It’s All Gone Pete Tong
Crikey – taken from Institubes blog
So, the next Institubes record is not coming soon. And I can’t tell you how much it pains me to write these words. We’ve released many records in our (almost) eight years of existence and managed to introduce a number of excellent artists to the world. Good times were had and accolades garnered. I’m not so conceited nor high on my own supply that I’d try and talk up our “legacy” but I don’t think that in five, ten or twenty years I’ll look at our discography and cringe. Now I get to tell you, Institubes fans, friends and allies, that we have to wrap it up. Party’s over.
I could write ten pages about the realities and difficulties of the music business but you’ll only get about two paragraphs and not much whining. We never lived those halcyon days some industry elders tend to rave about. We always moved through a post-apocalyptic, terminally pauperized landscape, complete with irradiated A&R zombies and mutated eyeless bloggers. It’s always been a bit of an uphill battle. But it got worse and worse. At first it was fun to figure out ways to get people to check out our music. But once that’s done and you have something resembling an audience, it becomes apparent that this is not really your job. Your job is to reconcile the public with the very idea of buying records. All the power to you if you can bear it.
We’re closing shop because the operation is losing too much money, this much is clear. Most of what we could have done to prevent or delay this outcome reside in two words: lifestyle and branding. Investing in t-shirts and co-branding, scoring “collaborations” or sponsorship deals with deep-pocketed companies. I have but a regret: we actually did it sometimes. We should have said no more often. Bands struggling to get together with brands, artists and audience deriving more validity from corporate interest than from anything else, bands happy to learn that in the future they would have to “take charge of their own promotion”: this wasn’t for us. In other words, on our small scale, we should have been able to carve a non-capitalist niche within the larger corporate world. I thought, being young and naive when we started, that “underground” meant just that.
The fact that ours is a struggling industry, where 90% of your time is spent “staying afloat”, obscures an important fact: we are still playing by the rules that got us fucked in the first place. The way we do business is defective: our values are defective, our contracts are defective, our post-Napster economy itself is defective. I just read an article by a label owner who states that “anything we can do to stay afloat should be condoned”. I don’t think so, no. Staying afloat by any means necessary is a meaningless pursuit. The only honest way for a record label to make money is by selling records. We’ve always been uneasy about selling anything else.
And our current cultural economy isn’t healthy either. Consumer practices are fucked. You don’t need me to tell you that music is devalued. Not only because we no longer sell shit (and even when you do, it’s hard to shake the feeling that you’re selling free shit), but also because tracks are peaking faster than tumblr memes. In our historical moment, music is everywhere but second or third or tenth to many other interests and areas of culture. Fashion, Apple, video games, “devices”, social media, etc. And that’s cool, I guess. But I don’t want to have to be a function of fashion. Nor do I want to urge an artist to publish half-baked tracks every month in order to stay “relevant”. Depleted accounts is one thing, but depleted attentions?
I don’t really have a conclusion to this weird press release. So let’s end with two things I’m very proud of:
1. It’s nice to end on such a great year. In 2010 we have released two EPs by Surkin, two by Bobmo, two by Chateau Marmont, two by Rob, singles from Jean Nipon, Crystal, Das Glow, High Powered Boys, plus Bart B More, Para One, and Teki Latex EPs via Sound Pellegrino.
2. The label is gone but the artists are in top form:
Bobmo, Para One and Surkin just announced the birth of their new label called MARBLE, home to their (many) upcoming singles.
After the extremely successful release of the chart-topping “Calcium” single he produced with Strip Steve for Boysnoize Records, Das Glow has a new EP coming on Marble very soon.
Teki Latex and Orgasmic are now operating SOUND PELLEGRINO as an independent entity which has released the new High Powered Boys EP “Udon / Work” and a double compilation called “Les Jeunes Années” this week.
Jean Nipon has released his new EP “International Meek” a few weeks ago.
Cuizinier has recently launched his website and store lapizzachaude.com where he’s slowly unveiling pieces of his (great) upcoming debut album.
Para One’s album under the name “Slice & Soda” with San Serac is ready and coming.
Tacteel’s solo album under his legal name Jerôme Echenoz is in the can. Him and Para One have also recorded many tracks together in the last few months, expect to hear them very soon.
Chateau Marmont are in the studio recording their debut album. What we’ve heard so far is extremely exciting and totally pushing their craft to a whole new level. The original soundtrack to the beautiful French independent movie “Belle Epine” composed by Rob has been released this winter.
Surkin’s album is finally done.
Crystal are recording their debut album and… well, you get the idea: everyone is very busy in the studio.
Looking at all the Institubes artists, I see the most talented, diverse, curious, self-challenging, smart, progressive and forward-thinking group of people we ever had the chance to know. They’re the best. Anyone disputing that is either misinformed or a liar.
Please keep supporting them.
Lastly, a closing event (= a massive party) is going to be announced very soon.
Keep checking www.institubes.com for updates.
Also visit www.soundpellegrino.net and www.marble.fm to stay in touch with the gang. Pretty much every mailbox we ever had is clogged so we’ve just set up this new e-mail: byebye@institubes.com
Master Blaster
CanBlaster is my new favourite French producer and tying in nicely with my recent trip to Berlin where I got to meet the lovely Jason Forrest, the head honcho of the impressive Nightshifters imprint who was singing the praises of this chap, CanBlaster is one of four artists he’s going to be working with this year (another one of those – T A L K – is currently remixing out new single out late Feb / Early March on Discobelle plug plug) Anyway, this is CanBlaster’s new EP ‘Master Of Complication out now on Nightshifters, buy it HERE. Tom Of Doom
Canblaster ‘Clockworks’ (Nightshifters) Free 320KPS Download
Electric Rescue Exclusive Interview
Antoine Husson better known as Electric Rescue has been releasing some devastating techno into the world since the mid ’00′s. We came across his sound in 2009 when we heard the killer AFU release ‘Lazy Dog‘ With further releases on some of the biggest labels in the scene including Cocoon, BNR, Sci+Tec, Tronic, 1605 and of course his own excellent imprint Skryptom Antoine’s sound is deep, brooding, really twisted and great to listen to late at night. We caught up with him on a recent trip to London.
Disco Of Doom: You have had some serious releases across many major techno labels – what do you have planned for 2011?
Electric Rescue: I really put my large identity with four main label Cocoon, Boysnoize, SCI+TEC, and my own label (which is for me the major label lol), and for 2011 I want to do it again with them. It’s planed that we discuss a third release with Cocoon, Boysnoize Records also would like to release a third one too (they have already taken two tracks) and SCI+TEC for a second release and I also prepare a Skryptom release for spring. I also have a proposition in discussion with Trapez and Harthouse, and remixes for John Lord Fonda, Eric Tarlouf and Psycatron in the pipeline too. If all that projects will come out definitly it will be really interesting year and will bring others cool projects for the future.
DoD: What is the inspiration behind your music?
ER: There are many different things that influence me from the face of the people in the crowd who translate their spirit state during a night, their happiness. But it can also be cinema, or things happen in my life, or many things different as some politics attitude. I can say life inspire me everyday. I’m a big sponge and try to translate my feelings in music. Like all the artists i guess!
DoD: I read recently that Paris’ nightlife is under attack by the government, as a key member of the electronic music scene over there – is this true and if so, is it still possible to have a good night out?
ER: I did not hear this! The actual government is not the one I voted for but they don’t have it in mind. The Parisian scene is bigger and bigger each year, there is new club who try to propose electro. And the city has created a new building for digital culture which is called Gaité Lyrique in the center of Paris. The government from Paris is the other side from the president and they are more into electro music. The government have understood that now young people can help them to be elected so they try to catch them. For example Sarkozy, for his last election he proposed to Martin Solveig to do some of his political meeting and Martin went. It gave him a cool image to the young silly kids, so now they can be repressived with electro. They prefer to help and catch the young minds.
DoD: France has a strong musical heritage – do you have any recommendations for new talent to check out?
ER: For new talent who want to develop their-selves to be unique, original, courageous and to achieve all they can it’s really hard nowadays. To not sound like everyone else but use the different techniques to create their own unique style and that’s what’s working today, to propose fresh and personal talent. For those who want to listen new talent, for me there is some very interesting artist who will appear soon like Remy Maurin and Pierre Delort, Commuter, Traumer (who already worked with umek), Remain, Kreiss and GFP. They have had a few releases already but I feel something strong in all of them.
DoD: What other artists are exciting you right now?
Not so many, because these days in pure techno everybody is doing the same things, but there are some who always interest me like Julian Jeweil, Conde Cero, Danton Eeprom, Len Faki, Dusty Kid, Stephan Bodzin, Strip Steve and Das Glow, Maxime Dangles I probably forget many ones but that’s the ones I remember now.
DoD: What is planned with Skryptom this year?
After the Skryptom 7 from Maxime Dangles, will come Skryptom 8 in February from Psycatron titled ‘The Lurker” EP with a remix from me. We will follow with an EP from Remy Maurin and Pierre Delort, an EP from me and probably a second Maxime Dangles single and a release from Conde Cero later before the summer. But it’s always open to everybody, everything can move everyday we just look for fun and good music .
DoD: Thanks Antoine for taking the time to talk to us and keep up the good work man!
Check Electric Rescue mix here:
Bonus Video:
Electric Rescue Links:
Also Skryptom Records here
What You Talking About?
Hijack and Jeff Doubleu have mashed-up the recent Ms Dynamite and Redlight anthem ‘What You Talking About‘ which is just plain filth. Killer intro and love the bass, big tings Hijack and Mr Doubleu.
Hijack & Jeff Doubleu – What You Talking About!? (Preview) by Hijack
Bonus Beats: Sharooz ‘Hysteresis’ Hijack Remix here.
A Renegade Tune
OMG! so there I was biting my nails and I thought about this tune. They really don’t make them like this anymore. Big up to Danny Renegade Soundewave. You are a Leg. End.
Epic Track – Tata Box Inhibitors – Plasmids (Placid Mix)
On the search for some tracks for our new mix lovely chap recommended this – what a tune! Seriously heavy vibes – check the acid line at 6’05. Epic.
New Favourite
It’s safe to say Mumbai Science are our new favourite. We bought ‘Ancova‘ last year and played it out whenever and have just found the follow up ‘Gold’ on their Soundcloud. These guys are way past banging.
Christmas Boom
Happy New Year to one and all!
Just before xmas I (Tom) played out in Estonia at a wicked party hosted by Our Break called Christmas Boom. With all the snow and crazy weather it was touch and go and the journey involved arriving, spending two hours to drive into the middle of nowhere to DJ, DJ, then spend five hours driving to Latvia in a ridiculous amount of snow to get a flight home – rock and roll! Anyway, thanks for Roman and his lovely wife for taking care of me, I had lots of fun in the process!
Here’s a video of me dropping the second track from our new EP forthcoming on Discobelle called ‘Space 2.0′
Talk About Liberation
We caught up with Chris Liberator of the infamous Liberator DJs, instigators of and regulars on London’s squat party scene alongside general London techno legend Sterling Moss for a quick chat to find out more about what’s happening in the London squat-scene and their new sample pack The Sound Of London Acid Techno (forthcoming on Loopmasters)
Disco Of Doom: London Acid City… What’s your view on the current squat party scene in terms of ethos / people who attend / music played / attitude / violence etc?
Chris Liberator: In London the scene in much smaller now, two or three rigs are going out regularly doing small parties. The bigger events like Scumoween are multi-rig affairs and bring in a lot of soundsystems and people from outside of London. Everyone wants to beat the gang violence that’s plagued the parties for several years and with better security etc this seems to be happening. The music at the multi-rig events is a varied mixture of Drum & Bass, Techno and a little bit of Reggae, Dubstep, Trance & Hardcore. It’s a healthy mixture now that’s not dominated by one sound. There are many young people in the scene now so it’s all looking very positive! Add to this the fact that there are other scenes doing their own squat parties, such as Psy-Trance, Tech-House & Wonky Grooves…. You can see 2011 is shaping up to be a good year!
DOD: Free parties refer to parties which are both free to get in as well as being free ‘spaces’ for people to fully express themselves. With the riots taking place following the closure of a recent scumtek event, do you feel people are now using these events as an outlet for causing trouble as oppose to partying?
CL: Not really – this type of stuff has always happened
DOD: How did the Liberator DJs start?
CL: I met Julian in 1990, he was squatting close to where I lived and was the cousin of my girlfriend at the time who introduced us. He was one of the few people buzzing off the new Hard Techno from Belgium and the Hardcore UK sound within the squat scene at the time. We started hanging out and collecting Techno vinyl, with a view to planning a party. Aaron lived in a squat round the corner and heard about Julian and I, he came over one night (he was into the same music as us), and so the Liberator crew began. We then started to plan our first party together at Julian’s squat and it all went from there.
DOD: What’s been your favourite party over the years and why?
CL: Castle Morton free festival back in 1992. It was a landmark in the scene, it was totally off the hook. Thousands of people descended on the site where 10 or so rigs banged out free party Techno for a week!! The downside of it was it instigated the criminal justice bill.
Sterling Moss: Universe’s Final Frontier @ Club UK was a great moment in time, as the cream of the world’s techno DJ elite were there week in, week out showing London what techno was all about. Many different slants on the sound were played but it all came under the banner of Techno.
DOD: You’ve just released your debut sample pack on Industrial Strength, what have you looked to achieve with this and are we going to expect more?
SM: We hope this sample pack fills a gap as we’ve very rarely found these types of sounds and loops before in sample sets. The pack is a one-stop solution to creating the London Acid Techno sound, but has a variety of other uses as well. We’ve just completed a new track using the samples and it came out brilliantly! We will be planning to do lots more in the future!
DOD: What else are you currently working on?
SM: We’ve been working hard on our live set, and have been road-testing it at select parties, and will be doing loads of gigs next year in the UK and abroad. We’ve just made new releases for a French label and Carbon Audio, which are both coming soon, as well as releases on Cluster and new label 99.9 which are available now. We’ve also started an alternative project called ‘Freepower Movement’, and have a release forthcoming on Beetroot Records.
DOD: The economy is fucked, rent is at an all time high, employment is down – people still want to party but don’t want to spend the money – the perfect recipe for a new free party scene or just wishful thinking?
CL: The climate is great for every kind of alternative expression, from music to parties, to protest. The time is now!! The people definitely want an alternative to the mainstream, and the squat parties can supply this. It’s not wishful thinking, but as we’ve seen recently the police and powers that be are monitoring it carefully and may not allow it to happen on a large scale. We shall see!!
Annie Mac Hype's New Doom Track 'Invader'
Annie Mac previews the first track taken from our new EP for Discobelle Records on her blog. You can listen and download here. Huge hype! Single out in Feb 2011.
Filthy Filthy Raw
Just heard the new Instra:Mental track ‘Voyeur’ on Rob Da Bank’s Radio 1 show (was an epic show, strongly recommend you listen) and had to post link to the video. It’s filth.
The REAL Playdoh Interview
We love Twitter it’s enabled us to hook up with loads of people and this is the result of one such link – Jay over a The Real Playdoh got in touch for an interview which you can read here.
Discobelle Records Plus Mixtape
News in – we’ve signed our next EP to Discobelle Records and to celebrate those lovely people have dropped our latest mixtape on their blog. If you’re too lazy to click through – check it here:
Disco Of Doom Discobelle Mixtape Tracklist:
1: Electric Rescue – The Drumness
2: Zombie Nation – Squeek (Bart B More Remix)
3: LA Riots – Control Your Tuba
4: Afrojack & Bobby Burns – Real High
5: Silver Columns – Brow Beaten (Disco Of Doom Remix)
6: Coin Operated Boy – Trust Me (Clouds Remix)
7: Shake Aletti – Dancefloor (Disco Of Doom Remix)
8: Boys Noize – Nott (Paul Chambers Remix)
9: Simian Mobile Disco – 1000 Year Egg
10: Steve Silk Hurley – Jack Your Body (Hardfloor Remix)
11: Boys Noize – Yeah.
Deadfish Vibes!
Our favourite Italian midget-house mafia AKA Mowgli & Solo have dropped a rather tasty sampler of their forthcoming mix album ‘Deadfish Audio Remixed Volume 1′ on their Soundcloud. Due to drop on Beatport on 25th October it’s brilliant.
TrackList:
01.MOWGLI & SOLO – TATANKA ( LUCA LOZANO Black and White RMX )
02.SOLO – JOGA BOLA ( ROUND TABLE KNIGHTSRMX )
03.ROUND TABLE KNIGHTS – BELLY DANCE ( SOLO RMX )
04.MOWGLI – ALMA GITANA ( CAMEL RMX )
05.CAMEL – ZIG ZAG ( MOWGLI RMX )
06.CAMEL – COHIBA ( NAT SELF RMX )
07.MOWGLI – LONDON TO PARIS ( TOM FLYNN RMX )
08.CAMEL – OBRIGADO ( YOLANDA BE COOL RMX )
09.CAMEL – MARIACHI ( YANKEE ZULU RMX )
10.SOLO – AFREAKA ( RENAISSANCE MAN RMX )
Check them here
Something ‘Bout Those Little Pills
Perculator remixes were ridiculous but Green Velvet‘s La La Land Remixes are off the hook – available to buy now from Beatport – here’s our favourite from Santiago and Bushido - DANGER!
Parlez Vous Francais?
Check out our remix of Art Vs Science’s new single Parlez Vouz Francais? which comes out on Kissy Sell Out’s label San City High on October 11th.
