Label Focus: Werra Foxma
Despite only being in existence for 3 years, Werra Foxma are a label that have built an enviable, and sizeable, back catalogue, earning themselves a reputation as purveyors of quality electronic music in the process. They are already running their own live events, with the first translatlantic instalment – WFR New York – due to take place later this year. We chat to label founder, and one half of electronic act Dohnavur, Frazer Brown about the label’s history, it’s inspirations, it’s future, and the happy outcomes that can arise from losing a set of car keys.
LF: First, the obvious opening question – when did you start the label and what was the reason for starting it? Was it in order to put out Dohnavur releases or was there more to it than that?
FB: Essentially, that’s what it boiled down to. The label name was just borrowing from the recording studio I run, and there was no desire to actually set WFR up as a functioning label until lockdown boredom kicked in, and I started collaborating with other artists for collaborative / split releases, and remixes. WFR started up as an outlet for personal recording projects but it didnt stay that way for very long. Maybe 3 months, tops.
LF: Werra Foxma is a very distinctive name for a label, how did it come about?
FB: Ha! The joy of made up words…… around 2011 I was in a band called The Alphabox, and I had misplaced my car keys after a rehearsal while everyone was packing up their gear. I basically said, out loud to myself, ‘Where the fuck’s my car keys?’. My bandmate only partially heard what I said, and replied what sounded like ‘Werra Foxma what?’, and we amused ourselves that Werra Foxma could be a great brand name someday. As I stated earlier, I used the term Werra Foxma to name my recording studio in 2015, and it made sense to use it as the name for the label 5 years later.
LF: Was there a main objective from the start in terms of the style of music you wanted to release or were you happy to let the label follow its own path to a certain extent?
FB: There really was no mission statement, or manifesto at the beginning. I am interred in electronic music in all its forms, and my wish was to be as diverse as possible. As things developed, I discovered that the character of the people making the music was as important as the music itself. So the mantra of ‘A+ music from A+ people’ was very much at the forefront of how we wanted to run things.
LF: Was there any one label that you would say inspired you to start your own, or maybe acted as a role model?
FB: There’s no doubt that Castles in Space were a massive inspiration. From how you treat artists, creating a strong visual identity, organising live events etc. With my band Dohnavùr being signed to CiS, I was able to get a ringside seat into how Colin Morrison gets his job done every day, and I’ve tried to take the best parts of the CiS ethos and mix it in with my own philosophy with WFR.
LF: There have been some notable labels – 4AD, Warp and Factory among them – that have forged strong visual identities for themselves, with artwork and design that is instantly recognisable. To what extent is design a major consideration for you and has cover art always been important to you as a music fan?
FB: I learned very early on in my musical life that there is no point in musicians baking a beautiful cake, only to use dog shit for frosting with the album cover. There’s a piece in the next WFR magazine dedicated to graphic designers, called ‘listening with your eyes’, which is how I describe the role of strong cover art.
We are blessed to have a super strong, 3 person design team at WFR, with Kate Bosworth and Stephen Osborne making the case for some of the most compelling album covers in our scene, and we have recently brought in Andy Heggs to design the WFR SubClub sleeves this year, which has been a huge hit with our subscribers.
LF: And here come the really difficult questions – I won’t put you on the spot by asking for a favourite release, so can you pick one that maybe represents any sort of turning point or significant moment for the label?
FB: My favourite albums on WFR will change over time, but the turning point was the ‘Strange Selectors’ compilation from August 2020. This was the first release that broke the ‘friends only’ model, where 4 DJs contacts 4 artists for original music to be released on a 16 track compilation. The release really got our name out there to a wider audience, and it galvanised me to really start taking shots with the label, and to reach out and see what possibilities there would be for us to try and make our mark.
LF: If you had to recommend one release as an introduction for anyone new to the label, which would it be?
FB: Ouch….. there isn’t really a catch-all answer to that. It depends what you are in to I suppose. I’m very proud of Elizabeth Crompton’s ‘Problems of Other Minds’, which is a sensational piece of dark, ambient pop. Someone called the album ‘Sad Girl Synthwave’ which did make Lizzie and I laugh at its cynical accuracy! If beat driven electronica is more your thing, then the likes of ‘SM Synthesis’ by Salvatore Mercatante and ‘Peppermint Soldier’ by Räven Musen are good places to start.
LF: Which album on another label from the recent or distant past would you have loved to have put out yourselves?
FB: From our scene, probably Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan’s ‘Interim Report 1979’. It’s such a strong album, combined with glorious graphic design.
LF: There is an exciting independent scene at the moment consisting of labels like yourselves, and including Castles in Space, Woodford Halse, Waxing Crescent among others, who are all releasing fantastic electronic & ambient music on all formats and with attractive, inventive, and high-quality packaging. There seems to be a genuine sense of cooperation between you all, as opposed to competition. Do you think there is a specific reason why that is happening right now?
FB: Agreed. I’ve said it a lot. This isn’t a zero sum game. For WFR to win, CiS doesn’t have to lose. For us to do well, we need to make sure that we do the best job we can, so that our own bar keeps getting raised. I feel like I am in competition with myself to make WFR the best it can be, not with other labels in our orbit. I feel like most indie electronic labels have a vested interest in collaborating and growing the scene together.
LF: And finally, what can we look forward to from Werra Foxma in the foreseeable future?
FB: So the next 6 months, we have albums coming out from Cholly, The Metamorph, Faex Optim, Everyday Dust, Claire Welles, Veryan and Steve Hadfield. We have a full slate right up to early 2024, so we are pretty sorted for the next 12 months or so. We have our live events to look forward to, with WFR NorthWest in Lancaster on 25 March, WFR London on 10 June, and WFR // NYC in Brooklyn on 20 October. We are already well on the way organising next years live events as well, but mum’s the word for now.
To quote Robbie Williams, I’m trying to stretch this rubber band all the way to the moon. People seem to be digging our efforts, and I want to see how far we can go, and leave nothing on the table to regret not doing.