Peanut Butter Wolf: Bridging Vinyl & Digital | Hypebeast

With Stones Throw’s great tradition of vinyls and packaging of records how do you balance this style in the digital era?

When designing a record cover, you used to have to take into account what it would look like as 12 inches (vinyl) and what it would look like as 5 inches (CD), now you have to also take into account what it will look like 2 inches (iTunes thumbnail). Or just say, “screw it. I only care about what will look best at 12 inches.”

What is your perception of the Internet as far as running an independent label is concerned. It seems that the music industry is still looking for a way to manage adequately the changing circumstances.

The Internet is our friend and our enemy. If things continue the way they’re currently going, CDs will be gone, most music will be only digital and thousands of labels will be competing for the attention of that one main online store. And it’s definitely a trip how much the consumer’s mind state about music shifted with this generation. Recorded music is to be downloaded for free. Live music is to be paid for. Most labels have to be in the merchandise, touring and licensing business these days just to stay alive. We’re lucky because our fans are die-hards and will actually buy physical goods from us.

Having all these aforementioned aspects in mind how would you specify Stones Throw’s evolution?

Natural.