Dust-to-Digital Interview
Posted on | January 29, 2010 | No Comments
In 1999 a radio DJ by the name of Lance Ledbetter set out in search of rare gospel recordings. Five years later he released Goodbye Babylon on his newly-formed record label Dust-to-Digital.
Eleven years and numerous projects later, Goodbye Babylon has established itself as the greatest collection of early American gospel songs and sermons ever conceived, and Dust-to-Digital has grown from being a small record company into the source for nearly-vanished musical treasures from another time and place.
Ledbetter, who’s been featured in The New Yorker, Utne Reader and has won a grammy for his work, recently took time to answer a few questions for House of Cat.
Dust-to-Digital is obviously much more than a record label. It’s more of a tribute to these songs. What kind of personal connection do you have to these artists and their music? When I started Dust-to-Digital in 1999 my goal was to present artists and their songs in as respectful a way possible. Some of the artists we have issued/reissued were well known during their stay on earth, but for many of the artists that is not the case. I felt it was our duty to honor their work the best way we could because I feel their contribution to our lives is so great.
The Dust-to-Digital presentation is brilliant. The packaging is gorgeous, the discs are packed with amazing, nearly extinct music and the liner notes are very informative. Are you the mastermind behind it all? What is Dust-to-Digital like behind the scenes? I don’t know if I would use the term ‘mastermind,’ but the concept usually starts with me, and then I bounce ideas off our production team, which includes my wife April, Susan Archie, John Hubbard, Rob Millis and different collaborators from project to project.
As for what it’s like behind the scenes, we do a lot of talking, Skype-ing, emailing and instant messaging. I think one thing that sets us apart from a lot of record companies is the ’slow and low’ approach we take with our projects. I don’t know if it’s from being from the South or having perfectionistic tendencies, but I always want to take time to get everything right.
When you began the Goodbye Babylon project did you know that you were about to create something that would stand apart from everything that had come before? What I wanted to do was produce something that I would like to have in my record collection. I wanted the music to sound great; the book to have an annotation and image for each and every song; and the packaging to be something you could imagine finding in a 1930s general store.
What was it like to spend all that time in Joe Bussard’s basement? Was he initially receptive to your project needs? Joe Bussard is a very eccentric record collector, as anyone who has watched “Desperate Man Blues” could figure. But what most people don’t know is how generous he is with letting people use his records for reissues. He sincerely wants people to enjoy the music he loves, and he’s always been good to me.
What’s next for Dust-to-Digital? This year we are finally going to get the John Fahey “Fonotone Years” box set out. It’s going to be a split release between Dust-to-Digital and Revenant Records, and we are very excited about it. The other box set we have in the works for this year is called “Opika Pende: Africa at 78rpm.”
In the book department, we are working with the estate of Brother Claude Ely and will be publishing a CD and biography written by Macel Ely II. We are also working on a book of images collected by artist Steve Roden which will come with a CD of 78s from his collection.
Finally, our vinyl output this year should consist of a String Music compilation from 78s that were recorded all over the world. In addition, we will continue our efforts to issue the congregational singing and shouting of Rev. Johnny L. “Hurricane” Jones, a Baptist minister in Atlanta who has been recording his church services since 1957.
Dust-to-Digital on PBS – Part One
Dust-to-Digital on PBS – Part Two
Dust-to-Digital is creating cultural landmarks of epic proportions. Do yourself a favor and check them out.
Dust-to-Digital.com
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Tags: Dust-to-Digital > early American music > field recordings > Goodbye Babylon > Lance Ledbetter
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