Jazz & Milk Recordings interview – with Tahira (compiler of Levanta Poeira) – and label boss Christoph Doepke.
First of all, Tahira talks us through his selections on an extremely interesting, rewarding and sublime compilation of Brazilian music:
Established in 1995, Barbatuques from São Paulo developed different techniques of body percussion, vocal percussion, tap dance and musical improvisation in their collective experiences. Baiao Destemperado is a Forró (a genre of Brazilian music that originated in the north-east) with the famous Barbatuques body percussion trademark. A truly unique and outstanding piece of music!
“Back in 1976 Georgette or Georgete da Mocidade recorded Kiriê – a track produced by the genius Ed Lincoln, a pioneer of sambalanço, a very groovy music style which mingles samba rhythms and American jazz. The Afro influences on this track are unmistakable. The simple foundation of guitars and percussion create a very warm and electrifying sound layered by Georgette’s beautiful vocals. The rhythmic pattern of the percussion intro is called Congo de Outro, an Afro-Brazilian rhythm with Bantu origins that heavily inspired modern producers and laid the foundation for Baile Funk.
“Renata Rosa is a contemporany artist that blends sounds of the northeast area of Brazil in a very unique way. On Brilhantina her indigenous influenced voice fits wisely to the Samba de Coco rhythms. It’s an outstanding track from the beginning to the end and a good example of how powerful and bass-heavy percussion-driven music from Brazil can sound these days. Renata Rosa manages to present Brazil’s musical roots in a modern guise, celebrating widely unknown facets of Brazilian music culture.
“Global bass producer Maga Bo continuously explores the contours of Afro-Brazilian culture, including many collaborations with some of the biggest talents in Brazil’s vast musical landscape. His track No Balanço da Canoa was remixed by another production pioneer Chico Correa who was one of the first to blend Brazilian sounds of the north-east with electronic beats back in 2003. On his remix he modernised the traditional style of the original version by adding flutes, synth basslines and strong electronic Coco style beats.
“Coco Raízes de Arcoverde are influenced by elements of indigenous and Afro culture. The band was formed in 1992 by Lula Calixto and the Irmãs Lopes. After a while the Irmãs Lopes split up to form their own band but Lula Calixto kept playing with Coco Raízes and made his whole family become part of the group too. They play a kind of Coco style ryhthm called Trupé, in which they use wooden sandals as a percussion instrument, strongly reminding one of clap sounds, which can also be heard in the intro of Gode Pavão – a very powerful song impossible not to dance along to!
“Around for more than 90 years, Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru are one of the oldest bands in South America. They started in 1924 with Manoel Clarindo Biano and Benedito Clarindo Biano in Alagoas, but recorded their first album not until 1972 after Gilberto Gil recorded Banda de Pifanos’ track Pipoca Moderna as part of his album Expresso 2222. Unfortunately the originators Manoel and Benedito Biano have passed away but the band continues the tradition with their sons and nephews. The musicians play several self-made instruments like drums and “pífanos” (fife flutes). Balao Azul is a very happy song for the dancefloor!
“The digital version of the compilation concludes with bonus tracks of two contemporary artists from Brazil. On Sika Blawa the group Afro-electro revisited the music of the African continent with their own contemporary approach flavouring traditional rhythms with the urban musical soundscapes of the metropole São Paulo. The track is a deep Afro-Brazilian journey full of effects, guitars and loops featuring a very special guest musician, Chico Cesar.
“Forró RED Light is an electronic music duo formed by Geninho Nacanoa and Ramiro Galas. The project blends Brazilian forró music with beats, synths and samples, revamping this traditional genre by adding modern electronic elements and bringing popular Brazilian music culture back to modern dance floors. Baião Violossintético is a beautiful piece of music featuring a typical Brazilian instrument, the viola caipira on top of electronic beats and synth sounds.”
Christoph also answered some questions for WTM:
WTM – How did the label and Tahira come together for this compilation?
“Back in 2013 I invited Tahira to play at our ‘Eight Years of Jazz & Milk’ celebration in Munich after I discovered his EBS diggin’ label on which he offered amazing music by various Brazilian talents for free download. I was really impressed by his DJ set and also quite surprised to hear so many different Brazilian regional music styles, influenced by African and Amerindian forms, that I had never heard before. I instantly felt drawn to this percussive and raw sound and somehow felt a level of authenticity that I rarely felt while listening to Brazil compilation albums, which mostly tend to have American music genres such as jazz, soul, funk or boogie as a reference. I was also fascinated by the fact how positive and natural the crowd responded – everybody instantly seemed to smile and dance whenever Tahira started to play these rhythms. We became good friends and the following year Tahira stayed at my place as a home base in-between his gigs all over Europe. I was curious to learn more about all these Brazilian musical styles and Tahira showed me some mindblowing tracks. He told me that even most Brazilians today forgot about some of these traditional rhythms and that his vision would be to release a compilation in order to share some of these musical pearls with the world and to reconnect Brazilians with their cultural roots. Straight away I felt excited and offered him a collaboration on Jazz & Milk. Now I’m really happy that after almost two years of preparation and licensing work we are finally able to share these beautiful sounds with the world!”
WTM – What was the policy for selecting the tracks?
“Tahira already had a potential tracklisting in mind from the beginning. His personal wish was to showcase the rich musical roots and facets of his country by featuring carefully selected artists and bands with strong African and indigenous influences from the past four decades. Levanta Poeira features really traditional rhythms such as Ijexá, Congo de Outro or Forró! Because we weren’t able to license one specific track for the compilation I suggested to include Tahira’s fantastic remix of the Gilberto Gil classic Toda Menina Baiana instead, for which he recorded several musicians and managed to come up with a strong modern interpretation of the song featuring the original vocal parts. Luckily we were finally able to license the remix officially for the vinyl release. In fact with a few exceptions most of these tracks have never been released on vinyl before!”
WTM – What’s next for the label?
“In mid 2017 we launched a new vinyl release series called Twelve Inch Jams, focusing on raw, mostly sample based (MPC) house jams. Sometimes you produce a track with nothing but a dancefloor and a good sound system in mind, but don’t want to necessarily think about finishing several tracks for an EP or a full album. Twelve Inch Jams is just that: strictly two A side tunes cut at 45 rpm. Each 12” comes in a handprinted silk-screen sleeve. I was overwhelmed by all the positive reactions to the first release (a collaboration of Sam Irl and myself) and the fact that we ran out of copies on the first release day already. JAMS003 will be released on March 23 and features some new solo material of mine. The two tracks represent a bit of a new sound after switching to the MPC as the main production tool and mixing old sample material with contemporary electronic sounds. At the moment Sam Irl and myself are also finishing new material for the next collaboration release. Other than that I’m not a fan of long pre-planned release schedules. I’m trying my best to keep an open minded and independent spirit to the whole label thing, trying to maintain a certain level of spontaneity, which allows me to quickly release exciting material that crosses my way and just feels right at that moment. But for me it’s not only about the music but also about sharing great moments with the human beings behind the artists such as Sam Irl or Tahira for example – each release should feel like a mutual celebration of friendship, passion and good music!”
Invisible Inc. feature and interview
The Glasgow based label have been making waves recently with their stable’s deep tribal performances, tropical productions and fourth world sounds. World Treasures Music spoke to Komodo Kolektif member, DJ and label boss GK Machine.
WTM – What is the Komodo Kolectif?
So, the Komodo Kolektif is more of a concept project than something one would consider a genuine ‘collective’. When the name first came up we were still toying with the idea of complete anonymity of individual members and pretending we were actually from somewhere in Indonesia….but I love alliteration so the name stuck. So, in terms of being a collective, it’s really just Graeme Miller (of Cracks In The Concrete) and I with additional instruments played by Jon Keliehor (a legend in his own right, now in his mid-70s, who drummed with Jim Morrison on one hand and James Brown on the other), and Johnston (formerly Blinding Sunlight). I had Andrew Weatherall on the phone the other week asking about doing a show in London with him supporting (which would be amazing) and for that we’d probably get a couple of members of local gamelan ensemble Naga Mas on board to play the gamelan parts live. Incidentally, Jon and I have been long term members of Naga Mas, while Johnston and Graeme have been involved in one of their multimedia projects Gamelan Untethered for which the piece Binaural Bintaro was originally written. This show was performed at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and got a pretty good reception.
WTM – What else are members of the collective working on?
In terms of what we all do out with Komodo Kolektif, as well as running the label, I DJ under the name GK Machine and have done for almost 25 years now. I am also Strange Culture and soon have an EP under the name Immaculate Rivombo, which is primarily African instruments and various synths. I also do some re-edits, but these are hush hush. Graeme Miller has ongoing Cracks In The Concrete projects with Louise McVey. He also plays live in a duo called The Dead Agents, which is guitar, FX and drone as well as performing at and composing sound pieces for art installations, openings and theatre. Jon Keliehor spends most of his time composing music, drumming at workshops, drumming at dance classes and working in performance art projects. His background is very colourful. Originally from Seattle he lived in London from the mid-70s to the mid-80s writing music for and performing at multimedia art projects, theatre and all the while composing music, some of which was released as “library music” for labels like Bruton and Studio G. Johnston is a reclusive, enigmatic chap who can only be encouraged out to play if there are synths to engage his fingertips! 🙂
WTM – Why did you end up starting a label?
The label came about because two of my favourite artists were releasing their own music, either on homemade CDRs, or digitally via bandcamp that only a handful of their hardcore fans would ever see but which i thought deserved so much more attention and should be more widely distributed – and on vinyl! And that was Secret Circuit and Higamos Hogamos. Both fine purveyors of psychedelic synthesizer jams, the one veering towards cosmic/italo/Afro, the other toward krautrock/spacerock. I think had it only been one of the two it probably wouldn’t have occurred to me to do something about it. Who knows!!? It’s done now and here I am! 🙂
WTM – What’s been released on the label and what’s coming up?
Since its inception in 2015 the label has released music by Secret Circuit (LA), Tim Love Lee (New York), Higamos Hogamos/Spacerocks (London), The Poncho Brothers (Mexico City), Sordid Sound System (Glasgow, now California somewhere near Death Valley), Tross (Kusten, Sweden), Claudio Cremonesi (Milan), Jon Keliehor (Glasgow), Strange Culture (Glasgow), Bal5000 (Budapest), Komodo Kolektif, Peter Power (Bahia, Brazil), Bronze Savage (Melbourne, Austrailia), Immaculate Rivombo and upcoming is music from Konzel (Glasgow), Apiento (remixed by Secret Circuit) (London), Gazeebo International (Denver, Colorado), Natural Sugars (Bristol) and Der Kundalini (Brooklyn, New York), as well as regulars Sordid Sound System and Secret Circuit. Most of these artists I’ll have pestered for music, but some of them are people who’ve sent me demos. There will also be an Invisible Family Vol. 2 at some point soon, which will coincide with a mix cassette. There are also some top secret licensing discussions underway regarding the release of a remix album, but if I told you about that I’d have to kill you – this could take some time but what I’ve heard so far sounds really great.
WTM – What are your most significant musical influences?
My biggest influences musically are so vast I wouldn’t really know where to start……my background and teens were filled with On-U Sound, The Cramps, Butthole Surfers, Neubauten, Foetus gradually giving way to EBM, hardbeat, and so on, probably via my love for Tackhead and Keith LeBlanc which eventually led me to dance music ……in terms of DJing that’s much easier to answer. I first went to Pure in Edinburgh in 1991 where a young Twitch had been DJing for a year or so, which completely bowled me over and changed my life. The place was like nothing else. His style of DJing too. In fact, not just his style, his sheer skill, it was unlike any DJ I have ever heard. probably still to this day to be honest. He’s a genius (I hope he’s not reading this). So definitely a major influence. And round about that time was when people like Hardkiss Music made an impression on me…and Exist Dance…..these two labels really embodied that psychedelic West Coast style that differed so much from the house and techno coming from Detroit, Chicago, New York and of course here in Europe. So that’s, i think, what made my DJ sets different from everyone else’s in some minor way when I got a set of belt drive decks back in 1993. I played parties, festivals and had various residencies throughout the ’90s and beyond. Fast forward to a few years ago and labels like Emotional Rescue and Hoga Nord had come on the scene and were doing something totally amazing – out there, trippy stuff and not genre-specific either, both super contemporary, yet with a slightly retro feel and a distinct nod to the analogue sounds of the ‘80s. Those labels are fairly influential on how I wanted to run Invisible Inc. and where I wanted it to go. They, along with other maverick labels like Optimo, Tummy Touch and Peace Feast who also did their own thing, showed me that you could have a real wide range of sounds on a label, yet not need to worry about whether the releases seemed disconnected from one another in some way, even if those links do seem hard to spot sometimes. Now, two years later, the more the catalogue has filled, the clearer the picture has become to anyone looking to try and see what’s happening. The ethos and feel is also supported by the sleeve art: a combination of individual designs on the front and generic sleeve on the rear, which I think is quite unusual, as far as I’m aware. Most of the graphic design is done by me, with a couple of exceptions being the Secret Circuit sleeve (done by Eddie Ruscha himself) and the Tross sleeve (done by one of the guys from Tross, Anton).
WTM – Anything else coming up events wise?
Other things in the pipeline are the bi-monthly Invisible Inc. nights at the Rum Shack, which so far have seen live shows from Wolf Muller, Sordid Sound System, Paddy Steer, Konzel, Forever Sound and Lo Kindre and DJ sets from Tim Love Lee and Peter Power. The September party will have very special guests NikNak bringing their highly energised two-girl party machine to the Rum Shack and will also feature a debut live show from Immaculate Rivombo to coincide with the release of the Psychic Bridge From Bujumbura EP the following week.
Check out a mix from GK Machine:
https://subcity.org/shows/gkmachine/b2fa1
Archeo Recordings feature and interview:
A label reissuing the finest Italian music of a golden era, led by a dedicated aficionado. Manu tells us his story so far – meeting his childhood hero Tony Esposito, his musical process and one day in Napoli with Roberto De Simone. Click
WTM – How did you get into music, the label and how did you come across the music you have reissued?
When I was eight-years-old I started studying classic drums for 5 years and I remember I use to spend lots of time listening to my mother’s collection of vinyls. There was one in particular that seduced me and it was the Tony Esposito first LP!
I started DJing when I was 16, buying two grey Technics 1200 (still have them!) and a cheap mixer. I was a dancer before and I used to go to Matis, Les Bains Douches and Kinky in Bologna on Saturday nights or Tenax, Space Electronic and Happyland (Torquemada night) in Florence. It was the house/Italo-house scene and I spent hours in front of DJ Ricci (R.I.P.) and others to see how they worked and mixed and let people dance and have fun. I was so influenced by the classic new-wave, house, electro, ’80s and ’90s scene. From here I started to buy vinyls regularly.
In the years after – from the mid ’90s – I started play regularly as DJ in clubs, bars and private party in Florence and Bologna. I was also introduced to the Cosmic sound (I was too young to go to Cosmic or Typhoon, I was only five-years-old when Baldelli started his magical DJ residence at Cosmic) by our group of DJs here in Florence and by older DJ friends. Particularly by Luca Effe (my-older-brother-in-Music!), a great DJ active in the Cosmic era, with whom I often play here in Florence – Manu•Archeo and Luca Effe DJs. We sometimes meet and talk about new, rare vinyl gems that we have in our private collections or just discover. It’s fantastic, so stimulating!
I also started to listen to the famous “BD & TBC MIX” tapes (Baldelli Daniele and Tosi Brandi Claudio)… I spent hours to tracking down what I was listening to and I can say that it only added fuel to the fire of my passion and has trained my ear to an eclectic sound.
WTM – What has that been like meeting the artists that have appeared on Archeo?
I’ve had contacts with all the artists that I have reissued and that I will reissue, that’s really important to me. It’s an essential part of my work and I really love it. It’s always so stimulating and I think enriches the entire process.
Every artist has a great and important part of the musical history to tell and discover with his productions but also with his past and tales. I spent hours with them, in ecstasy with their stories… which are many and varied. And that is what sometimes I try to bring on my releases with Archeo Recordings, yes with the music, but also with inserts full of old photos, anecdotes and others.
WTM – You are reissuing the Roberto De Simone ballet piece, II° Coro delle Lavandaie, on 12″ in June with a Leo Maas remix. It is breathtaking and inspiring. How did you come across this piece? Was your mind totally blown!?:
The famous mix II° Coro delle Lavandaie was (and is) always in my wantlist for many years. My idea on it was there… I put it on my possible reissues. Then I saw with great satisfaction that the attention of this piece was growing up and so I decided to go on with the licenses. I remember that in the ’90s the play La Gatta Cenerentola (1976) of Master Roberto De Simone (from which is taken the II° Coro delle Lavandaie) was put in production at the Arena Del Sole theater in Bologna (an architectural project of my father) and I heard about it and was so curious. Then… this so marvelous and that leaves you breathless cover, with the figures between the flames, sacred and profane, so spiritual and evocative… I love it!
In November 2015, I had the honour and pleasure to meet Master Roberto De Simone at his house in Naples (below). It was incredible! He’s now 83, but… that strength! I talked with him about the “II° Coro delle Lavandaie” project and about what was the meaning of the play “La Gatta Cenerentola” and this particular track. He said he really wanted that I’d put the original text in the reissue. So I did it, you’ll see… It’s so powerful, obsessive and ecstatic! 😉
More then, in the LP La Gatta Cenerentola (1976) there are the original photos of the play made by the famous photographer Mimmo Jodice, one of my great teachers in photography.
WTM – What does the translation say and what did Roberto say the song meant?
This piece has an obviously double meaning with sexual connotations. It speaks about a woman who is dreaming in her bed a great dream about a king or a prince who will love her and ask her to dance with him and he will ask her to marry her. But in the beautiful moment of the dream the woman’s mother wakes her up and she’s so furious with her that she swears at her and says all the worst Neapolitan insults.
WTM – How did the Leo Mas contribution come about?
Last year, one evening I was at the phone with my dear friend Leo Mas. We were talking about music and all our ideas… and I hinted him I was treating for the licenses of the II° Coro delle Lavandaie and that I would meet soon Master De Simone in Naples. He totally exploded with joy and he confessed to me that it was some time he was thinking of his personal and slowed Balearic version of it. I said: “Here we are! Cool, man!”. He started to work on it with his partner in production, Fabrice and finally they made this masterpiece!
Leo is one of the most precise and scrupulous people I know. He has worked from the beginning, with great precision and an organized way. I was astonished. He also asked me for the precise translation from the archaic Napolitean dialect of the piece into the actual Italian, to have a better understanding of the texts and to work on the voices. Fantastic! Thank you, the one and only Leo!
WTM – Why did you start the label?
Archeo Recordings was and is the normal extension to all this and it satisfies my desire to be active in the production and diffusion of old and new good music. Also music is an artistic patrimony which might be lost… and I don’t want it to happen. Mine – in a certain way – is a labour of Love! I come across the music I have reissued with all the vinyls I had (and still have!) on my Wantlist and obviously with what I like listening to, playing in my gigs and think they deserve a proper attention and a lap form to be heard.
WTM – Can you describe the process of reissuing a record?
It’s a labour of great passion, enthusiasm and patience! I start with the idea of the release I would like to reissue, then I start my researches to find and contact the artist and the original old labels to have the legally licenses and permits. Meanwhile, I start from the original cover art to develop the new graphic of the sleeve and the inner sleeve – I’m a photographer too and that’s my creative part on the image. It’s so funny. At the same time, most of the time, if I can’t have the original Master, I send the original vinyl to Mr. Sean P. in London, who provides to acquire it, to clean it and do the final Master. He’s amazing! A very lovely and professional person!
Then I proceed with the real contract with the owner of the licenses and with the artist, the graphic artwork, the audio. At the end, when all is ready, we go on pressing the vinyls and the sleeves. I wait for the TP like a child waiting for Santa on Christmas night… ha ha ha…
And finally when the release is ready, my joy is immense! Part of me is given to everybody! It’s an important part of me and I’m really really happy, honoured and grateful of that. I’m fulfilled! I really give thanks to all the musicians, the artist, all my collaborators of this long but fantastic process, people who buy my vinyls and the Music, that for me is Life! 🙂
WTM – Who do you admire musically in the present?
And now, of course, I have to say thanks to the great Balearic family of DJs and Labels for such examples of inspiration, love and respect: my friend Chuggy and his marvellous Emotional Rescue; Kenneth Bager and his prolific and super Music For Dreams; Mudd and Claremont 56, Leng and the new Spacetalk (with Danny Psychemagik); my dear friend Leo Mas and his incredible remixes and productions; Moonboots and Aficionado Recordings; Balearic Mike; Rob and his Be With Records; Phil Mison and his fantastic productions as Cantoma and now Ambala; Nancy Noise; Apiento and Dr. Rob from Test Pressing; RedLightRecords guys and Music From Memory; Izabel and Lullabies For Insomniacs; Yozo and EAD Records; Lexx and Phantom Island; Chee Shimizu; Mark Seven; Steve Lee; Ruf Dug; Mark Barrott and International Feel Recordings; Sean P.; Basso and his so beautiful Growing Bin Records; Andy Pye and Balearic Social Records; Andy Taylor & We Are The Sunset parties; Simon Lee and Faze Action.
WTM – What else is coming up with the label?
AR005 II° Coro delle Lavandaie 12″ (June 2016).
AR006 Blue Gas – Shadows From Nowhere 12″ in collaboration with Best Records, Italy – Rome (September 2016).
And many others that I will leave as secret for now, but all up and coming new released you can find on the website: www.archeo-recordings.com . 😉
WTM – What is it about the Italo/Cosmic sound that makes it so special – is it still strong in Italy and Europe?
Yes sure! Most of the Italo/Cosmic scene has ended up in the now so called Balearic scene. Of course for my Italian origin, I’m really passionate and devoted to the Italo-disco, Italian folk and pop songs of the 70s and 80s.
WTM – Finally, any chance of top 10 chart from the private collection?
It’s always so difficult to make a Top chart (especially a Top 10!). I’m sure a best chart always reflects the mood of the person is doing it in the precise moment and it pulls out all the best shades of his soul… here’s mine and always in my record bag:
– Yawn Yawn Yawn – Sth. Notional (ultra rare 12″, Zero Corporation – XRJN-1014,
Japan 1992)
Balearic/Acoustic/Ambient/Meditative
– Scerizza (part 3) – Pepe Maina (from “Scerizza” LP, Imbroglio – MP 007 LP (Italy 1977)
Italian Balearic/Ambient/Folk/Organic/New Age
– Comunicazioni interne – Francesco Messina (from “Medio Occidente” LP, Casablanca Records - 814 429-1, Italy 1983)
Italian Balearic/Ambient/Floating/Meditative/Italo-Disco
– Pessimistic – Eugenio Finardi (12″ Fonit Cetra – DLP 629, Italy 1987)
Pop/Balearic
– Notturno italiano – Mario Acquaviva (but also Fortuna!… from Mario Acquaviva 12″, Ariston Music AZRL/103, Italy 1983)
Soft Rock/Mellow/Disco
– Gambarra (Lexx remix) – Cantoma (12″ Leng – LENG005, UK 2010)
Balearic/Mellow
– Tagomago – Javier Bergia (from “Eclipse” LP, Emotional Rescue – ERC020, UK 2014)
Acoustic/Folk/Balearic/Soft Rock
– Huiziopochtli – Andreas Vollenweider (from “Caverna Magica (…Under The Tree – In The Cave…)” LP, CBS 25265, Switzerland 1982)
Ambient/New Age
– Umbria – Marco Fedrigo (from “Il giorno del troppo amore” LP, Clan Celentano – CLN 20052, Italy 1978)
Organic/Italian Balearic/Floating/Pop/Chanson
– Aqua Sansa – Markus Stockhausen / Jasper Van’t Hof (from “Aqua Sansa” LP, Archeo Recordings – AR007, Italy 2016)
Cosmic/Jazz/Psychedelic
WTM – Where can people hear your DJ mixes?
You can hear my mixes in the Archeo Recordings Soundcloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/rcheoecordings
I recommend you the:
https://soundcloud.com/sanpodisco/manu-archeo-recordings-sanpo-025
http://testpressing.org/2015/02/mix-manu-archeo-recordings/
World Treasures Music featured Archeo Recordings on the radio:
Frederiksberg Records feature and interview:
World Treasures Music spoke to Andreas Vingaard who runs a new label called Frederiksberg Records. Frederiksberg is the neighborhood of Copenhagen where Andreas grew up. The label has released a beautiful jazz record by Carsten Meinert Kvartet, a spiritual and haunting selection from Denmark recorded in 1968. Andreas is also a video journalist in New York, as well as writing a music blog called Othersounds.com.
WTM – Does the label have a plan or mission?
It all started because I wanted to re-release Carsten Meinerts music. I’ve known him for more than ten years now. I’m sure we could have found labels to re-release To You (1969), as his first album is titled, but we just weren’t sure that others wouldn’t cut corners. We decided that the only way to do it right meant having full control of every aspect of the project. Since it’s release we’ve received loads of positive feedback from all over the world. The sound quality (which beats the sound of the original by the way), the in-depth liners to the restoration and design of the sleeve and booklet, which the talented Josh Dunn helped out with, are all been things that people have mentioned. On top of that, hearing how proud Carsten Meinert is about the final product, is in and of itself a huge reward.
WTM – What else is in store?
What started off as a one off release, has quickly evolved into a series of cool projects. In parallel with To You, we’ve also put out For Friends and Relatives (1966) by The Christian Schwindt Quintet, probably the greatest Finnish jazz record ever released. We also have other releases lined up including some disco / AOR from Bermuda, ambient, more jazz and some New Age Folk by the late great (but more or less totally unknown) Suzanne Menzel (thanks to Martin Pac for letting me know about this one!) and that’s really our goal for the future: to keep releasing good music. Go ‘like’ our FB page if you want to get the latest updates!
WTM – How did you come across the music you have so far released?
Meinert was a friend of mine before I started the label. The Christian Schwindt Quintet, which was our first release, is a very rare Finnish jazz record from 1966. It was recommended to me by the Swedish record dealer Pär Melcherson of Swejazz / Bromma Records in Stockholm as a potential idea for a possible re-issue.
WTM – Any audio enhancements to the original record?
I didn’t want to do a straight re-production of the original when it could be improved. One side of the original Christian Schwindt LP has more than 25 mins and the other more than 27 mins. There’s a steep decline in audio fidelity after around the 22 minute mark. Our goal has been not just to release records, but also try to improve the original without taking anything away from it. Eventually, we decided to upscale the Christian Schwindt project and go all the way with a double album in a gatefold with unpublished photos and new liner notes written by the Finnish producer and jazz authority Matti Laipio. Overall, I’m happy we did it that way. Anything else would be a shame, I think.
WTM – You also run a blog. It is really informative, thorough and brilliant and about a diverse range of artists. How do you come to interview these artists?
Thank you, I really appreciate that. There’s a lot of work involved to be honest. It can be quite difficult to track down some of these people. I feel there are so many musicians that have made great music and they deserve to have their story documented and shared. I’ve been seeking out musicians for a long time now. When I come across good music, I’m always struck by the story of where it comes from. In many instances you can’t find much information anywhere. Of course, the internet has changed that but in many cases I am the first person to interview some of these fine musicians. There are still plenty of musicians I would love to talk to. Certain musicians I’ve been in touch with for several years without being able to sit down and record their story for whatever reason.
WTM – What else are you working on?
Together with my friend Fredrik Lavik, I’ve helped put together a compilation on the Somali label, Light & Sound.
That project came about after I read a blog post by Matthew Lavoie on Voice Of America. In the comments, people were mentioning that the owner of L&S Dahir lived in Denmark. I decided to locate Dahir and I was able to meet him at his house. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any master tapes, records or even paper goods relating to his label. He was a very nice gentleman but I just couldn’t find a way to move forward with a potential compilation. Several years later I mentioned the story of Dahir and Light & Sound to Fredik Lavik who runs the label Afro7 / Jazz Aggression. He was really into the idea and he was able to make the compilation happen. It’s available shortly and is limited to 1,000 vinyl copies. The test press sounded great.
Again, the story here is very important. Most people think only of pirates, Al-Shabab and the war that has been going on for decades when Somalia is mentioned but Somali culture is as diverse and rich as anywhere else. Hopefully, this compilation, along with the Somali music Brian Shimkovitz of Awesome Tapes From Africa has already released, can help a bit in changing the perception of what Somali culture is.
In a sense the blog and stuff like the film festival curation I’ve done in the past, as well as the label feels like an extension of my day job. It’s all about telling stories. That’s what I love to do.
WTM – So you’re very busy in the future?
As far as Frederiksberg Records goes then our next two releases are a LP by Paradise entitled Sizzlin Hot and Gunner Møller Pedersens STONED master piece which is truly something that will grow on you as a listener. It’s so deeply meditative, trippy and wonderful! While the label is based in the US, I owe a great deal to my friends and colleagues back home. I couldn’t do this without the help of Jacob Graulund (of Fire House Sound System), DJ 2000F (of Ohoi and Hyper Dub) and Søren Skov (who plays saxophone in the group Debre Damo who recently put out an excellent ethio jazz inspired surf instrumental 45), to name a few. Several people have all gone out of their way to help. Something I’m very thankful for.
Check out Andreas’ blog: http://othersounds.com/
More on the Light & Sound of Mogadishu here
One of Andreas’ video series is called 8 Mill Stories:
Matsuli Music feature and interview:
World Treasures Music spoke to Matt Temple from Matsuli Music – a specialist label reissuing priceless vinyl from South Africa. Together with Chris Albertyn, Matt has brought some amazing music to a new audience, igniting a huge interest in South African music at present among collectors.
Their releases include Batsumi’s seminal spiritual jazz albums, Sathima Bea Benjamin’s African Songbird LP (with Dollar Brand), Dick Choza’s Chapita LP and most recently Ndikho Xaba’s holy grail, Ndikho Xaba and the Natives.
WTM – When did you first hear the band Batsumi?
I first heard Batsumi on a compilation called Ouelele, put out by the French label Comet. The master tapes were acquired by Rashid Vally through whom I have licensed a number of reissues. It must have been in 2010 when I first got a copy of the South African issued Batsumi compilation and then a bit later I found a copy of the debut album. I also discovered the documentary Life and Death in Soweto that focuses on the Batsumi bassist, Zulu Bidi. 
WTM – What was the reaction of Batsmi’s Johnny Mothopeng when seeing his work brought to the light for a new audience?
Johnny was amazed and so happy for the music to be reissued. As I may have mentioned, the royalty payments he received from Matsuli are ten times what he received back when the records were originally released.
WTM – Did you get to meet anyone from or connected to the band?
Chris Albertyn eventually made contact with the last surviving member of the band – Johnny Mothopeng – last year and we were able to make the royalty payments directly to him. 
WTM – What is your process when you set out to reissue an LP?
Each one is different. Through Rashid Vally we have a large catalogue of material that could be reissued, only not all of it is currently commercially viable. So its a matter of selecting albums that we know are in high demand in collectors circles and working from there.
WTM – How do you monitor ‘collectors circles’?
eBay, Popsike, Soul Strut, Waxidermy, talking to fellow collectors etc.
WTM – Is South African jazz celebrated around the world, have the records been received well?
A number of individuals are celebrated – Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba – but others not so much. The exiled group The Blue Notes have been credited with reinvigorating British Jazz in the late sixties. But there are many individuals and groups that have not received much publicity – for example Batsumi, Kippie Moeketsi and Gideon Nxumalo. To date we have done five releases – primarily on vinyl and these have all done well. Most sales are in Europe and the USA followed by Japan and South Africa.
WTM – When do you become aware of the music of Dollar Brand? 
This would have been at University around 1982. The composition that was a consistent soundtrack to those times was Mannenberg. Around the same time I started visiting Rashid Vally’s record store, Kohinor, in Johannesburg and started collecting South African jazz seriously.
WTM – What Matsuli Music releases are expected in the future?
We have a slight departure for our next release – a contemporary album from classical guitarist Derek Gripper – who plays the music of Toumani Diabate on the guitar. An incredible achievement! Beyond that we are looking at some other recordings from the seventies much in the vein of what we have released to date. It’s tricky to talk about future releases or work in progress as some of these may never come to light for various reasons related to licensing, lack of masters, etc. But its safe to say that we plan some future releases that were originally issued by Rashid Vally’s As-shams (The Sun) label back in the 1970s as well as some lesser classics that today only gather dust on collectors’ shelves.
WTM – How do you manage to track down such an artists, are there challenges?
A combination of social media, following leads and lots of groundwork. The biggest challenge is ensuring that the rights holders are correctly paid. And then there is the small matter of getting access to the original master tapes. I could go on and on!
WTM – For more about Matsuil Music click here to visit them at Bandcamp. Vinyl is 180g and includes unlimited streaming, MP3 download, FLAC and more. This label does a superb job with liner notes, restoration, unseen archive photos, the real deal.
All images courtesy of Matsuli Music.
To read more about the music of South Africa (Shangaan, kwaito, jive, etc) and its neighbouring countries click here.
Listen to WTM South Africa mix featuring spiritual jazz, The Mgababa Twins, Dollar Brand, township jive and more:
WORLD TREASURES MUSIC 