So Fucking Chic

This is the debut album of french group Junesex, out through Hamburg's Popup Records; darkish, sex infected, home-made electro with post-punk sound and rock attitude. Their sound stands close to the Kitsune/Ed Banger and like stuff, yet without the typical (post Daft Punk) tricks all the others use to death; the Junesex final mixes sound more like a rock band with synths than the all-pumping, filter sweeping, samples overload of the 'electro-rock' blueprint.

To tell the truth, I feel this whole 'sex' thing is a show-off. I bought this one for 'Gets Close To Mine', which anyway I had to edit and extend to play it; still, a perfectly good reason to check this album. Fortunately, some time later a 12" came out, with a Schatrax remix as well. Lucky us.
There's also a 'hidden' beatless track at the end of CD track #14.

Junesex - 2004 So Fucking Chic
Info here.

Pro Bono Publico

Another Vertical Form record (*), this one's a showcase compilation sold half-price, if I remember correctly.

Lots of abstract pop and post-rock goodies here, four great groups get three tracks each: Pan American (*), Hausmusik's ISO68, Corker/Conboy aka A.P.E. (I have that first album somewhere...) and Kim Hiorthøy of Smalltown Supersound. Serious, introvert and emotional music, organic and chilled - occasionally depressive, but that never hurt anyone, did it? (... It did, after all?)

Recommended for headphones.

VA - 2002 Pro Bono Publico
Info here.

? ? ?

The third WP album, check the already posted last one here for more info.

This one went out through ElektroMotor, and it's the strangest one I've heard of them. A purist's hell; all influences clashing, all styles mixed; you'll never pinpoint what exactly are you listening to at a specific time (and, probably, if you really like it...). The track 'Crazymusic' says it all; and for the reason mentioned above, it's a really interesting album, as long as you don't expect anything from them. Besides originality.

Whirlpool Productions - 1998 ???
Info here.

Sensorama

We knew them as Acid Jesus, now as Alter Ego. Jörn Elling Wuttke and Roman Flügel need no introduction, so I won't bother. Sensorama is the name they used for their Ladomat 2000 (*) releases.


Sensorama - 1995 Welcome Insel
Info here.


Sensorama - 1996 Zu Gast Auf Der Welcome Insel
Info here.


Sensorama - 1998 Love 2LP
Info here.


Sensorama - 2000 Projektor
Info here.

Someone had asked for one of these in the comment box. I meant to post it properly, then went for the big one. 'Su Gast..' is a remix compilation on the 'Insel" album.
All rips are 192kbps, none mine - thanx to the original uppers.

P.S. Originally posted 2009-12-04. Modified thanks to Jens, who sent a link for 'Projektor' (320kbps) that helped us fill this hole. Thanx again man.

Music Is Okay

Koze's first compilation of collaborations, remixes, etc. If you liked his recent 'Reincarnations' in Get Physical (and who didn't...), definitely check this one - it might even be better than the new one.

Didn't even know it existed for a long time, then spent as much more trying to track it down. In mp3 form only, so far.

DJ Koze - 2000 Music Is Okay
Info here.

'Koze' means 'vomit', if I'm not mistaken. Reminds me of Hell (who apparently got his name out of a faded Shell t-shirt), or Highfish. I like this kind of ridiculous nicknames, they show that the persons involved retain their punk sense of adolescent humor. That they grew out of a certain scene where a lot of close friends were involved. And that they never went for the big money and fame in the first place, they would have picked much better sounding aliases - see either true or fake names or scientific terminology (Drexciya & Co. escaped that trap only through their humorous, at times satiric approach of their own material and concepts).

So, more Vomit music here and here.

Lifechange

The last Whirlpool Productions album, along with the CD EP out of it (with a Tiefschwarz remix).

For me the more mature and complete deposition of theirs, a post-everything album full of grooving house music, disco references and style wars. Voices dominate while typically surpassing the 'weird' level, making the outcome totally surreal and immediately accessible at the same time. Definitely dancefloor music, yet for extremely friendly drunks or for funky disco aliens I wouldn't know.
I don't know if they could do better than that; no wonder they split up later.

Remotely similar to the International Pony records (see *,*) and other Ladomat 2000 stuff (*,*), with more hopefully to be posted soon. Usually I classify them under the Hamburg label.

...hold your head up high...
...music is all we need to get by...



Whirlpool Productions - 2000 Lifechange
Info here.



Whirlpool Productions - 2001 Lifechange CD EP
Info here.

Hamburgeins

A Ladomat 2000 (*,*) compilation presenting the early Dial Records sound (*).

VA - 2001 Hamburgeins
Info here.

Sadly in low bitrate, found somewhere around the net. A request, but also a compilation I'd like very much to have in its 3x12'' form.

Discodebut

Erobique is Carsten Meyer, one of the International Pony 'supergroup' trio (see here). This album went out in Acid Jazz Records, more or less a compilation of existing tracks released firstly on vinyl, then on his debut CD 'Erosound'.
I found this some time ago in the crates, forgotten. At last I was able to understand a big side of Ponies' weirdness, the r'n'b elements (in relation with the acid squelches), as Erobique is a born groover, mostly keeps the tempo down and is rather more interested in modernizing a funky beat than in 909s. Of course, when he bangs he does it with no regard to norms and styles.
If you're interested in the Hamburg scene, check this one. If you like the Pony, it's mandatory.

Erobique - 2001, Discodebut
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Hitparade

Station 17 is a more or less rock band based in Hamburg, which with this release crossed over to the electronic side. A number of artists from Berlin, Cologne and locals remixed their work and published this CD in Mute Tontraeger in 2001 giving a strong push to this totally great project, while an album of more or less electronic tracks by the band was released about a year ago.
Stars like Thomas Fehlmann, Steve Bug, The Modernist, Antonelli Electr., J.Koehncke and Tobias Schmidt (as T.Tobsen) appear side by side with Automatique and the yet semi-known International Pony guys Koze and Cosmic DJ, while on the listening side this album is supported by holy cows FM Einheit and Pole, with contributions by To Rococo Rot, Kreidler, Barbara Morgenstern and german hip-hoppers Denyo 77.

A lot of tracks are really good, others are weird but interesting. But you HAVE to listen to Cosmic DJ's magnificent track. Totally addictive groove and crazy samples, it stands out like a prophetic mantra, as if he describes today's techno 'scene' (haha). Hey mr.DJ, play me your song.

Station 17+ - 2001, Hitparade
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.

Info on the Station 17 project here and here.

Pony says hello!

Yep, it's another classic from the Hamburg area (with total support by Kompakt distribution, as always). Formed by Cosmic DJ, Erobique and DJ Koze, they were hailed as a 'supergroup' from the beginning. They deserved it, in my opinion, and you can easily find out why in this record.

With a heavy background on hip hop, funk and listening electronics, International Pony add a touch of dancefloor rush, play live a lot of instruments, balance tho lo-fi elements with a decent production and some great programming. It's a complex album, always shifting and twisting around pop themes, presented in a variety of styles ranging from r'n'b and funk to electro punk, with house and techno peaks and abstract interludes. Humor plays a certain role as well. And jingles. Mostly though the thing that makes this record stand out is that it's an Album, not just some recordings thrown together and re-packaged for promotion. It has a motif, an attitude that keeps everything together, no matter how diverse the prime materials are.

Of course, the First Album of most bands usually has this 'advantage'. It represents a whole era of in-band dynamics building up in order to overcome the obstacles in the beginning. I'm talking about some years of putting the songs together, practicing, ego-clashing, performing live, finding (or founding) a label, recording, up to the date of release of the album, when at last it's off your hands and out in the world. Because of the diversity of the various situations and events experienced, creativity manifests in various ways and even has some time to develop itself into fresh forms that yet fit easily within a certain picture. At the same time, during this incubating period (two or three or five or ten years) a LOT of songs are tried, so it's easier to pick some out of them for release.
Usually after a successful album follow big tours which leave the group exhausted, yet eager to record again. Second Albums tend to be more focused, concept-oriented or with a heavy eye in the market, especially if the 1st one did good sales.
Some perfect examples of worthy dance First Albums are The Orb's 'Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld', The Prodigy's 'Experience' and Daft Punk's 'Homework'. In a few years I think I'll add this one too in the list.

International Pony - 2002 We love Music
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here

By the way, does anyone have this?

P.S. Koze compilation found, here.

Hamburg greyscapes

Another Hamburg release, in the year 2000. Peter Kersten, mostly known as Lawrence or Sten had just released 'Teaser' 12'' on Kompakt and some 12"s on his own Dial label. This is (to my knowledge) his first LongPlay release, establishing his trademark sound (mostly dark strings over soft beats under grey skies). Which has not changed a lot through the years, just got refined and more crispy and occasionally bordering on happier, even euphoric feelings. Still, Melancholy seems to be the key-word to his work.

Released on both Dial and Ladomat2000 (I have the latter edition), with no track names or much other info in an artwork of hazy monochromatic urban photos, this release represents fairly good Lawrence 's early period. I also noticed that it's not very common to find on CD or in the net (most of the Dial releases aren't actually), so here it is:

Lawrence - 2000, selftitled [Ladomat 2137-2]
Part 1 - Part 2

Info here

The Golden Age

Another compilation, this time from those deep vaults of weirdness and beauty called L'Age d'Or or Ladomat2000, LadoMusic, Enduro, the old Hamburg family with friends from all over Germany.

WiR is a truly crossover compilation, extremely difficult to pin down in terms of music styles, artists' locality, or anything actually, and a very good mirror of what Lado is about. If you're looking for a tag, then Pop Music might be the most applicable answer. From vocal indie pop songs to Cologne techno, from disco and punk to dark ambient through electro hybrids too complex too be described, the Popular Art aesthetics collide with the 'indie' experimentalist mindset of the artists. This is pure and simple Music.

For reference reasons, Ladomat2000 is more oriented to danceable music, Enduro thrives on the electro 8bit pop punk side, while the parent label acts like a big umbrella for all kinds of indie pop acts. Actually, L'Age d'Or supported 'guitars 'n' drums' acts long before the French electro-rock hype, even long before DFA records. Anyway, though it might not be obvious at first sight, if you check every group name in the Discogs info link below you''ll find some very well known artist either incognito or in collaboration with members of other bands.

Mostly though the difference between Lado and a typical record label is that it kickstarted and later supported artists that later boomed on, but were considered too weird for beginners (Ascii.Disko comes to mind, Whirlpool Productions much earlier). On the other hand it provides a platform for experimentation to many established names, who are allowed to go a little crazy even if (or just because) the result won't fit in the stylistic definitions of their own labels.

P.S. Egoexpress RULE.

VA - WiR (l'age d'or - Ladomat compilation)
CD1 - Part 1 - Part 2
CD2 - Part 1 - Part 2

Info here