Basic Channel

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Basic Channel

Profile:
Legendary techno-dub label from Berlin, closed in 1995, followed by Chain Reaction.

The colour editions are the first-run pressings.
The black vinyl editions are the standard pressings.
The clear marble editions (issued in 2003) are the 10 Year Anniversary releases.
Sublabels
Basic Replay, Burial Mix, Chain Reaction, False Tuned, Imbalance Recordings, Main Street Records, Maurizio, Rhythm & Sound
Contact Info:
mail(at)basicchannel(dot)com
Sites:
basicchannel.com, circonium.de, Wikipedia
[l255]

Label


Marketplace 745 For Sale

Vinyl and CD
Cat#  Artist Title (Format) Label Cat#  Country Year
ASP2019 Rhythm & Sound The Versions ‎(CD, Comp) Asphodel, Asphodel ASP2019 US 2003 Sell This Version
BC 01 Cyrus Enforcement BC 01 Germany 1993 Sell This Version
BC 02 Basic Channel Phylyps Trak BC 02 Germany 1993 Sell This Version
BC 03 Basic Channel Lyot Rmx BC 03 Germany 1993 Sell This Version
BC 04 Basic Channel Q 1.1 BC 04 Germany 1993 Sell This Version
BC 05 Cyrus Inversion BC 05 Germany 1994 Sell This Version
BC 06 Basic Channel Quadrant Dub BC 06 Germany 1994 Sell This Version
BC 07 Basic Channel Octagon / Octaedre BC 07 Germany 1994 Sell This Version
BC 08 Basic Channel Radiance BC 08 Germany 1994 Sell This Version
BC 09 Basic Channel Phylyps Trak II BC 09 Germany 1994 Sell This Version
BC-BR Paperclip People Basic Reshape BC-BR Germany 2004 Sell This Version
BC-CD Basic Channel Q-Loop BC-CD Germany 2014 Sell This Version
BCD Basic Channel BCD (Comp) BCD Germany 1995 Sell This Version
BCD-2 Basic Channel BCD-2 ‎(CD, Comp) Basic Channel BCD-2 Germany 2008 Sell This Version
BC-QD Quadrant Infinition / Hyperprism BC-QD Germany 2004 Sell This Version
RS 94036 CD Various In Order To Dance 5 ‎(2xCD, Comp) R & S Records RS 94036 CD Belgium 1994 Sell This Version
Tresor.63 Various Tresor.4 - Solid ‎(CD, Comp + CD, Comp, Mixed) Tresor Tresor.63 Germany 1997 Sell This Version
Tresor. 142 Daniel Bell The Button Down Mind Of Daniel Bell ‎(CD, Mixed) Tresor Tresor. 142 Germany 2000 Sell This Version

Reviews Show All 7 Reviews

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maroko

maroko

June 6, 2015
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of electronic music labels that have continually kept repressing their entire back catalog for two decades, with an ongoing demand that has not dwindled since the imprint's inception. Basic Channel belongs there. Not only that, but the relevance these pieces of wax hold is constant and solid, now as ever before.

Many have tried imitating, none have succeeded. With about a dozen releases, the blueprint was set for more styles and directions than anyone would bother counting today. However, the point of the matter isn't really the amount of material released, it's the quality. It is just how iconic every one of these vinyls is. They are all classics. Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald might have had a few missteps. Some things worked better than others, but then again, that is a characteristic of a true artist. You move and make one move. But the material released as Basic Channel is peerless. Timeless. Forward thinking techno cuts that evoke the fondest memories of yesterday whilst keeping widely open the window of tomorrow.

All that taken into consideration, despite the fact I am not the most ardent and die hard follower of theirs, I am yet to regret owning a single Basic Channel release. I don't even indulge a craving for the dub techno aesthetic, but narrowing this label's output to the term "dub techno" would be a misconception. I guess I should know that, because in many ways, this 'dub' tag made me cling on to this label relatively late. Better late than never they say.

Wonderful thing was walking into the legendary Hardwax record store in Berlin, Germany, some time mid November 2013, and purchasing the releases I was still missing in order to complete the discography. Boy the feeling. Completing a cult label, and doing it in a shop where it all started. I seriously felt like I had come full circle, music wise that is. Something nice and warm got hold of me all of a sudden.

The hype is real. This is one of the most important, dominant, quality ridden techno stables ever. The range of moods and ideas displayed on such a small amount of records can hardly be paralleled in contemporary electronic music. Most records labels could easily call it a day if they released five vinyls this good in their entire lifespan. Here, you have about ten pieces of wax, all of them by the same production duo, all of them classics.

You should seriously consider yourself lucky that the people behind these masterpieces hear the word of the street, and enable every new generation to enjoy their music. Just look at it this way: if it wasn't good, it would have never kept on hitting the shelves for as long as it did, and most importantly, it would have never kept a rectilinear relevance throughout the years, despite of trends and frequent changes within the techno community. Seriously now, completing this label will make you feel better, and you won't have to spend a fortune either. As stated many times before, it's not about the quantity...
Reply Notify me 5 Helpful
ijustspeak

ijustspeak

August 8, 2012
This music can never be outdone or surpassed. I heard some of the successors that followed these leaders.. Not even close, even if some of them are good.
Basic Channel was/is innovative techno music. I can only imagine when this reached the clubs at the time. The anger and sadness in these records, i mean.. Never has so "cold" music expressed such a variety of feelings.
Legendary!
Reply Notify me 11 Helpful
VortexBoy

VortexBoy

March 26, 2012
edited over 4 years ago
The music & artwork is superb & iconic, as others have said.
What I'd like to know is when are their T-shirts going to be available again?
They've been "coming soon" for about 2-3 years.
Reply Notify me 3 Helpful
KidJ

KidJ

January 15, 2007
edited over 9 years ago
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.
Reply Notify me 24 Helpful
Zauberberg

Zauberberg

September 3, 2005
edited over 11 years ago
These are the pioneers of clustering minimal techno/house rhythms into dubby environment. Anyone who had listen to B.C. tracks (especially those collected as legendary "Basic Channel" CD) will appreciate the crew's stunning efforts and creativity in making something which will later become a 'Basic Channel' genre. Generally unclassifiable but always recognizable, von Oswald & Ernestus became one of the few landmarks in electronica scene. I found this hidden treasure while listening to one of the TRESOR editions, where Oswald appeared with Thomas Fehlmann, behind the self-titled track "Schizophrenia"; just listen to those shimmering sounds and you'll know why B.C enjoys the status of techno-dub-ambient superstars. If only I could get a chance to watch them alive!
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servo

servo

August 22, 2002
this label was my first real introduction to minimal and dubby techno. the phylyps trak and quadrant dub ep's did it for me and still both remain all time classics to me. basic channel was a heavy influence on me and still is today. the label has raised a sort of standard that few can rival. they pushed the boundaries of sound and influenced a whole genre of music. i love pretty much everything associated with basic channel, as well as chain reaction and burial mix stuff. this music is in a classification all its own. solid music that will remain timeless in my opinion.
Reply Notify me 5 Helpful
eiskristall

eiskristall

March 4, 2002
Well, this is THE label which puts dub and techno together
in a singularly way. Things are changing slowly in a kind of monotone & minimal beat, dub elements will appear and disappear. An acoustic experience for those who loves this music. Avantgarde. Listen also Maurizio, Burial Mix, Chain Reaction...
Reply Notify me 5 Helpful

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