Published
Sun, Jan 16, 2022, 12:00
- We spoke to the Frankfurt artist about what to expect from the online store.
Frankfurt DJ and producer Phil Evans has launched a webshop and new label called Freizeit.
The idea for the shop, which launched earlier this month, came during the pandemic, when Evans missed sharing records with clubbers every weekend and was beginning to feel disconnected from his collection.
"I realized that something was missing for me," he told Resident Advisor. "Having a record dealer's background, I [thrive] from checking out records and not only selling them to clients but also sharing enthusiasm toward music in general and knowledge."
Launching a webshop was also a way to help combat the cut-throat world of Discogs resellers. "I saw vendors on Discogs selling second-hand records for exorbitant prices lately," he said. "Being a music enthusiast myself, knowing how frustrating it is to be unable to buy that record because it'lI cost you a fortune, I had the idea of giving everyone the opportunity to buy records for a fair price no matter how rare or special the pressing might be."
This ethos will govern the way Evans curates Freizeit. As well as focusing on old and new second-hand dance music 12-inches regardless of rarity, he wants to "stock new [records] as I want to support new artists, labels and friends," he said.
Alongside the webshop, Evans is launching a new label, also called Freizeit. The debut EP, In Da Attic, is out in March. While he's handling the first three releases, he hopes to also showcase young producers who can embody what he describes as the Freizeit "feeling," that "[freetime] isn't only the spare time you have between working and sleeping or whatever you do to get by."
Visit the webshop here, and revisit our review of Evans's debut solo album, Smile, released last May.