Quentin Allen Produces under a few monikers. He loves all music. With the latest release efforts under the name iLLform, I wanted to get a little insight into his musical journey’s and label. I hit him up to learn he has been producing music professionally since 95 and releasing his own tracks to labels since 2000. Now with his own label, ‘Intimate Venues Recordings’ he is really starting to rev things up.
The label started out in 2015. For awhile it was mainly deep house, deep tech, and downtempo artists. Quentin started taking over the label in 2018 and fully acquired it in 2020. He told me since then, he has expanded the label’s sound to drum and bass, chill-hop, jazz, jazz-fusion, nu-jazz/broken beat, and alternative electronic music. From this, I get the impression that Quentin is serious about the deeper and experimental side electronic music. Quentin then went on to tell when it came to shaping the label, he was inspired the old Shadow/Instinct Records from the 90’s to mid 2000’s.
I assumed my impression about his musical taste running deep before I even talked to Quentin about this feature. I listened to his most recent LP above and it took me on a musical journey that caught me off guard in a lot of places. I had questions about the other elements of the LP that were not drum and bass. Quentin explained to me ‘Imminent Horizon’ was more jazz-fusion. He always wanted to fuse jazz with his brand of electronic music. Some of his earlier productions was making hip-hop fused with jazz back in 93. Way before all “these chill-hop cats” as he put it. I explained I had not branched out into electronic music beyond my 3 major food groups of house, techno, and drum and bass. Usually I bang heavier shit, I told him. That’s when he pointed me to an older release.
‘Quentin’s Ladder’ is the heavy version version of iLLform. This was definitely more in my element of taste. It’s dirty, heavy. and gnarly drum and bass. I’m 100% adding this LP to my wish list.
Let’s take a look at iLLform’s most 2 more recent releases now. Both these EP’s feature vocal by another Ohio artist, Veronica Red. She has a spoken word style that is beautiful as much as it is sinister, especially in darker tacks. The ‘Take Me Galactic EP’ also has a remix from KARU, Quentin’s house persona.
‘We Were Together’ also features Veronica on vocals and feature remixes from Intimate Venues Recording’s other artist’s.. Even a Quentin’s Ladder Remix that is a total thrasher.
One more releae I’d like to talk about is this most recent KARU LP. Like I said, KARU is another alias Quentin produces music under. He uses this name to produce, house, downtempo, chill-hop, and jazz fusion. I really dig some of these tracks, Those that follow me on social media may of heard me talk about one of my favorite electronic acts from back in he day, Swayzak. A lot of this is very reminiscent of them. Really dig the vibes on this.
I’d like to wrap up by thanking Quentin for is time and insight into talking to me about his music and label. If you are looking to expand your horizon swing by Intimate Venues Recordings on Traxsource to check out Quentin and other great artists.