Mark Doyle- Fierce Angel’s zen Buddha of funky house
05/07/2006

“Success isn't about profit or market share it's about believing in the dream and doing all you can to make it happen. Even if it all fails I know I will have put 200% into something I thought would work: For me that is success.”

12 months after walking away from the multi-million pound club brand he built from scratch, Hed Kandi, acid house original and all round nice guy Mark Doyle remains surprisingly chilled, particularly given the fights his departure provoked. Leaving Hed Kandi after a series of corporate changes left him increasingly disillusioned with its direction he set up rival compilation label Toyko Project, only to see it crash and burn in bitter litigation battles. More recently, he’s tried again with Fierce Angels, only to see Hed Kandi sold on to Ministry Of Sound, with whom he’s now reportedly head to head, according to the latest Mixmag (though both parties deny it).



“I don’t think the brands would be remotely confused by the public,” says Ministry Of Sound MD Lohan Presencer, “We sell half a million albums a year. Mark has sold 2,500 copies of his recent record. We’re not even in the same business.”

“Fierce Angels is a tiny operation with a few events, which allows Mark Doyle to have a lifestyle. Hed Kandi is a proper global business which will make millions of pounds. He’s running a business about Mark Doyle getting some DJ gigs as far as I’m aware," the man from the Ministry continues.

“The problem with Mark Doyle is he’s only ever had one idea and he’s hanging on to it. I think he needs to move on, if I’m honest, and I’ve told him that.”

Whether Mark Doyle actually will move on looks extremely unlikely, and has he points out himself, his one single idea has certainly been a good one.

“In regards to that particular comment - yes I am running a label to be successful and get all of our DJs gigs and hopefully spread the word about the label and the albums. But it's not about Mark Doyle it's about all of us as a team and it’s about a business model I used at Hed Kandi to stunning effect,” he corrects.

“The person making that comment obviously has a need to try and dismiss that. It’s a rather surprising comment as the company he works for purchased Hed Kandi on the strength of its success, a success built on precisely the same ideals.”


Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): You’re 12 months down the line from Hed Kandi and now back with Fierce Angels, where are you at with the label: what does it stand for so far?

Mark Doyle: “It's been a huge learning process and a very valuable one. Because of your success, you go from thinking you are the be-all and end-all of dance music to realising you are back at stage one of the whole process. Where we are now is exactly where we want to be - a lot smaller and under no major pressure to deliver sales numbers that compete with Hed Kandi. At the moment I get to decide what goes on each CD and when we should release it with no major company pushing me to deliver track-listings or release dates.”

Skrufff: What are the key differences between Fierce Angels and the Hed Kandi brand values you personally created?

Mark Doyle: “That's a very difficult question to answer because in reality there is no difference at all. My values and ideals have remained the same and that is what I’m transferring to the new company. How Hed Kandi carries on is probably a better topic for discussion as the people involved will bring their own values and opinions to the brand now that I am gone. In terms of Fierce Angel I would love it to achieve the success of Hed Kandi but always within the restrictions I have set for the brand. Hed Kandi was a gift and I will never regret any part of the process that brought me to this point, but I’m also determined to learn from the process and move forwards with a little more knowledge. In a nutshell my values are - do what you love, involve everyone that has passion, hope for the best and see what happens.”

Skrufff: What criteria for success do you have for the new label?

Mark Doyle: “I don't have criteria for success as such... It's possibly a huge mistake, but I've put every penny that I have on this project on the basis it will succeed. Even if I lose all of that I will know that I tried. Success isn't about profit or market share it's about believing in the dream and doing all you can to make it happen. Even if it all fails I know I will have put 200% into something I thought would work: For me that is success.”

Skrufff: How easy has it been to avoid being demoralised by all the legal action/ personal abuse?

Mark Doyle: "You can sit and worry about whatever anyone else is saying or you can just get on with it. In reality the worse times were last year when we split from Hed Kandi the actions of some of the people that were very supposedly very close friends hurt far more than something that was said by a head honcho at a major label. That period was a very depressing one because a number of people made decisions that I didn’t necessarily agree with but it was also very uplifting because a number of people showed an awful lot of belief and loyalty in the new company. So it’s been an absolute rollercoaster.”

Skrufff: How much do you see it as a David and Goliath battle of brands?

Mark Doyle: “It's not about who we are competing with it's about the music, having a good time and getting on with it...We could spend lots of time scoring points and getting into arguments with the other company but what would it achieve?”

Skrufff: Mixmag recently described funky house as ‘where the big money is these days’: how much is funky house club culture nowadays all about corporate business, profit and shifting units? (do any elements of acid house/ DIY/ alternative culture remain?)

Mark Doyle: “At the moment it is where the commercial focus is because it's more prominent than other styles but that comes and goes every few years. Anything that brings people into dance music is a good thing after they have
had their happy house intro they might branch off into other styles. It is always easy to put down another style of music because it is popular. There are a million styles of music and people will always create hybrids and new ones and that is the truly great thing about music it is up to those that love it to keep promoting it."

Skrufff: Looking back, anything you would have done differently? (any moments you could have walked away earlier with less trouble?

Mark Doyle: “With hindsight many, many times, but looking back it was what it was and you just have to roll with it; it's all a learning curve.”

Skrufff: What’s been the closest you’ve come to walking away altogether, have you, for example, ever sat down and cried?

Mark Doyle: “Quite a few times. This is a job you have to give your heart and soul to and every so often it all gets a bit too much. There was a time at Hed Kandi when we were doing a party at Pacha near my birthday when I was so unhappy that I nearly had a proper breakdown. Everything was going amazingly well in business terms but I wasn't happy I knew there were problems and on that particular night I knew that if I went to the party I would announce it to the entire crowd. So I didn't go but that decision caused even more stress because I knew I
was letting people down... How complicated is that. It’s not in my nature to walk away from problems as I’m an argumentative little sod I’ll often avoid them but never walk away. I think if I was like that I would have given up music along time ago.”

Skrufff: Do you have any tips for anyone out there (particularly creatives) working for a corporate company?

Mark Doyle: “Just see where it goes. If you can live with the decisions and control that a company has over your creative directions then stick with it, but if you disagree and really believe in yourself, I’d always recommend taking the plunge and following your dreams; just prepare for a longer harder slog.”

Skrufff: How about for someone putting out a compilation? What should/ shouldn’t they do?

Mark Doyle: “There is no rule for putting out a compilation because it is a VERY personal thing just be aware of the risks involved. My way of doing things will be very different to someone else in a different area of music .. That is the fantastic thing about music.”

Skrufff: How much is digital downloading changing the bigger picture anyway?

Mark Doyle: “It will have an effect and at some point a very big one. But what we do is sift through 1000 tracks to bring you thirty three of the best ones in superb collectable packaging. Do you have time to do that at the moment ? People will always want things to show their lifestyle, tastes, whatever; A fantastic, well packaged, well thought out compilation has a lot more life than the new Britney Spears album.”

Skrufff: You’re associated with funky house the most, are you ever tempted to switch genres?

Mark Doyle: “When I do it will be because there is something I feel is better... Not for commercial reasons but purely because my tastes have changed...I love what I do and I love the music and if I change my taste it will be because I've found something that gives me even more goose pimples than the music I love. But look at my track choices on number of my compilations it’s not just “funky” house there has been proper guitar led chillout, lovely “deep” house and some tougher darker stuff.”

Toyko Disco is out now: all Fierce Angels releases and gigs can be found on their website:

http://www.fierceangels.com

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