In an ever-shifting musical landscape, the last decade has seen few with the ability to roll with the punches better than Semtek and his imprint Don’t Be Afraid. Championing the talents of artists such as rRoxymore, Karen Gwyer, Mgun, and Neville Watson, Semtek is a constant ally of all that is fringe in the electronic scene.
This Friday he plays in the basement as part of the next Pretty Pretty Good party, so we thought it would be the perfect time to catch up with Semtek and ask some heavy and pertinent questions…
DBA has been going for almost a decade now. Has your approach to running a label changed since 2010?
It hasn’t changed. It was chaos then and it’s chaos now.
If Don't Be Afraid was an 80s B-Movie, what would it be? (pls expand)
Lord Of Illusions, the Clive Barker film, it’s available on Netflix. But with Tom Unlikely in the lead role, and also playing some of the smaller parts incognito.
Don't Be Afraid has such a varied catalogue, it's obvious you cast your A&R net wide, but what we're interested in is who was the best teenage mutant ninja turtle, and why?
Of the four turtles, it would be Tom Unlikely, on account of his superior ninjitsu skills.
Working in a record shop, it's funny seeing the ebb and flow of people's tastes, what is the genre you think is next for a revival / which genre's revival would you be fully behind?
None. Burn them all.
You've just got booked by Will Smith, the Fresh Genie of the Lamp, who's now a mystical promoter - You get three wishes for your rider, what's on it (sauna included) ?
A Tom Unlikely impersonator impersonating Tom Unlikely.
A new government, helmed by Tom Unlikely.
Ultimate line up and venue - alive, dead, still open or closed - who would be playing and where we going?
Tom Unlikely all night long at Rye Wax.
Any upcoming things DBA or otherwise you're excited about?
Not really tbh.
Semtek plays in the basement this Friday as part of Pretty Pretty Good x Don’t Be Afraid, alongside Ikonika and Yak. Get tickets here.