Kult Records is one of the most successful New York based underground dance labels. Part of the genius that Kult consists of is Co-Owner Eddie Cumana. He not only co-owns but he also operates the label himself, and still continues to make music. He has over twenty years under his belt as a Label Executive, Professional DJ and Producer, Songwriter and Sound Engineer. He's graced us with official remixes under his well-known alias "Dynamix" for artists like Pink, Toni Braxton, Natasha Bedingfield, and even Cindy Lauper just to name a few. Street Walkers NYC got the chance to sit down with Eddie and talk with him about his career, Kult Records, and then some. So without further ado, I'm pleased to introduce you to Mr. Eddie Cumana...and don't forget to hit the READ MORE link to see the rest of our Q&A, links to him and Kult Records.
SWNYC: Tell us a little bit about how it all began for you...
EC: Well the year was 1984. I grew up in a family of djs having three of my cousins being djs and they were a serious influence on me. Around the age of twelve with my saved up allowance money I managed to buy my first pair of turntables and a battery powered music mixer. I went at it 24/7 driving my whole family crazy with "noise pollution" [He laughs]. Once old enough to enter the clubs, I absorbed the punching kicks and hypnotic bass grooves that were popular at one of my favorite hang-outs Disco 2000 at the Limelight in NYC. My love for underground music led me to look for work in the industry. I was lucky enough to be one of the founding staff members of King Street when it opened it’s doors in 1994. Since 1991 I was also playing with equipment and making my first records... My first release was on Nervous and it was "See The day" followed by “Boulevard East” released on King Street. I went on to do many releases for record labels such as Avex (Sony Japan), Arista, Ministry of Sound, Maxi, Nervous, UMM, King Street till 1998 then I joined KULT...and the rest is history.
SWNYC: Has house/dance music always been your passion?
EC: YES!!! House music has always been my passion. I love all types of music and enjoy listening to many different styles but house music is what a listen to the most. To sum it up in house music terms, "house is a feeling, its a spiritual thing, a soul thing..." I was listening and witnessing the movement being born and grow when it all began back in the late 80's before people even called it house music and I have been hooked from the start. Producers like Mr Fingers and Ralphie Rosario plus Artists like Adonis and Liz Torres really ignited my passion....
EC: Listening to other peoples music from anything old or classic or any of today's stuff too all inspires me if its good. This may sound funny but October and November seems to be the most creative time of the year for me. There is something about autumn that inspires me and I just get so many ideas that I need to get out. So I guess its time to harvest the crops! I don't have a formula for making records, (yes i sequence and that's a formula I must follow isn't it?) But in terms of how I go at it creatively, I just build up my tracks organically, feeling the vibe and trying stuff. I go from what I envision sounding good in my mind to materializing that on the board and continue while eliminating anything that might not work. I love "designing" my own sounds so sometimes that takes me a lot longer than actually making the record itself as i get stuck on tweaking a sound for a week.
4.) How did you get involved with the Kult Records family?
I came to work at the label in 1998 and never looked back. In retrospect I can say it was my destiny in many ways. I'm currently KULT's co-owner and I am also the general manager along with what I like to call "The Head of The Quality Control Department" (I pretty much fix anything that's technically off).
SWNYC: So what's it like running a label like Kult Records?
EC: Well worth it and very rewarding. First of all its freedom for me as I am my own boss. I can work deep into the night and sleep deep into the day If I feel like it. In addition, this job has given me the chance to meet, work and collaborate with dance/house music's biggest stars. Even some of which I grew up dancing to. I live it and I breath it! Also, another amazing aspect of running a label is that its great to meet people that know and love the songs you signed and worked hard to release and its mind blowing to hear all the tales of where they where when they first heard that one track they are raving about or how its their favorite record and or the played it at their wedding or even their Church function! (Well that was my Cissy Houston Gospel House tune! It got played in Church! Can you believe that? From being a hit at Twilo, to being played at Churches across the US....I was and I'm still stunned). One time, someone drove 4 hours to come to the KULT Records party to meet one of our artists to tell him that our song saved his life. That he went from being suicidal to using the song as a mantra to gain strength. To know that one was part in a project that was able to have that kind of impact with the music it releases on one's soul and save him....is just the best feeling one can have. And aside from lots of dancing there were lots of tears that night on Nocturnal's terrace but all rejoice and danced the morning away to KULT's party headliner DJ Vibe.
SWNYC: Where do you see Kult Records in the near future?
EC: With a few grammys under our belt! No kidding..we are taking over! KULT will continue to venture out into the Multimedia, TV, Film and Mobile markets and repackage its catalogue for new markets in a multitude of new formats. We are becoming less focused on making new music for the djs as our primary market and the label to label licensing market and more focused on the multitude of new opportunities that new technologies brought into cash on our existing catalogue. Also, we are really having fun with the event/party management side of the biz.
EC: Well I am from here and at the end of the day, there's no place like nyc. I have been honored with opportunities to travel all over the world DJ'ing From Montreal to Caracas to Tokyo to London to Rome, you name it. I have seen many great Cities but none have the diverse cultural background that NYC offers. New Yorkers don't need to travel to meet the world because the world lives in New York! You can meet people living in NYC from Every part of the world, you can experience their cultures right here in New York City and not many places in the world can compare to the vast array of opportunities living in NYC.
SWNYC: What's your favorite spot in NYC?
EC: The East village. I lived on 13th street and 2nd for 10 years and loved it. (Its the block where they shot Scorsese's classic "Taxi Driver" in the Building next door to where De Niro looses it and kills everyone!) The problem was that our house was too damn small so we decided to move to a big loft we found elsewhere but I miss the East Village neighborhood. I miss to see the kids with the purple hair, the guy that sells incense, the guy that talks to himself, the kids with the dog, and the drunk guys sleeping on my door steps. I totally love to go on the weekend to the lower east side for brunch with my wife. I go like every weekend, eggs Benedict and a screw driver...rocking...I wanna move back.
SWNYC: Are you spinning anywhere in the NYC, and when?
EC: We currently have a very successful bi-monthly event at the Sullivan Room which is a collaboration between KULT, Naughty NYC and the Sullivan Room. Our next event is Friday October 22nd. Come by and get your sexy on! here are our next events details...
---Sullivan Room in association with KULT Records, Naughty NYC & Havana Soul presents a Naughty KULT event on Friday October 22nd, 2010. The night will feature the sounds of EDDIE CUMANA, DANNY BUDDAH MORALES, DAVID MARTINEZ and PETER REYES. Live percussion by DETAIL. The night will be hosted by none other than the infamous DINA DELICIOUS and PHAT MIKE---
Lots of goodies in store for Fall/Winter 2010/Spring 2011. I am working on a few new Lula projects. Of course everyone knows the legendary Lula, KULT's exclusive Artist and the Queen of The Speaker! Also Made by Monkeys are back after their huge success with "I think of you" remixes by Pablo Ceballs and Rui Da Silva (Licensed by Oscar G, Chus and Ceballos and Matt Darey's on Tiesto's Label) and with their massive "I Try" which i loved remixing and there is a Video done to my mix which i am looking forward to unleashing soon. I am also coming out with a brand new DYNAMIX song with Adrianne Harkins. Those of you that were clubbing in 2000 will recall our crossover hit that reached radio under the moniker DYNAMIX which was entitled "Don't want another man" (which I co produced alongside Jeremy Skaller) Well Adrianne Harkins wrote and sung the song but at the eve of the record's release which was slated to be performed at Roxy she announced to KULT that she wanted out of the contract. We did not know what was up and were forced to re-record the verses on the fly with a new artists so we could have someone fill in the many performance requests that were coming in. Those days Artists still rocked the clubs and this song was requested at a rate of 5 to 7 times a week so we (KULT Records) hired then unknown TINA ANN and had her re-record the lead vocals and left Adrianne backing the song....few years later we found out from Adrianne that she had gotten pregnant and got cold feet cause she was afraid there was too much to do for the song.....and she was right.....the song took off and Tina Ann performed it for years 5 to 10 times a week! It all worked out as Tina Ann was able to perform the song and help it become popular while making a name for Herself while Adrianne used the royalty income to pay for her wedding! (So yes she did marry the man she wrote " don't want anther man" for) anyway....fast forward 10 years and Adrianne is back and badder than ever and we are coming out with a new song entitled "You keep Running Baby" lyrics actually written by the fabulous Lady Bunny and I am excited to finally have an Adrianne Harkins song hit the street. We released the talked version dubs of the song and those version have been killing it but the full vocals is in the works and i cant wait to hear the finished product. Beppe (Savoni) did some killer keys and I will finish it from there. Also Pagano just made a killer remix of the original 2000 hit 'Dont want another man' and Rossko and TKC are doing theirs....so excited to see how these great producers are gonna work the original (which I co-wrote and co-produced alongside Jeremy Skaller who also brought Adrianne to KULT) aside all this I'm also planning a new mixed/unmixed compilation forthcoming on KULT Records of course Late Fall/Early Winter.
To keep up with Eddie and listen to his music, you can go on any of his sites here...
www.beatport.com/artists/eddie+cumana
www.soundcloud.com/eddiecumana
www.facebook.com/eddiecumana
www.myspace.com/eddiecumana
www.twitter.com/eddiecumana
To keep up with KULT Records and all it's artists/music, you can go on any of their sites here...
www.facebook.com/kultrecords
www.myspace.com/kultrecords
www.twitter.com/kultrecords
http://www.kultrecords.com/
http://www.kult.com/
http://www.kult.fm/
Eddie Cumana... You keep inspiring me compadre!
ReplyDeleteKeep them coming "Jefe".
Omar"cito"Perez.