Standards

More latin influenced weirdness by Uwe Schmidt (*,*), here posing as Moog player Lisa Carbon, through his own Rather Interesting label, with a few contributions, namely by Argenis Brito (*,*). Includes an instrumental cover of 'Space Oddity'.

Fusing together spaced electronics, funk and acid with his experiments in South America's rhythms, I think with the Lisa Carbon project he attempted a contemporary take on the whole early '70s movement that combined library music with pop, jazz and 'ethnic' rhythms. To my ears, it's similar to how David Perian & Alberto Baldan's 'Happy And Crazy Music' would sound if crossed with 'El Baile Aleman', though a bit more on the clicky side and showing off more its rhythm section.

Lisa Carbon - 2003 Standards
Info here.

Atina.Latino

This is the first Mambotur album I talked about in the last post, also through MultiColor.

More latino colored than the next one, it's a product of a process similar to the Senor Coconut records of the time, a fusing of latino 'ethnic' music elements with a touch of pop and european 'experimental' electronic music techniques. Uwe Schmidt is attributed some additional production credits (and thanks), his influence though can be easily heard throughout the whole album. The reason I think I like 'Al.Frente' a little more is that it has the Mambotur mark, it's more original in its own way, where as this one is the First Record, showing its influences more, going down a certain path already trodden. But it's all just about personal taste, so...

Mambotur - 2002, Atina.Latino
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Al.Frente

Mambotur is a project of Argenis Brito and Pier Bucci, now both famous on their own and, at the same time, constantly in groups and collaborations with the Cadenza/ Perlon guys. They are really well known, I think, so I'll cut to the chase. This (of course) went out in multiColor.

If you're expecting minimal dance elements and lots of funky clip-clop techno, you're for a small surprise. This Mambotur album is closer in style with the already posted 'Blind Behaviour' (where Bucci played a part in the recording, and which btw was recently re-printed in vinyl, run now). This is almost an electronic pop album, though the occasional deep techno track will casually turn up, in the almost typical now neo-latin style (call it sentimental minimalism). Some tracks have SA-spanish lyrics over sweet melodies, all are more or less dub infused, never going uptempo but without getting at all boring. Of course, the 'electro-latino' character of these recordings is obvious as a mannerism, but also is artistic expression and choice.

To sum up, this is the counterpoint to Cadenza's percussive marathons, without which those tool-tracks would be no more than... well, just tool-tracks; it would be stretching to call their producers artists. Personally, I like a lot Pier Bucci's music, the album in Border Community in particular (maybe my favourite release there, along with Adamski's and Heim's). And Argenis Brito has a really good voice. And stage manners, I watched him a few years ago with the Senor Coconut live band. Despite Mr.Schmidt's overwhelming maestro presence, he effortlessly managed to gain the crowd by being pleasant and entertaining. In a good sense, and believe me that is rare.
I remember I found this CD in the 'Lounge' shelf... Hmm. At the moment I've lost track of the first one (I was going for a double post actually), but soon I'll find it and up it.

It's summer down there...

Mambotur - 2005, al.frente
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Lo-Fi Stereography

This is for the minimal fans.

Lo-Fi Stereo is a all-star low-profile Frankfurt based label run by C/rock aka Dubstar or Stardub, half of better known and rising Motorcitysoul project. Existing since the mid '90s, the label focuses on some kind of house, minimal, deep, technoid, filter, sometimes sentimental stuff and others pure dancefloor tools. His other label, Stir15 is pure house oriented.
With a lot of support from Steve Bug and the Pokerflat/Dessous posse (Gamat 3000, Jeff Samuel), releases from the now star latinos (Villalobos, Luciano, Pier Bucci, Argenis Brito) and from oldschoolers like Redagain P, Marvin Dash/System 360, Jackmate and Geoff White on the other hand, Lo-Fi Stereo could have been another Pokerflat or something but it remained relatively unknown. I guess it was too weird for then and is too housey for the contemporary mini-techno market. Still I read that C/rock is resident at the Cocoon Club. I hope the best for him, although he is sometimes drifting towards the easy 'minimal' category, his taste is great and the Stardub LP was shocking when I first heard it (P.S. find it here)

This compilation also includes a Michael Mayer remix. All tracks have character and quality. This compilation was a small but important chapter in the evolution of minimal dance music. 'Chicks with Beepers' and '808 the Bassqueen' are simply classics.

VA - 2000 Lo-Fi Stereography
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Baila, baila

The first official part of Senor Coconut's 'career', in Rather Interesting label circa 1997.

Actually, some experiments had preceded this album in the same label (where almost all releases are by Uwe Schmidt). Unfortunately they were at that time unobserved, lost in the river of Atom pseudonyms, waiting for future recognition. Still, the impact on European electronic music and Pop culture of this Latin-infused Electro amalgam was so big that a lot of people felt the need to turn back and listen to Los Samplers, Eric Satin, etc., only to find out that Rather Interesting original records were sold for three digit numbers. I guess that especially after the YMO tribute album, Atom records are even more out of reach.

Anyway, thank your gods for the Multicolor re-releases and their support of certain South American artists like Villalobos, Jorge Gonzalez and Mambotur aka Pier Bucci & Argenis Brito.

Senor Coconut - 1997, El Gran Baile con...
(Multicolor re-issue, 2000)
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Music For Children

And something blue.

This is the only CD release by respected swiss label Bruchstuecke I know and it's totally worth listening, more also as it's a co-production with Ruta 5 with great support by the Berlin oldschool scene of Fehlmann, Move D & Tom Thiel aka Sun Electric, etc.

Based on an idea by Chica (& the Folder) from Gudrun Gut's Monika Enterprise, this is a tribute to children music, full of kids voices' samples and soft melodies. The structure of the tracks ranges from over-the-edge experimental electronics to techno to pop, always with that special minimalistic edge. With tracks from all the above and Villalobos, Luciano, Pink Elln, Dandy Jack, Console, Miss Dinky, Mo & El Puma of the Elektro Musik Department, etc., mastered by Stefan Betke, it's an interesting affair and offers a nice view in the Berlin/ South America/ Switzerland interaction.

VA - 2003 Music For Children
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Mother, Madre, Mere

First time I heard Luciano, it was on the 'Future Senses' 12'' [Klang 72]. I bought it just for the B1 re-edit, full of ethereal voices, top programming and of course KILLER synths. A sense of live mixing, also. The other tracks were dimmed by this, but I didn't care.

I 'd heard the 'Ruta 5: Austral' compilation and liked '808 the Bassqueen', but for me Chile was a closed book apart from the fully promoted 'El Baile Alemán' by Atom™ . Some years later South American artists are flooding Europe's production with dubby minimal yet melodic tracks with a different touch. Villalobos, Luciano, Dandyjack, Pier Bucci and many others are top in demand by the music industry. Luciano focuses on producing minimal tracks for Cadenza, Perlon, etc. and keeps it funky, even though his tool tracks recently seem to last forever. I prefer his 'For Disco Only' experiment, just for the eerie voice, or 'Amelie On Ice'.

Still, the record I keep hearing the most is this gem of electronic music, under his Lucien-n-Luciano alias, released in Peacefrog. An album that mostly aims for the heart and the mind more than for the dancefloor, but still manages to work there in times. It sounds autobiographical, if I may say something like this without actually knowing the guy. Full of emotion, weird electronics and clicking percussions, vocals and melodies, it's guaranteed to keep you company for a long time.

'Mother, Madre, Mere' is one of the sweetest tracks I've heard. And 'La Ondita' is one of the most touching.

Lucien-n-Luciano - 2004, Blind Behaviour CD
Part 1 - Part 2

Info here