track. We gave them the freedom to choose from 30 tracks, if I remember correctly.
I’d rather it be more of a natural transaction with the track that they choose rather than me forcing a track on them. It’s interesting because a lot of the remixes we’ve got sound nothing like how I thought they were going to sound. That’s what you get when you give them the opportunity to pick anything, then they’ve already got the creative juices flowing and ideas and that’s what makes the best remixes.
Let’s talk about the tours…
We’ve had to postpone Australia because of a waiver situation, but we’ll finally be coming next year. There have been a lot of setbacks with Australia and New Zealand, but there are so many moving parts that need to be accounted for and I want to make sure we do it right.
We’ve just got back from our South Africa tour, which was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve been involved with. It was so inspiring to see such a healthy scene in a lovely part of the world.
This year we’ve run around 18 shows in total including a collaboration event at Planet Wax with the She Beats crew, with a stellar line-up featuring the legend Kyrist herself. We’ve just had a pretty interesting collaboration event with Transparent Audio and the Stupid Crew in Amsterdam for our new Momentum project.
So you’ve got the remix project, a load of parties and full-on celebration mode. There’s not much else to do, is there?
Other than our merchandise. We don’t release a lot of merch. The last run we did was around 2023, so we’re going to do another little merch drop in November. I’ve had so many people asking me for the original one. It’s been out of stock for two or three years so it’s about time we get another run of exclusives going.
James is taking the same approach to the design this year, but basing it all around the five-year anniversary. It’s about crossing the line between ordinary merch and a piece of history. We love giving everything we put out a meaning.
If there’s one thing you really want people to know about Yamatai, what would it be?
Insert Fast & Furious “Family”. We’re more like a family than a label. Our events don’t feel like the experience I get at other main-room D&B events. Even when we did fabric, it didn’t feel like an event; it was more like a family outing, with people chatting, dancing and supporting each other. I’ve met so many fans of the label through this, just by walking around and chatting to everyone. We like to keep it that way: bringing the community together to celebrate and enjoy things together. That’s what really matters.
We’re all just a bunch of degenerate music people who love electronic robot music.
