Why Neoteric Wants To Be A Conduit Towards New Sounds

Canadian DJ/producer Neoteric, aka Jeremiah Rusznyak – who presides over the cutting-edge stable Main Course alongside Italy’s Bot (ex-Crookers) and the Alaskan Astronomar – promises to play “lots of new and exciting music” when his posse descends on Ambar: “We’ll be showcasing upcoming releases from the label and leftfield underground tracks. We’re not interested in playing the tried-and-tested hits. Our angle is all about music exploration and appreciation – so expect to hear things you haven’t heard before!” The clue is in Rusznyak’s handle: a ‘neoteric’ is, according to dictionaries, “a modern person – a person who advocates new ideas.”

 

The eternal club kid left Canada for Europe to build his career, but has since returned home. “I spent a while in Berlin, which really opened my eyes and ears. Before that, I came up in the Vancouver scene. Now I’m back in London, Canada, as I’ve bought a house and wanted something a bit slower-paced.”

 

At one stage Rusznyak worked for Switch, A&Ring his concern Dubsided – an education as much as an experience. “It gave me an

instant ‘in’ with some of my heroes and opened many doors, but I think it [also] allowed me to see how a label operates, how to separate the exceptional from the good, and how important it was to create a trusted brand. With Dubsided, you didn’t always know what you’d be getting, but you knew it’d be phenomenal.”

 

Rusznyak himself has had projects on various tastemaker imprints, including the hallowed Strictly Rhythm (with Aussie pal Wax Motif). With Main Course he’s adopted a hyper-contemporary digital paradigm to distinguish it from others – but there is no ‘sound’, per se, the label airing house, techno and disco. “We’re trying to keep our ‘free’ model going – everything we release is free for a month while also for sale and stream on digital stores. Beyond that, people tell us the records have the ‘Main Course’ sound – which we don’t really get, as we release all sorts of styles. [But] I guess, if the sound equates to quality, that’s a lovely distinguishing feature to have. The other main thing is [for us] to take the time to find and help develop up-and-coming producers.” The disadvantage of being a label boss is that Rusznyak is so “swamped” he has little opportunity to cut his own records. 

 

Rusznyak tends not to discuss dance trends he does or doesn’t like. He’s preoccupied with cultivating an ethos – or even just sharing individual tracks. But have his sensibilities changed over time? Yes, the dance rebel admits, but not in a way you might imagine. “I mean this in the best of ways, but I think I actually care a bit less. In the past I know I’ve tried to please everyone, all of the time. However, these days I am determined to stick to my guns and use whatever opportunities I have to really focus on what moves me. I don’t want to be the guy at the massive festival with his hands in a heart playing a choreographed set to pyrotechnics. I want to just be a conduit towards new and exciting sounds.”