New Berlin label Emphase records is best known for its Emphasolo releases, on which various artists (Anne Laplantine, Ronald Lippoks, Claudia Kapp, Guido Möbius, F.S. Blumm, among others) each create a track using a single instrument/sound/sound, the OneOnOne’s.

Network / centre for contemporary art programmes 3 acts from Emphase records, a new take on electronica.

Frank Schültge aka F.S. BLUMM, with releases on Tomlab, Morr Music, Tokuma, Audio Dregs and half of Sack Und Blumm (Staubgold), knows how to make music with electronics and “real” instruments like no other. His sound kitchen consists mainly of acoustic instruments such as piano, kalimba, vibraphone, guitars, and the occasional dash of accordion. With these, he creates colourful soundscapes that taste like atmospheric dreamscapes on the one hand and perfectly structured beautiful pop songs on the other. The musical result is thus often so original that there is no point in ‘namedropping’ to describe F.S. Blumm’s music.

Parisienne ANNE LAPLANTINE already has several electronica albums on her record: as Michiko Kusaki on Vienna’s Angelika-Köhlermann label, as Angelika Köhlermann and Anne Hamburg on the very fine Tomlab. She currently lives and works in Berlin, where she also released her most recent album ‘Dicipline’ on Emphase records. Her sound often reminds us of another Frenchwoman, Colleen (07-05-005 at Netwerk / centre for contemporary art). Both create a pallet of profound emotions, fragile sensations, by working with the right harmonies and melodies. Only Anne Laplantine sticks to very minimal structures, so her compositions are never too heavily charged or complex.
Alexej GOTTSCHAU & Guido MÖBIUS are two-thirds of Berlin’s un-rock trio Blinker Inc. With bass and guitar, glockenspiel and electronics, their live set emerges as a bastardised version of Guido Möbius’ solo album ‘Klisten’, released on Klangrieg.
With his debut, he manages to walk the line between lightness and complexity. Möbius makes musical arrangements for silent films under the moniker Hildeguard (together with Toby Burdon & Sean Cooper) and is also employed by Autopilot music, but above all, so label boss of the small but very fine Emphase records.