In the fishtank 06 - june of 44

June Of 44 had just finished the recordings for their brand new album when they embarked on a tour through Spain, France and Italy. Without any further ado, they went straight on to do their Fishtank-session. They are used to work on songs over a short period of time, then record them immediately: a method of working that we appreciate very much and recognize in our own field.
The extensive touring would leave some traces (Sean was ill for a day), but the band was eager to get all their ideas on tape. They kept going, whether it was night or day. Although June of 44 experienced the studio as a bunker, the equipment that was accidently available appeared to be very useful: an old organ, a tube radio-set that had been lying around, even sound engineer Zlaya was incorporated to generate some tone.
In retrospect, one could consider this 'In The Fishtank' as the missing link between their albums 'Four Great Points' and 'Anahata', in the sense that it combines their adventurous 'rock' with the experimental jazzy musicality - six exclusive songs that make you sail off into the sunset.

enjoy!

(related posts..)

In the fishtank 05 - tortoise / the ex

For our fifth 'In The Fishtank', Konkurrent invited Tortoise from Chicago to contribute some of their hypnotic, catchy instrumental pieces to our series. They gladly accepted and asked The Ex to join them. Both bands begin from very different points when constructing songs. The Ex work with dynamics and tension building while Tortoise work at a more introspective and subdued level, adding layers and texture to their sound. Where they meet is in how they work with repetition and introduce very specific atmospheres into their songs. They also both possess an intuitive approach to their music and an openness to allow things the time they need to take shape. The music was slow to emerge not really fully forming till late on the second day of recording, but as John from Tortoise commented: 'all good things take time'. An unlikely combination you might think, which is why we liked the idea so much.

enjoy! (έχουμε φτάσει περίπου στην μέση..!)

In the fishtank 04 - Snuff

The fourth edition of 'In The Fishtank' concerns a band we've been working with for almost ten years, just like No Means No. We helped them out with shows, released their second album 'Reach' and forced them to finish that tour in 1991 in which they broke up. When they got back together in 1994 their style of music had become incredibly popular through bands like Green Day and the Offspring, who mentioned Snuff as a big influence in many interviews. Snuff themselves just carried on where they left off, preaching blah blah in a fast and poppy singalong way.

Was scheduled to be released on vinyl, but the choice between d7" and mlp was never made, hence cd only.

Ένα album που φαίνεται να γράφτηκε με παρα πολύ κέφι και γέλιο. Θα το ευχαριστηθείτε ανεπιφύλακτα!

link!

In the fishtank 03 - The Tassilli Players

Konkurrent is very fond of this new school of British dub style music and invited Tassilli Players to be part of the Fishtank collection. Along with the Power Steppers, the Tassilli Players are produced by Zion Train and run their own label: 'Universal Egg'. Although they might use the most advanced digital techniques in the making of the music, the songs themselves sound very warm and human, a welcome counterpoint to hectic daily life. Having a bad day? Play it loud!

Τρίτο και κατά την γνώμη μου πολύ πολύ ωραίο :)

enjoy!

In the fishtank 02 - Guv'ner

Guv'ner is the second band in this mini album series. Not second as a matter of grade, but based purely on the coincedence that they happened to be on tour over here at the end of '96. Their music is very honest, personal and beautiful. There is something special about it, something that you've never heard before. Just like walking along a strange path, with every step you take you wonder what the surface will be like, or what strange creature may appear. It may suddenly change from solid ground to quicksand, from a straight to a slippery road... Apparently it's Guv'ner's world. Very pure and very pleasant.

Το δεύτερο της σειράς. Μάλλον όχι από τα αγαπημένα μου αλλα πολύ easy να ακουστεί. Οι παραφωνίες των τραγουδιστών προσφέρουνε μια διαφορετική διάσταση στα κομμάτια!



Anyway, one more piece for the fishtank series..

enjoy!

In the fishtank 01 - No Means No

Αν και πριν λίγες μέρες, έκανα ένα preview της σειράς InTheFishtank με τον Jaga Jazzist και Motorpsycho, αρχίζω από την αρχή με την πρώτη κυκλοφορία. Μην απογοητευτείτε. Το κάθε album είναι ιδιαίτερο και το πιο ωραίο από όλα είναι να τα πετάξεις όλα σε ένα playlist και να πατήσεις το suffle..

No Means No and Konkurrent go back a long way. One could almost consider us a married couple. They have always been one of our favourite and most prominent bands in our distribution. Not only are they still making thier unique and beautiful music but they remain one of the few that have managed to retain their principle of independence. For these reasons we are proud that they are the first on this collection.

enjoy!

Σιγά σιγά, θα έρθουν όλα.. (previously, InTheFishtank10)

In the fishtank 10 - Motorpsycho & Jaga Jazzist

Μιας και ο cubeart έχει εξαφανιστεί και δεν μας δίνει πλέον τις μουσικές του, είπα να του κάνω εγώ ένα δωράκι και να ανεβάσω ένα album που συνδυάζει δυο πλευρές. Μια αυτή του trainstorming (jaga jazzist) και μια από τα δικά του λημέρια (motorpsycho). Το album είναι από μια σειρά albums που πρόσφατα είχα την χαρά να κατεβάσω και ένα μονο έχω να πω, είναι όλα καταπληκτικά.
Η σειρά των 'in the fishtank' είναι μια συλλογή από albums όπου διαφορετικοί καλλιτέχνες από όλο τον κόσμο, βρίσκονται μαζί σε ένα studio για 48 ώρες και είναι ελεύθεροι να γράψουνε ότι θέλουνε. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι μια από τις πιο ενδιαφέρουσες συλλογές που καλύπτουνε πραγματικά παρα πολλά είδη μουσικής με τον πιο υπέροχο τρόπο.
Σιγά σιγά, ελπίζω να τα ανεβάσω και τα υπόλοιπα 12! Για την ώρα, απολαύστε αυτό το καταπληκτικό πείραμα.

Enjoy!

'..For many years, Motorpsycho was on Konkurrent's list of wanted bands to do a Fishtank session. But since there was no direct relationship between band and distributor, nothing happened. Luckily this changed when Konkurrent started distributing Motorpsycho's renowned label Stickman two years ago and there was no more obstacle to invite them for a recording session. In the Summer of 2002, crammed in between boring press-days and exciting festivals in Holland and Belgium, Motorpsycho arrived in the studio to record. Along came the horn section of fellow Norwegians Jaga Jazzist, with whom they had done some experimental shows on jazz festivals. A soundcheck was hardly necessary, within a few days the musicians managed to magnetize five groovy tracks. The studio was already buzzing with hypermotivation, dedication and hard Scandinavian labour, when the Jaga's even rented a space to rehearse, a rather unique event in Fishtank history.
What came out is a stunning cocktail of Stax Soul, John Coltrane and obviously, Pharaoh Sanders. Motorpsycho's recent funkiness blends in perfectly with the mesmerizing quality of most of the material and, as always, you can rely on these guys to give an excellent performance..'