Basic Channel

KidJ, Jan 15, 2007

Alienating, metallic chords, dubbed out mechanic noise and deep pulsating rhythms dominate the soundtrack of the future. Basic Channel have always inspired a vision of post-nuclear dystopia in me - an impression supported by cracking noises that sound like Geiger-counters, diverse motives used on the sparse, classic artwork as well as some of the names related to the label ("Radiance", "Chain Reaction"), but is basically very difficult to outline properly.

Here's a Techno label that became legendary without releasing zillions of faceless, artistically dispensable records. Without pushing it over decades, celebrating itself. Without forcing a hype with ridiculous political pamphlets. Basic Channel is an imprint that transports its message through the medium of music in place of colourful, comic-like label stickers. A project that generated aesthetics like they had never existed before or ever would to date - and considering the fact that Techno had been "officially" invented years before Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald came up with their concept, it surprises even more that their work still amazes (and astonishes) as much today as it probably did when it was made (unlike other artists'). Then again, after all we're talking about music that seemingly emerged out of nowhere (mentioning Reggae-Dub as an influence is fair but only semi-convincing). While early Techno pioneers from Detroit obviously had their roots practically everywhere (from Funk to Kraftwerk via House, if you want), Basic Channel came up with a completely independent, idiophonic idea of this artform. Maybe this is the reason why Basic Channel sounds more like Techno than anything else? Maybe this explains why none of the countless artists who blatantly plagiarised their sound never even remotely succeeded in producing a credible imitation, even now, up to 15 years later...?

Also one of the greatest things about the project from Berlin is the way it presented itself. Only a handful of entirely anonymous releases (which are still being manufactured) were published and even though the imprint followed a strict, concise concept its catalog impresses with an amazing variety - from quiet, pensive Ambient to somewhat inciting 4/4 Techno. So when everything was said after only a few years, Ernestus and von Oswald did the only consequent thing credible artists could do in such a situation: they retired. And left us with some of the best music in time.

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