The
fifth year has passed since the founding of the
EXTRATONE (Rec.) group,
so it is a good time for a wider summary of our activity ...
When I heard extratone for the first time (some track of
Ralph Brown
) I thought to myself, "What is it all about?" however, listening to
many genres of extreme music, I quickly discovered that this musical
branch (imo) is the punk simplicity, black metal rawness and the
stylistics known to me from the Gore-Grind bands, translated into
electronic music. I was hooked.
Wishing to share my discovery
with the world, I've founded the EXTRATONE group, which aims to share
information and to concentrate artists dealing with this field of
electronic art in one place. Almost every member of the group was the
administrator then, and the only requirement for posting (this works
until today) was to put only extratone music, and things more or less
related to it. As well as mutual respect.
At the time, still
watching the speedcore / breakcore scene, I've decided to try my luck in
the new genre I discovered, creating my first extratone EP "Extratone
FUNky". What surprised me, the labels I've known so far, have been
purging my request to release this material, claiming that its not even
music, or complains about the low quality of the material, at the same
time referring me to the label "1000+", focused on publishing things
above 1000bpm. Inspired by their activity, I've decided to go a step
further.
In 2013, with the help of
Thorsten Kuznik, I published the compilation "
EXTRATONE Sampler Vol.1 (Simple ... but POWERFUL)" in
Speedcore Worldwide Audio Netlabel, on which I collected music mainly from people inside the group. I made a meaningful cover in paint and
Jakub Bobowski (
Loffciamcore) was asked for mastering the songs.
The compilation aroused considerable interest, as evidenced by its
continuation in "
EXTRATONE Sampler Vol.2 (BREAKE The SPEEED)", in 2014,
containing twice as many performers. Other artists, also got involved in
collecting songs. The idea of the second part was to show extratone as a
more diverse style, which is why the tracks were divided into the more
typical and the more broken ones. Mastering was taken care of by the
same man, and the cover created by me again, referred (partly also to
the title) to my intense desire to break with my addiction at the time.
The year 2015 was heavier for me. Events organized by me, originally
focused on promoting this genre, meet with practically zero attendance. I
started to believe, that extratone is completely exhausted and my
further involvement in its development and promotion is decreasing.
However, later this year I release the next part of "
EXTRATONE Sampler Vol.3 (Underground IN Underground)", which title reflects my attitude
towards the stage at the time. Not wanting to impose anyone, I've done
it independently, without mestering, only by leveling the volume of the
songs received, with the thought, that it will be the last compilation.
However, it did not happen. Motivated by questions about my further
activity, I've decided to set up my own label, which will be aimed at
publishing further compilations, as well as solo materials of more or
less known artists from the xtrtn circle. I added the REC suffix to the
already known group logo (composed of squares to be associated with the
WAV graph of thick beat), stylized as a diode from a hand-held camera,
inspired by a B-class film of the same title. For help with covers I've
asked
Alex Montana, whose strict style suits me very much, and I've entrusted my care over the YouTube channel to
Daniil Zolotukhin.
I've set up a blog, for the first official release, acknowledging the
third part of the sampler and starting March 2016 with solo publishing
of other artists.
In May, we released the next part of the compilation
"
EXTRATONE Sampler Vol.4 (... above US There Is Only SILENCE)". The
title and cover refer to the fact, that the repeatedly accelerated kicks
eventually turn into frequencies and into silence finally. At the same time, I've asked
Ramon Fokkema
for promoting the label, who starts with a series of events called
LEGION OF SPEEDCORE. Works on the radio stream were in progress, which
lasted only for a moment. After that, the project was postponed.
In June, I completely resigned from organizing my own events, leaving the
RAVING RABBITS
collective, just to focus on subsequent releases. The fourth sampler
have aroused so much interest, that in the creation of its next, smaller
version "
EXTRATONE Sampler Vol. 4,5 (Music for the TILTED Generation)",
we used songs sent after its release. Its title and cover refer to a
certain, well-known album of The Prodigy. At the time there were more
solo EP's published also.
The year 2017 brings further changes.
For the promotion of
LEGION OF SPEEDCORE #2, our first physical release
"
Legion Of Speedcore Anthem (The Remixes)" is created, this time more
speedcore. Costs of it were entirely covered by
Ramon, and the money earned on it, were spent on the further event development. At work on the cover, based on my drawing,
Koh David known as
DJ MUCUS helped us and was asked for further cooperation. The release, as usuall, is also free to download.
Works on the next CD, this time the thematic release of the sampler,
which for years has become my "eye in mind" were underway.
Unfortunately, the requirements of the printing and stamping company, as
the quality of the files turned out to be quite high, and the
implementation of my idea (the earth globe covered with mold, which I
specially grew for this purpose in a jar on my balcony) no one wanted to
take. I was looking for another artist, and the release of "
EXTRATONE Sampler Vol.5 (World Disease)" was delayed.
Jakub Szajba Bińkowski,
a graphic artist and photographer, who commits to take up the
challenge, comes to help. The sampler finally reveals itself. The cost
of its production and copies being shared with
Ramon in half. At the same time,
Marcel Paas aka
Gabberdoom began to support our label promotion.
We have the beginning of 2018, what will it bring? We do not know yet,
but I'll try to write about the changes on a regular basis.
P.S.
I'm sorry that I did not mention all the artists involved by name and
surname, but I tried to focus on the most important things.
Also big thx for support to:
Neil Lar,
Akira Sato,
Jacek Chałas Dashkowsky,
Erik van den Berg,
Sergio Noizover Gallagher,
Sven Lindt,
Lik Dakorshikyo,
Michael Arne Hansen,
Szymon Błoński,
Zadok Allen,
Ian Garside and
Maciej Rydelek.
