From sm Sent Fri, Oct 17th 1997, 19:52
Re: Compost [trainspot hat on] Heres the ones i have; comp02 the family tree - hang on 12" comp03 a forest mighty black - doo 12" comp05 beanfield - charles 12" comp06 knowtorgus - same 12" comp07 fauna flash - butterfly cat 12" comp08 various - the future sound of jazz lp comp09 knowtorgus - covert opera cd comp10 various - future sound of jazz cd comp011 turtable terronova - same 12" comp012 fon:kin - muticello 12" comp013 a forest mighty black - hig 12" comp014 knowtorgus - lost tapes 10" comp015 fauna flash-please may i 12" comp017 future sound of jazz 2 cd/lp comp018 turtqable terronova - antimatter 12" comp019 kurwa galactica - four ears lp comp021 various - glucklich lp comp022 various - nitrogen 12" comp024 dj krust - turtable terronova 10" comp025 various - lytic cocktail cd comp026 taran- mod & mini & space lp [interview hat on] heres a condensation of a piece i did with michael reinboth 8-9 months ago [] I emailed label owner Michael Reinboth who also records a 'Beanfield' and fired some questions his way, "Please, excuse my English - not the best!" - says Michael! (dont worry -it's a lot better than mine!!) Germany has had a long traditional of being at the forefront of experimental movements (Krautrock et al)..but did coming from Germany make it harder to push the type of music you were releasing? "First I like to say it is a little bit harder to exploit quality music , doesn't matter whether it is Drum &Bass, Electro, TripTrax, if you're not a UK based label. For labels or even acts in Germany, France or Italy, Russia wherever it is definitely a little bit harder to get props from the UK mags or DJs ." "But time and quality will tell - if you can stay for longer as a small indie company and if your releases are even good and proper stuff throughout a longer decade, two three four years - whatsoever - , then, I think you will get the attention from the key-people, from good DJs and in the end from the audience." "Germany was a forefront of experimental movements fusing electronic and hand made music, but the situation is the same like 20 or 30 years ago. Kraftwerk needed about 15 years to get the reaction, to create the big buzz and earned the credibility they deserve, Can nearly the same. Its a long way - and we just started! Most of the electronic-krautrock-fusion groups from the 60ties / 70ties didn't get the response, selling rates, they deserve. Sometimes a handful are better as the ones they have success!" "But that's not a question of country, city ! Thats a question of strongness , believing, co-operating, just a personal question of the groups and labels. It depends whether the projects (the musicians behind these) are in for the money or for the music." "Compost acts have some time to develop themselves, as well as I have to develop the label together with the acts ! I think we have a few more years to grow to be sometimes in the future something like CAN or Kraftwerk for the 2001! I have a vision and most of Compost acts, too! This means we are a little family , everybody of us have a little bit space to develop the act and maybe the label." Mo 'Wax were great when they started cos they opened the floodgates for a lot of labels, but now i feel it's a case of 'flash the cheque book / rent a remixer', care to comment? "I don't think so that Mo Wax flash their cheque books. Maybe they do , I don't know, but the stuff they releasing is still strong! If they have the money to pay big phat advances, expensive productions, proper promotion items, and making expensive artworks, it's cool ! It's cool as long as they releasing good music. I don't think so that James Lavelle is only in it for the money! I know him a little bit personally he's young, fresh and cool. Musicwise, Compost is different and perhaps we have a wider range , variety of music, which means Brazil-Jazz, Fusion like the "Glucklich" compilations or a new project like GENF which is a five piece outfit with guitars , drums and analogue-electronic steering (Mixture of Tortoise, Kreidler, Can and Disco - haha!) CD and 12" wilbe out in may! We have old stuff new stuff, disco, triptrax, electro, drum & bass. Compost is open minded!" How did you get Peshay involved with the Fauna Flash release? "Peshay was two or three times djing in my clubs Into Somethin' (Friday night) and Electric Lounge (Saturday) . He is a nice guy, a hell of a musical -drum & bass DJ. He's playing hardcore tunes which are musicwise interesting! And he's open minded, maybe that's why he is a musical hardstep-d&b DJ! He liked some of the Compost stuff, also old tunes from "Glucklich" as well as Nitrogen EP . I asked him whether he like to do a remix for FOUR EARS and he agreed. Then he loved the A FOREST MIGHTY BLACK tune, and he said " Oh I like to remix this , too! That's the story why we have two Peshay remixes out on Compost. " stuart @mfr - http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/mfr/ [elecktronic label] [esoteric, non-generic material wanted] " Basically the message is: Steal It! Art, music, culture, the odd book and the slab of cheese... the new will be built upon the ruins of the old. " -Buenaventura Durruti