Running a successful label is no easy feat, let alone two. But that is precisely what Dance Artifakts mastermind Terron Darby is setting out to do with FNR, this time in connection with Davin Coady. Designed as a breeding ground for some of DA’s select artists and friends to explore music without boundaries or preconceived notions, FNR sets sails this October with its first release ever, courtesy of Akari (Coady) via his stunning ‘How Much is Never Enough’ EP.
We sit down with Terron Darby and Davin Coady themselves to learn more about their new adventure, their vision for FNR, their first release, expectations, and more.
Electronic Groove: Hi guys, and welcome back to EG! We’re amped to learn about your latest venture, so let’s get down to it. What is FNR?
Terron Darby: FNR stands for ‘Faoi Na Réaltaí‘, which is Irish for under the stars…
Davin Coady: We are all connected by music and art globally even though we are separated by land and sea. No matter where we are, we all dance under the same stars.
Electronic Groove: That’s a nice sentiment. What’s the sonic mission and vision of FNR?
Terron Darby: Being that I prefer genre-bending and not labeling music, the sonic mission of FNR is simple to me – “Good Music” – no expectations, no hype, just pure music with zero compromises. We have a family of producers that make all kinds of music ranging from ambient, to dance floor, or even soundtrack style, our sonic mission will unveil itself quickly as we ramp up our release schedule for the winter months and next year. Overall, we plan on sharing a variety of styles and sonic moods. FNR is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.
Davin Coady: Yes, as Terron mentions, our mission sonically is to provide electronic music both for the dancefloor or just listening at home. We want it to be a place where artists can express themselves creatively, and release music that’s made with heart and soul.
Electronic Groove: After having such success with Dance Artifakts, where did the idea to create this new label come from? How is it different from Dance Artifakts?
Terron Darby: FNR is a product of our core ‘collective’ having a very high frequency of ‘input’ for DA. I wanted each release from DA to be spread out and have ‘time’ to have its own space. Once Dav and I realized that our collective input was at a much faster pace than our output schedule for DA, FNR was born. This is an extension of our collective family to give more opportunity to express ourselves with moods ranging from the dancefloor to home listening. We have a few surprises up our sleeves of course. More on that soon…
Davin Coady: The idea came from Terron working so hard to support all of us at Dance Artifakts, and both of us wanting to expand and create a home for the other styles of electronica that we produce, with no limitations. Terron was happy to ask me to work with him, and I’m delighted to team up with him and put out music we truly love.
Electronic Groove: What can you tell us about the first release? When will come out? Who’s behind it?
Davin Coady: The first release is by me as Akari and is a small taste of what’s to come. It will premiere on October 22nd, featuring two tracks, one which has a story to it and the other track more dancefloor orientated.
“This is an extension of our collective family to give more opportunity to express ourselves with moods ranging from the dancefloor to home listening”
Electronic Groove: What was the brainstorming like behind this first release? Can you elaborate on the intentions and or mission behind it? Is it supposed to work as a ‘declaration of intentions’ of sorts?
Terron Darby: When I met Davin, I was playing an event in Berlin and throughout my set, we were ‘doing the house face nod’ (lol) from track to track and we instantly knew our connection with music was like-minded. After that, we stayed in touch and became close friends. After several releases together on DA, he came to New York pre-Covid and we played music at our Playdate New York event. After the event a group of close friends went upstate NY to relax for a few days, it was then we talked about doing a second label together. We wanted to release music when we want and how we want without the pressure and hype the music ‘business’ brings to the mindset. So, this first release name is truly a testament to that…
Davin Coady: That’s exactly what we are going for, I wanted to give people a taste of what is to come, but there is a wider spectrum of styles to come from us in the future.
Electronic Groove: Dance Artifakts has a fantastic graphic line that creates a unique synergy with its music? What’s the visual approach for FNR? Do you expect it to mutate over time?
Terron Darby: The graphic direction for FNR will be using photography of different landscapes and nature taken by Lucy (Davin’s fiancé), Davin, and myself. We hope to capture moments in time that resonate with our intentions. It may mutate over time, let’s see where the stars take us “Faoi Na Réaltaí”.
Electronic Groove: Are you guys looking to have a balance of new talent and hot names or is it just about the music? How does the music selection come about?
Terron Darby: Just about the music! We will always have an open inbox for new music. Our core collective crew is constantly sharing productions and collaborating searching for that perfect groove…
Davin Coady: Def about the music. To add, this label will be for friends of ours from DA and outside to explore their talents and skill, to showcase that they can make more than one style or use more than one formula to make good music. We want to support the people who support us and bring in new talent as we go along.
Electronic Groove: For the producers out there, how do they get in touch with FNR? What are some of the guidelines they should keep in mind before submitting their music? What kind of artist are you on the lookout for?
Davin Coady: Get in contact with us here: info@fnrrecords.com. We want to be open-minded about our releases, but the main things we are looking for are deep and warm vibes, with plenty of soul and heart.
“We want to support the people who support us and bring in new talent as we go along”
Electronic Groove: We know it’s early to ask, but how is the end of 2021 looking? Can you give a sneak peek of what’s to come?
Terron Darby: We are wrapping up some projects that we will be announcing soon. Some remixes, originals, and collaborations coming up. Stay tuned.
Davin Coady: Yeah, right now we are finalizing the next few releases which we have up our sleeves. There may be some Dance Artifakts artists that you are familiar with releasing with FNR.
Electronic Groove: Thank you guys and wishing you the best on this new sonic venture!
Terron Darby: Special thanks to the entire EG team. It’s always a pleasure chatting with you. Cheers.
Davin Coady: Thank you guys as always, we love the support we get from EG <3
Akari’s ‘How Much is Never Enough’ EP is out on October 22 via Faoi Na Réaltaí.
