Caipirinha Productions is a NYC based company which published several short and two very interesting long play video documentaries, 'Synthetic Pleasures' and 'Modulations', the second being an honest and well delivered attempt to define modern/electronic music. Caipirinha Music has released stuff from a variety of artists, either top American sound explorers (and techno freaks) like Terre Thaemlitz, DJ Spooky, Si Begg, T.Dupree - S.Ysatis- T.Inoue (the Instinct posse), Dietrich Schoenemann and the mighty Khan, or first class German experimentalists (and techno freaks) like Adel Dior of Autotune, Cem Oral aka Jammin' Unit of Air Liquide, Kerosene, etc., etc. Of course lots of others have a track or two in the numerous compilations the label released, better known of which are 'Synthetic Pleasures' Vol.1 & Vol.2.
Although at the beginning the output was mostly experimental techno and weird ambient and breaks, later on Caipirinha turned almost exclusively towards d'n'b and extreme US-flavored IDM releases (Datach'i, Panacea, DJ Spooky), and at the same time released thematic compilations. This is a weird techno compilation from the early years, focusing on the process of creating a track. Contains experimental beats by the likes of Friedmann, Mika Vainio, Si Begg alongside some pure and hard techno bangers from Steve Stoll, Surgeon, Freddie Fresh and Subhead. It may be difficult for the average listener, but it was a request (the rest will follow), it's rare, and Khan's deep house track is smooth enough to lure anybody.
VA - 1997 Process
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.
I had the films on VHS, now long gone (taken...). Does anybody know where I can find a DVD (euro PAL, that is) copy?
Process
Silentmoviesilverscreen
An album from Khan (*) through Caipirinha (*), loosely drawing inspiration from early 20th century silent movies.
I wish I had found some info on this project, but there doesn't seem to be anything around and the CD's leaflet stays totally uninformative. Some of the films I know, for the others I'm still guessing. The project unfolds in two parts; the first one ('Berlin') is a brooding, very minimalistic techno affair, borrowing its mood from early german expressionism films like 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' or directors like Max Reinhard. The second part ('Hollywood') moves more into scarce electro beats and experimental breaks territory, mentioning Kenneth Anger and Carmen Miranda.
Khan - 1997 Silentmoviesilverscreen
Info here and more covers scans here.
U.M.O. 2
Unidentified Musical Objects is a collaboration project between Adel Dior, Cem Oral and Terrible. This one was released in Caipirinha, in the year of their lord 1997.
Adel Dior is an important member of the Berlin scene for a long long time, mostly known through his collaboration with Fabian Feyerabendt of TokTok fame as Autotune (now they've split). They released mostly in Low Spirit, Beroshima's Mueller Records and later Woody's Fumakilla, and they helped a lot Miss Allien in the beginning of BPitch (check here the credits of the first 30 or something releases).
Cem Oral aka Jammin Unit, member (with Ingmar Koch or Dr.Walker) of Air Liquide is a top electronic musician. It's hard to pinpoint him as an artist, as he has done more things than a hundred others more well known, and they're so different between them... The only common between all of them seems to be his obvious love for acid.
Terrible seems to be a friend and occasional collaborator of them. I didn't know him , so read it out of discogs.
Participating in this album is Cem's brother, Can (Khan) and long time collaborator Roger C. aka Kerosene and Zulutronic.
Expect to listen to some weird breaks, hip hop mentality and acidic lines and a lot of distorted sounds, some exquisite programming and organic mixing. Consider these guys to be the fathers of the style that was later further developed by Funkstoerung. Personal favorite is electro-infected 'Ox'.
U.M.O. - 1997, 2
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.
Ego-ism
This 2CD compilation was a limited release in an one-off sub of Monolake/Imbalance label through EFA. From the archives of Ego Club in Frankfurt, rare live recordings and an excellent info booklet make this a must have for the collectors of the experimental side of techno.
The first CD contains mostly deep techno tracks from with some electro sounds on top, while the second focuses on abstract, mini, clicky or just plain sweet electronica. The participants' list is top, nobody will be disappointed. Geek-sound heroes like Kit Clayton and Alva Noto collide with monsters like Jammin' Unit and Monolake, or more 'pop' oriented outlets like Antonelli Electr. and Swayzak. And you have the chance to listen to Khan's 'Ride Me' live.
Excellent stuff, totally recommended, just find it somewhere and buy it.
VA - Live Sets At Ego Club 1998-2000, 2CD
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
Info here
Electric Ladyland Clickhop Version 1.0
Mille Plateaux had the advantage of having some legendary names in its roster right from the beginning (Heckmann, Alec Empire, Oval, Khan and co.), not to mention the support from the european and british IDM scene as well as from the Cologne scene later on. Thus, through releasing compilations that included works from all the above and some more usual suspects, it had the greatest impact possible on the scene during the '90s, defining german electronics and effortlessly breeding a few new genres. Most important were the archetypal 'Modulation & Transformation' series (mostly experimental electronics and cutting edge techno), the 'Electric Ladyland' series (post hip-hop ultra twisted breaks) and finally the 'Clicks & Cuts' series (* + *).
Somewhere between the cut-up sensibilities of the Ladyland series and the clicks 'n' cuts craftsmanship stands this one. You 'll hear a lot of weird hip-hop, post-dub illbient and IDMish US breaks, though a lot of the old Mille Plateaux posse stick to the abstract glitch thing they know how to do best, with the addition of a loop or two. Click Hop they called it, trying to define a new hybrid style. Time tells us they were wrong (it didn't exactly make it as a genre), yet the success of artists like Funkstörung, Prefuse 73, the BPitch Control's and Shitkatapult's breaks departments, as well as the evolution of mainstream hip hop techniques (adopting a lot of ideas proposed here) show that they were totally on the right track.
Also included is the first (and best) collaborative track between Vladislav Delay and AGF.
VA - 2001 Electric Ladyland Clickhop Version 1.0
CD1 - CD2
Info here.
