Artwork by Sophia Drevenstam

From humble beginnings, Levon Vincent has grown into a force to be reckoned with. Starting his Novel Sound and Deconstruct (with Anthony Parasole) labels in 2008, their stamped white labels were borne out of economic reality instead of perceived style, pre-dating (and, together with WAX/Equalized, likely causing) the proliferation of stamped labels. The sounds etched in those grooves, however, are what has led Vincent to his present status on house music’s Mount Olympus — the first name the heads rattle off when asked who their favorite artists are. The gritty dub-techno of “Invisible Bitchslap,” the frisky, beat-down house of “These Games, the rain-dance rave of “Man or Mistress,” and the tender sing-along “I Owe You Everything” have all, among many others, solidified Novel Sound and Deconstruct as two of the most coveted labels in recent memory. Droves of techno heads immediately drop what they’re doing and go to the store right now when the newest ones come in and make Faustian deals for back-catalog issues. Keeping his releases close to home and few and far between, Vincent has etched out a space all his own in dance music and has pursued it with aplomb, most recently with his definitive CD for Fabric. It’s with great pleasure that we ring in the new year with Vincent at the helm for our 149th exclusive podcast: a journey through his record bag stocked with favorites new and old.

LWE Podcast 149: Levon Vincent (81:34)