There’s a new Detroit compilation coming soon!! William Paul has started a new label called Expressway Records and started this cool project!! Locals 313!!! The party is this Thursday, May 16!!

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VP: How long have you been involved in the Detroit electronic music scene? Was there a particular moment you knew this was love for you?

WP: My love affair with techno/house started (literally) the first time I heard it on the Electrifyin’ Mojo shows. My first love though was those deep electronic music made in the ‘80s before techno. I made my first “mix tapes” by placing two boom boxes next to each other. I learned about German techno in 1987 while in the Army. Sometimes I feel my love affair with Detroit has been like friends with benefits. I’ve always had Detroit in my heart. The wealth of my experience is shared between Detroit, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Las Vegas, not to excluded Denver and Nashville. I was never really able to getting deeply involved there because of the situation. To that point when I was in Denver I learned how to grow marijuana and I was in Nashville to learn Music Business.

 

VP: You have this great compilation. What inspired you to do it?

WP: Simple. There is one weekend a year that the rest of the world believes is “Detroit.” The fact of the matter is that there are 52 weeks in a year. This release is a tribute to people that are here working their asses off making that one week a year special to so many people. We are the foundation that holds framework to all that!

 

VP: How did you choose the artists and tracks on it?

WP: I played a numbers game. I sent out and or contacted one hundred local producers of all experience and tenure.  That’s it. If someone showed interest I worked with them. Some tracks were sent complete and ready to go. Others I worked with till we got it right. All tracks are what I called “artist choice.” I didn’t pick one track and I accepted EVERY submission with out prejudice. With the exception of not meeting my deadlines, everyone of these artists are true professionals regardless of their experience or tenure.

 

VP: Who did your label design? How does it express your philosophy and your mission?

 

WP: I designed everything. The concept starts and ends with respect to all the working trades in Detroit. I consider what we do a trade just like my (real) brothers. My brother in law is retired Local 58. My own brother is a self-taught plastics engineer.  Hard working! With the exception of having a professional help clean the designs up by working with me directly, everything has been a labor of love.  The Detroit: Locals 313 badge is a source of pride and I would like to send a personal thanks Jerry aka Jerry Swinger for the amazing job. Nico aka Axiom Crux helped with the cassette tape sticker and the gorgeous flier designs!

 

VP: When is your next compilation coming out?

WP: I’m still trying to get through this one lol. I would say the next big project will be in July. If you ask around you’ll find a very large amount of us Locals are also born to the sign of Cancer. That should keep everyone wondering. With 27 new artists on Expressway Records roster there might be a release next week too.