After reaching a remarkable degree of maturity, exclusive perhaps to only a few minimal techno labels 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, and maybe most important, long before “minimal techno” turned into a genre and subgenre after subgenre such as Clicks & Cuts, Microhouse and many others arrived. While minimal techno now is a trendy established form of electronic music, background records has been a cornerstone in the movement and the development of minimal techno since 1997, just recently celebrating it’s 50th release in form of a 2x12” and CD compilation.

The label was founded by Andy Vaz and at the start first filled 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.

Download the accompanying netrelease

MNLV07 Various - Background Records
exclusive tracks by db, Andy Vaz feat. N. Gratin, Antiguo Autómata Mexicano, Dave Miller, Terrence Dixon and Frivolous

Interview to the release of Backgrounds anniversary 2x12" V/A - Background Records 050; between Andy Vaz and Christian Meinke // July 03, 2006:

CM: On the face of it there's a glowing back catalogue of fifty releases, an eclectic global roster of artists from diverse musical backgrounds and about 8 years of pobably hard but also highly consistent work on a sound that can truly be described as unique and state-of-the-art. How does it feel like to retrospect the labels early years and to see what has become of it?

Andy Vaz: It feels good overall ofcourse, generally I have to say I am a bit proud of having made it to the 50th release without ever having to compromise or not having had really interesting music to release: looking back it seems that always challengingly great talent has crossed my way during the right time. There was so much progress in “minimal” techno over the years and I believe I can say that background has played a big part of it as far as finding it, developing it further and mainly by just giving people a home to express their musical ideas, with out ever limiting their artistic expression, by looking on sales and/or marketing strategys. The label has always been about the music and the thought, rather than being a commercially driven company.

CM: Cat# 50 once again delves deep into the archives of the labels back catalogue and appears not only like a representative cross section, but also sounds like a kind of reversion to long-gone but never forgotten philosophies of minimalism. Is it more than retaining an affinity with Background's and your own musical roots? What's behind all this?

Andy Vaz: Well, it’s indeed a rather personal decision as I felt it was time for a change. A good opportunity to sit back and remember where it all came from, as the developments in the music are obviously going at a much slower pace these days then they used to. A lot of things have been developed and the genre has extremely been pushed forward in the past years by artist from “new” global territorys that brought in their personal upbringing and surounding into the music, demonstrating a new view on the genre as we knew it as well as technologoy obviously having had a major influence (both good and bad) on the music and its just been a field where a global lose movement has constantly developed the music forward.
Now therefore obviously, its my believe that as so much has been said and the music has fused, segregated, split and recombined in countless ways. Both territorial and technical phenomenas have drawn influences from one another to create hybrids that have changed the face of minimal electronic music as we know it. These developments had happened quicker and quicker and now I feel like a lot of things have been done and we all need a little break and have to be realistic that most likely nobody will push it that much further that we could speak of something totally new being the result like it would be just a fingersnip away.

The periods will just be a bit longer from now on for things to develope and most developments will rather be smaller details rather than something radfically excitingly new every month. On the other hand and to not be misunderstood and clear, I totally believe that this music still hasn’t been fully developed and we are still in a creative process where by far not everything has been said. On one hand, things are still moving on the other, we have to be patient and wait for the right time, the right people with the right ideas and we have to accept that we are not at the beginning of a process anymore where things come easy, we are somwhere in the middle and things will get slower.

But Deepness never goes out of Style and that’s what I had mainly in mind with the anniversary compilation. It incorporates so many things. The past, the present, modern production techniques & soul, clicks and cuts and simple detroit based vibes, all combined. Simply a palette of a rich music history. A past that we all share and something that we remembered as if it was yesterday. This music has been around for round about 22 years (speaking from the arrival of Detroit Techno / Chicago (acid-) Housemusic). It’s been pushed enough and people and technology (or rather the right people with the right artistic idea being able to use the new arriving technology) will still be able to come up with fresh ideas and new exciting results. Just that the distance between these events will be longer than in the past. We shall not forget that countless people nowadays produce minimal techno and most of it is boring and unneccessary. Music of very avarage quality. The market is overheaped.
So with all that in mind, I thought after 50 releases, where I was trying to always keep an eye on the future and try and help developing the music further, it was a good opportunity to also look back and remember where it's all coming from. As a result Background 050 sure has stronger and more obvious Chicago House and Detroit Techno refferences than the releases before. I really enioy that, having the combination of today’s music production and state of the art producers with a general retro nostalgic feel.

CM: You already mentioned that this retro nostalgic reflections in the labels sound and orientation, have their origin in personal decisions and private motives - so it is safe to assume that this statement manifests itself in an analogous manner in your own sound and production style. If we take your first full length "Repetitive Moments Last Forever ..." from march this year as well as yet released and forthcoming EP's on the italian label Persistencebit for example, what's the main difference between this current releases and your output on Soundvariation? Are there any planned releases on your own Soundvariation series in the near future, and what about the connecting link between Andy Vaz and Persistencebit Records?

Andy Vaz: In fact I just finished sound variation 9-9, a two track 12” release, which will be followed by the last and final Instalment being a remix 12” featuring remixes from the last few 12”ches. So it’s done. 9-9 dives deeper again into the concept of re-working a very limited pool of audiosounds being processed by toneshifting and adding layers differently to gain different results within the limitations of the way of working. Both tracks have a totally different musical formular and approach, yet all based on just a handful random sound sources. The full length album on the other hand, follows the path of being rather oldschool house , with less technical aspect on a more direct emotional side. The Album was an result of making a statement against the state of the art digital click house sound, more going back to my musical past, having classic chicago house in mind.

Deep, downtempo, drum-maschine based patterns and raw elements. More dancefloor and definitely less experimental flavoured than the sound variation stuff. Persistencebit Records, with whom I established a close relationship over the past year really gave me the perspective to release the album there and they really encourage me of doing it, as they really felt the overall vibe of where I wanted to go with it. Discovering my personal musical past would not had suited the sound variation idea and so it made perfect sense. I just also finished a new 12” for them, entitled as: Lost and recovered data ep (VAZBIT-010 / 12” / Word and Sound). I will keep my dancier material with them and will once the soundvariation series is completed after the remixes which are currently in the works, I will see what will happen next.

CM: In prior talks and interviews I often noticed your reserved, almost critical attitude towards existent states and trends in minimal techno - something that is more than rare and hard to find nowadays. Did you received any feedback or negative responses on your remarks in the past and what is your personal position with regard to the constantly growing number of minimal techno labels and repetitive uniform styles and sounds?

Andy Vaz: I don’t think that I have a general critical point of view towards that. I do however believe that the amount of standart all sound the same minimal techno is just too much and I just don’t enjoy hearing the same sound put out by an enourmous amount of people constantly over and over again, simply wishing that labels and artists be more selective and see if there’s something unique or personal behind the music. Something that has a personal charactistic, an open mind, the will of taking risks, rather than copy and Imitate a certain soundaesthethic or style. I however don’t have much sympathy for labels who seem to lack any vision or philosophy that atleast tries to push things forward or unites people who have something to say musically.

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