Undoubtedly one of the most respected people on the British drum and bass scene, Ray Smith is the third most important person at the cult label RAM Records. In an interview for the VK community “Garud’s Nest”, Ray explained who A&R managers are, what they do, how he became part of RAM Records, and how young musicians can get the attention of managers at top labels.
Garud: Hi Ray! I’m glad you found a few minutes to talk to me. I think our conversation will be useful for aspiring producers, as well as for drum and bass fans in general. Let’s start with you introducing yourself:)
Ray Smith: Hi Grisha. I’m always happy to have a chat with you. Well, my name is Ray Smith. I’m the Digital Marketing and A&R Manager at RAM Records, an independent British label that mainly specialises in releasing drum and bass music.
Garud: How did your A&R career begin, and what would you advise people who want to build a career as an A&R manager?
Ray Smith: At the very beginning, when I was hired by RAM, my responsibilities were managing social media, internet marketing, and coordinating the day-to-day running of the office. At that time, there was no separate A&R position. Andy (editor’s note: Andy C) and Scott (editor’s note: co-owner of RAM Records) usually found and signed artists. That function gradually became my responsibility as my role in the office grew. But I still handle some day-to-day administrative tasks and so on.
As for advice, that’s a difficult question for me. I never studied for this and I don’t have any specialised musical education. I’ve been involved in the music world in one way or another all my life, because my love of music was in my blood. Like many people, it all started for me with buying releases and then working at Frontier Music. I was 16, and it was my summer job while I was at school. As my first pay, they gave me a ticket to some rave and a huge bundle of cassettes. Over time, I started collecting vinyl, then began putting on parties, and eventually started performing as a DJ.
I invited the RAM crew to perform at my events several times, called Scott to ask for demos for my DJ sets, and showed him new tracks by new artists I had discovered. Like many others, I wanted to make my set unique—to find unsigned tracks, dubplates, or exclusives from other established producers. I’d say that communicating and constantly being around musicians played a key role in me being invited to work at RAM Records. I may be more of an exception than the rule if you compare me with other A&R managers. So, my advice is: meet people and build as many connections and contacts as possible!
Garud: What are an A&R manager’s daily responsibilities? What does your usual day look like?
Ray Smith: We have label residents whom I need to stay in constant contact with, listen to their music, and keep up with their creative lives. I listen to most of the demos I receive on Fridays. I used to listen to music every day, but then I realised it was better to set aside one day and focus entirely on listening to tracks, so I wouldn’t get distracted by other tasks. Sometimes that means every Friday; sometimes I skip a week or several. It depends on how busy I am and whether I can step away from this world and enter the world of music. Usually, I do it like this: I pour myself a coffee (I drink a lot of coffee), put on my headphones, and merge with the tracks:)
Garud: Where do you look for new names for RAM? Do you listen to any groups on SoundCloud, YouTube channels, and so on?
Ray Smith: I actively check SoundCloud every Friday. Mainly, of course, I check the Dropbox on our SoundCloud page. For example, we recently signed Bensley exclusively after listening to the demos he sent on SoundCloud. Music can be sent and received in many ways. We’ve signed tracks that were sent to us by email, given to us on discs or flash drives in clubs, or sent to me via Twitter, Facebook, or Skype. I’d advise musicians to send us private SoundCloud links.
Garud: How do you choose tracks for RAM and ProgRAM? What are the criteria for the “right” track?
Ray Smith: Oh, I could talk about that for a long time, but ultimately it all comes down to the track having VIBE. A vibe can be created by many elements: the track’s structure, the quality of the production, or a simple vocal sample. Something bright and distinctive. When a track has a vibe, it grabs you and gets stuck in your head. When that happens, figuratively speaking, I knock on the producer’s door.
Garud: How many demos and tracks do you receive each month? Do you share tracks that don’t fit your format with managers at other labels whose sound they suit?
Ray Smith: About 100 tracks a month. There have been cases when I redirected musicians to another label, but it’s not something I do often.
Garud: Is there a spirit of competition with other A&R managers? Is there some kind of professional ethics, or is it a war to chase the coolest tracks?
Ray Smith: There’s always a spirit of friendly competition; it’s what keeps you on your toes. It’s not a competition to find cool tracks, but to find a great artist who will keep making great tracks. I’m a strong advocate of long-term relationships with artists, where you try to fully develop a musician’s talent and potential and accompany them on their creative journey. But, again, signing a great track means nothing. Signing a good artist—that’s the key to success.
Garud: Many musicians believe that labels look for tracks with commercial potential and often ignore other, less commercial compositions. Is that true?
Ray Smith: I don’t think that statement is fair. All the most technical and innovative tracks get released. Technology is developing incredibly quickly, and music creation is becoming accessible to everyone who wants to do it. Artists can now express themselves with ease. I sincerely believe that good music always sells well. Of course, good promotion and branding also play a significant role here. If some creative and innovative music can’t find its way to listeners, then you’re simply sending it to the wrong people and the wrong labels. If you’re one of those people, please get in touch with me:)
Garud: What is the most important thing when working with a future label resident?
Ray Smith: I call it a journey. A successful partnership is like a happy marriage. It’s all about commitment—being together through the highs and lows, in easy times and difficult times. Every such journey is a unique path with many crossroads. Sometimes you take a wrong turn or go around in circles, but it is always a journey together to the final destination.
Garud: Readers asked about the best way to send tracks to RAM. Which tool should they use?
Ray Smith: Let them send them to you for preliminary consideration:) I trust your taste. Or get in touch with us via SoundCloud.
Garud: Thanks for the trust:) What annoys you most about people who send you demos?
Ray Smith: Sorry, but I have a few “favorite hates”! Producers who send me everything they have ever created. Send a maximum of one or two of your best tracks. If I’m interested, send a few more, and then, if I’m really interested, I’ll ask you to send me everything myself.
Remind me about yourself, but don’t hassle me all the time. It really puts me off listening to your music.
Producers who aim to release everything they write on every label going. I’m more interested in artists who have potential but practically no releases than in those who have released on every label in the scene.
Finally, take the time to listen to the music we release. I’ve been sent completely random music—rock ’n’ roll tracks and other things. Let’s not waste your time or ours.
Garud: What is your forecast for the near future of drum and bass? Which subgenres will become more or less popular?
Ray Smith: Drum and bass is going through good times right now. It is constantly evolving and incredibly versatile. I was recently sent a new tech track—some would call it neurotech—with a serious Chicago Footwork influence. It wasn’t a super-innovative track, but it was genuinely something worthwhile that grabbed me.
To me, it is all drum and bass. One huge melting pot of styles that grow, mix together, and become a unique 170 bpm sound.
Right now, drum and bass is conquering the charts. Our favorite Wilkinson reached No. 7 on the UK national chart with the track Afterglow. Sigma climbed even higher to No. 1, where it stayed for quite a long time. Matrix & Futurebound, Fred V & Grafix, and many others are constantly heard on the radio and appear in the playlists of all the major dance radio stations. The underground side of drum and bass also continues to grow and delight listeners with new producer titans.
As for styles and subgenres, who knows? I’ll just fasten my seat belt and enjoy the ride.
Garud: What music do you listen to in everyday life? Does working at RAM influence your musical tastes?
Ray Smith: Sometimes I simply don’t listen to music. I watch films, go to the gym, and spend time with my family. This allows me to “reset” my ears and maintain an objective perception of music. At other times in my life, music is more necessary to me than anything else. You can always rely on it, regardless of everything happening around you. We listen to a lot of drum and bass in the office, so outside of it I can listen to anything—hip-hop, electro house, and so on. Recently, my playlist included SUBTRKT, Daftpunk, Banks, and Michael Jackson. When I’m at home, my daughters can connect their player to the speakers and listen to new tracks from Disney cartoons to practice dancing. In turn, I made them Wilkinson fans:)
Garud: A random question to finish with: How many “Skittles” should “Pacman” eat to dance to “Bodyrock”?
Ray Smith: Surely many people understood that we’re talking about drum and bass tracks:) I’m a big fan of sour Skittles. Jim (Unknown Error) and I once jokingly requested a bowl of Skittles in our rider at one of the RAM parties. Unfortunately, we never received them:(
So the answer is: a whole packet of sour Skittles!
Garud: Thanks for the interview, Ray! I’m sure that in the near future you’ll find many tracks by Russian artists on SoundCloud:)
Ray Smith: Thanks for the interview. I’ll be happy to listen to them!
Interview: Garud. Translated from the Russian version published in the VK community “Garud’s Nest”, which Garud translated from the original English interview with help from the MUZBIZNES community.
