Background Records Profile - 11th Hour Technology

After reaching a remarkable degree of maturity, exclusive perhaps to only a few labels world-wide, it can be clearly seen that the central aim of Background Records has always been, and will always be, to bring together minimal, ultra-raw, unique and sometimes futuristic music from different people, with different angles, and different and very personal individual backgrounds - each character bringing their own perspective on the minimal side of Techno. Incorporated into this ideology is the necessary international approach to releasing music in the different languages of a global minimalism – all on one imprint, and with one clear identity,

“Pure and uncompromising electronic music - from deep and emotional to radically minimal, or textured, unique and serious.”

This aim was founded with releases from early Motor City minimal innovators, whose original productions had inspired the sound and vision of the label, and set standards of innovation and feeling on wax that later releases would rise to. After these beginnings it was the turn of a second generation of artists that were influenced by the works of the latter - material that hailed from both Germany and the US, illustrating important connections. Moving quickly forwards one can see that even later releases took yet more of a retrospective look towards the original minimal sound, not only taking influences from all that had gone before them, but putting them through the grinder of human reinterpretation.

As the turn of the century passes, Background is taking the sound yet further forwards, placing it in the modern context and setting an unparalleled standard of quality in the current lap-top production zeitgeist that has risen and taken hold of this sound - an evolutionary step that the label views as natural; the synchronisation of Techno, technology and futurism, a fundamental axiom in the labels workings that stems from its early days.

Originally captivated (at the tender age of twelve) by the raw music, uncompromising simple beats and repetitive raps of early Bronx Hip-Hop, in 1992 Andy Vaz - the then to-be founder of Background Records – had his first exposure to a new music that people were calling ‘Techno’. He found in this new musical form enhanced echoes of what had originally aroused his passion for early Hip-Hop, propelling the rawness and repetition to new extremes, and added the important element of futurism – the sound of the future in the present. These first encounters cultivated an avid interest to get involved with this fledging scene, an interest which began that year with the collection of early Detroit Techno and Chicago House records, and which rapidly progressed to hosting events in both Cologne and his own area of “Ruhrarea”. It was at these events that the very artists who had originally caught his attention made their debut appearances in Europe - acts like Terrence Dixon, Ectomorph or Todd Sines.

Running parallel to the youthful motivation that drove an ever increasing involvement in a scene that at the time so few had even heard of, was a burgeoning curiosity to unearth, discover and understand the real roots of this new music. In order to realise this a trip to Detroit and meetings with the founders were sought, and found via the new friendships and connections that had been made during this short initial period. Taking inspiration and knowledge primarily from the city that itself holds the history in its being and as well as from its infamous residents, Andy found that the intrinsic nature of the music is one always in progress, always allowing someone with a lot of passion to constantly learn from it; no matter how deeply you go into living the music there will always be new facets to explore and experience. It was also here that a solid, and important link between the two continents was forged; a link that is still maintained to this day, now integral to the nature of Background.

As times progressed the Rave/Trance movement began to dominate Europe, and in the mid 90's some of the original, but smaller and more adventurous US labels got left behind in the dust and with no-where to go, leaving some of the original Detroit minimal artists with no outlet for their works. It was at this point that Andy felt the need to implement all that he had learnt in an attempt to fill the ensuing vacuum, and so despite the fact that the Rave/Trance movement was getting stronger and bigger, bigger and stronger, the urge to continue the minimal statement had to be satisfied. No matter how independent, insignificant and small, something had to be done to show this alternative vision to the world – and it was for these reasons that Background Records was formed.

As such, the first few Background releases were dominated by the presence of American artists doing records in that original intense, ultra raw and repetitive style, and it was here where the foundations of the labels sound and vision were formed - and indeed can still be found in a very updated and post-modern version today, standing as a testament to its founders.

Early releases in what may be described as the labels first phase, came from Detroit artists such as the legendary Terence Dixon (who has also recorded for other esteemed and classic labels such as Metroplex, Utensil, DOW, Serious Grooves and Tresor), Ectomorph (of Interdimensional Transmissions, Gigolo, Intuit-Solar and Puzzle-Box fame), DJ Hyperactive and Todd Sines (of DBX notoriety) who still records for the label today. The first ever background release entitled 'Futuristic Experiments 1' showcased the talents of these four artists.

Complementing these early releases in what one may perceive as the beginning of the second phase in the labels evolution, are out-of-Detroit artists Stewart Walker (who can also be found on Tektite, Force Inc. and Mille Plateaux amongst many others, but usually on his own imprint Persona), West Coast Techno abstractors Kit Clayton and Sutekh (who also record for Cytrax, Delay and Sutekh's own label Context and other international outputs), and Germany's own Submania / Erkmoah (who have released on fellow German labels Speak and Funkfahrt), with their dry, Cologne-styled and bass-driven Techno. The grooves on the next instalment of the Futuristic Experiments series were given to these artists. It was also in this era that fellow Dusseldorf resident The Rhythm Maker made his debut before going on to record many more EP's for Background in his unique, deep and repetitive style.

It was perhaps with the genesis of 'Futuristic Experiments 3' that made the headway for the labels third and current phase by showcasing the works of post-modern minimalists Jan Jelinek (made famous for his work under the Farben moniker on Germany's infamous Klang Electronik, for Source as Gramme and as Jan Jelinek on ~Scape) and US West-Coaster Dean Decosta (whose minimal 4/4 Dub sound has also appeared on the UK's mysterious Mosaic imprint, Germany's Lo-Fi Stereo and fellow West Coast label Earth Tones) all alongside The Rhythm Maker and Submania / Erkmoah who had already been established on Background. This then held the door open for the Canadian invasion - a wave of great new lap-top induced artists within the minimal context who had been producing for some time before the infrastructure developed for them to reach out further, and as far as the shores of Europe. Such artists include the famous 'Turn-table a Trios' stuntman Jeff Milligan, Deadbeat (who is also found on the Canadian Revolver label) and the now infamous and self-styled 'Micro-Sampler' Akufen (whose prolific productions have transgressed genres and has appeared on left-of-centre labels such as Trapez, Traum, Revolver, Hautec, Perlon and debut LP for Force. Inc.).

Hints of perhaps the next phase can be seen on the horizon, with the more textural and sometimes less 4/4 based works of Portable, Donnacha Costello (who has also appeared on Done, Force Inc. and Mille Plateaux), Mitchell Akiyama (who also appears on Alien8, Eat This and Substractif), Smyglyssna (on Vertical Form and Plug Research) and new Australian signing Dave Millar. However, as always, any past style is never cut and forgotten as new commissions from established minimal Techno producers Geoff White (appearing also on Force. Inc, Lo-Fi Stereo, Cytrax, Delay and his own Edit Audio) and UK Acid-House stalwart Peter 'Baby' Ford of Trelik fame have proved in their recent debuts for Background alongside other more established artists on the roster.