Basic Channel

Basic Channel
Moritz von Oswald (left) and Mark Ernestus (right) performing at MUTEK in 2007
Background information
Also known as
  • Rhythm & Sound
  • Maurizio
  • Cyrus
  • Quadrant
  • Round One to Round Five
OriginBerlin, Germany
Genres
Years active1993–present
Labels
  • Basic Channel
  • Chain Reaction
  • Burial Mix
  • M-Series
  • Rhythm & Sound
  • Main Street
Members
Websitewww.basicchannel.com

Basic Channel is a German music duo and record label, composed of Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, that originated in Berlin in 1993.[2] The duo have also worked under other names, including Rhythm & Sound and Maurizio, and have founded offshoot label imprints such as Chain Reaction and Main Street. Their releases in the 1990s are regarded as pioneering examples of the minimal and dub techno subgenres.[3]

History

Basic Channel was founded by Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus in 1993 in Berlin, Germany.[2] At the time, von Oswald was working as an in-house producer for the Berlin label Tresor.[4] The project grew around Hard Wax, the record store opened by Ernestus in 1989.[5] In order to achieve preferred mastering quality, the duo founded their own mastering house Dubplates & Mastering.[5]

Between 1993 and 1994, the record label released the duo's nine 12-inch vinyl singles,[4] which featured minimal information and cryptic lettering, leaving the nature of the project obscure.[3] Their minimalist sound and incorporation of delay effects inspired by dub reggae helped to define the nascent dub techno scene.[6][7][8][9] The Quietus credited these releases with "spawning a legion of imitators and earning the duo legend status among those in the know."[4] Basic Channel has since released two compilation CDs which collect edits of their 12-inch releases: BCD (1995) and BCD-2 (2008).[3]

Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus have founded numerous record labels such as Chain Reaction, Main Street Records, and Rhythm & Sound.[10] The duo's collaborative works have also been released under the monikers Maurizio[1] and Rhythm & Sound.[11] As Rhythm & Sound, the duo have recorded more faithful takes on Jamaican dub in collaboration with vocalists such as Paul St. Hilaire, Cornell Campbell and the Love Joys.[8]

Discography

BC-02, BC-07, and BC-08. Note the progressive distortion of the Basic Channel logo

Basic Channel

Albums

  • Basic Channel – BCD (1995, BCD, CD)
  • Basic Channel – BCD-2 (2008, BCD-2, CD)[12]

Singles

  • Cyrus – "Enforcement" (1993, BC-01, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Phylyps Trak" (1993, BC-02, 12")
  • Vainqueur – "Lyot RMX" (1993, BC-03, 12")
  • Quadrant – "Q1.1" (1993, BC-04, 12")
  • Cyrus – "Inversion" (1994, BC-05, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Quadrant Dub" (1994, BC-06, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Octagon" (1994, BC-07, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Radiance" (1994, BC-08, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Phylyps Trak II" (1994, BC-09, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Remake (Basic Reshape)" (2004, BC-BR, 12")
  • Quadrant – "Infinition" (2004, BC-QD, 12")
  • Basic Channel – "Q-Loop" (2014, BC-CD, 12")[12]

Burial Mix

Albums

  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – Showcase (1998, BMD-1, CD)
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ the Artists – Rhythm & Sound w/ the Artists (2003, BMD-2, CD)
  • Rhythm & Sound – The Versions (2003, BMD-3, CD)
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ the Artists – Rhythm & Sound w/ the Artists (2004, BMLP-2, LP)
  • Rhythm & Sound – The Versions (2004, BMLP-3, LP)
  • Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya (2005, BMD-4, CD)
  • Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya (2005, BMLP-4, LP)
  • Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya (2005, BM-14-20, 7" box set)
  • Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya Remixes (2006, BMXD-1, CD)[13]

Singles

  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Never Tell You" (1996, BM-01, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Spend Some Time" (1996, BM-02, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Ruff Way" (1997, BM-03, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "What a Mistry" (1997, BM-04, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Why" (1997, BM-05, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Cornel Campbell – "King in My Empire" (2001, BM-06, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Jah Rule" (2001, BM-07, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Shalom – "We Been Troddin" (2001, BM-08, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ the Chosen Brothers – "Making History" (2002, BM-09, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Love Joy – "Best Friend" (2002, BM-10, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Jennifer Lara – "Queen in My Empire" (2003, BM-11, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ the Chosen Brothers – "Mash Down Babylon" (2003, BM-12, 10")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Jah Batta – "Music Hit You" (2003, BM-13, 10")[13]

Rhythm & Sound

Rhythm & Sound
Founded1997
Founder
Defunct2002
StatusInactive
GenreDub reggae,[1] dub techno
Country of originGermany
LocationBerlin

Albums

  • Rhythm & Sound – Rhythm & Sound (2001, RSD-1, CD)[14]

Singles

  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Tikiman – "Music A Fe Rule" (1997, RS-01, 12")
  • Chosen Brothers / Rhythm & Sound – "Mango Walk" / "Mango Drive" (1998, RS-02, 12")
  • Rhythm & Sound – "Roll Off" (1998, RS-03, 12")
  • Rhythm & Sound w/ Savage – "Smile" (1999, RS-04, 12")
  • Rhythm & Sound – "Carrier" (1999, RS-05, 12")
  • Rhythm & Sound – "Trace" / "Imprint" (2001, RS-06, 12")
  • Rhythm & Sound – "Aground" / "Aerial" (2002, RS-07, 12")[14]

M-Series

Albums

  • Maurizio – M-Series (1997, MCD, CD)[15]

Singles

  • Maurizio – "Ploy" (1992, M-1, 12")
  • Vainquer – "Lyot" (1992, M-2, 12")
  • Maurizio – "Domina" (1993, M-3, 12")
  • Maurizio – "M-4" (1995, M-4, 12")
  • Maurizio – "M-4.5" (1995, M-4.5, 12")
  • Maurizio – "M-5" (1995, M-5, 12")
  • Maurizio – "M-6" (1996, M-6, 12")
  • Maurizio – "M-7" (1997, M-7, 12")[15]

Main Street

Albums

  • Round One to Round Five – 1993-99 (1999, MSD-01, CD)[16]

Singles

  • Round One – "I'm Your Brother" (1994, MSR-02, 12")
  • Round Two – "New Day (1995, MSR-04, 12")
  • Round Three w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Acting Crazy" (1995, MSR-06, 12")
  • Round Four w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Find a Way" (1998, MSR-08, 12")
  • Round Five w/ Paul St. Hilaire – "Na Fe Throw It" (1999, MSR-10, 12")[16]

Albums

  • Scion – Arrange and Process Basic Channel Tracks (2002, Tresor, Tresor 200, CD)[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Baines, Josh (15 October 2015). "A Bullshitter's Guide to Dub Techno". Vice. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b McDermott, Matt (31 December 2018). "Label of the month: Basic Channel". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Sherburne, Philip (13 August 2008). "Basic Channel: BCD-2". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 15 June 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Gibb, Rory (14 May 2018). "Lock The Studio, Turn Out The Lights: Basic Channel 25 Years On". The Quietus. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b Johnson, Dunn (21 July 2014). "Record Store Week: Hard Wax". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  6. ^ De Young, Nate (2 June 2005). "On First Listen: Basic Channel". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  7. ^ Cox, Joe (12 October 2018). "25 of the best tracks for testing bass". What Hi-Fi?. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  8. ^ a b Baines, Josh (October 15, 2015). "A Bullshitter's Guide to Dub Techno". THUMP. Vice Media. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  9. ^ "The Strange and Frightening World of... Basic Channel". The Quietus. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  10. ^ Sherburne, Philip (6 September 2012). "Basic Channel". Spin. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  11. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (23 June 2015). "Techno pioneer Moritz von Oswald's latest mixes Afrobeat and 'emptiness'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Basic Channel". Basic Channel. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Burial Mix". Basic Channel. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Rhythm & Sound". Basic Channel. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  15. ^ a b "M-Series". Basic Channel. Archived from the original on 2 March 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Main Street". Basic Channel. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  17. ^ "Dub be good to me: the strange and challenging art of the remix album (page 3 of 5)". Fact. 16 August 2012. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2020.

Further reading

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