Following you will find an interview from Culture Shock (USA) and a short history of VUZ.
| VUZ Records | |
A short history
Developing from the mailorder service of the same name, VUZ started to release CD's in the first days of 1993.
The first release was planned as a CD-Single, but soon grew to a collection of three Singles on one full-time CD. "New Forms Of Entertainment Vol.1 " was born. On this release you will find exclusive contributions from D.A.R.P.A., DIVE and :WUMPSCUT:.
The good collaboration with Dirk Ivens (Dive) led to our second release, the first CD of ABSOLUTE BODY CONTROL.
Due to very good response from both, audience and critics, we decided to release the :WUMPSCUT: full-time CD "music for a slaughtering tribe" as our third product. The response was even more enthusiastic. Many see it as the freshest and most original release in the industrial- dancefloor field for 1993/94.
Our fourth release is the Double-CD "IN THE BUTCHERS BACKYARD", a collaboration with the swedish label Cold Meat Industry. It contains over 140 mins. of rare sounds of some of the most important swedish industrial groups. The limited edition of 666 copies is sold out.
Our fifth release is a limited 7" of SIXTH COMM, with three exclusive tracks. The 444 copies on colored vinyl are sold out.
Next up is the "Initial Stages 1987 - 1989" CD by BATZ WITHOUT FLESH. It comprises the first 12" and the first LP of this dark-electro project from the USA.
Release number seven is a limited, colored vinyl 7" of the american cyberpunks SMERSH. Four killer-tracks for a new area of industrial dancefloor.
With our eight release we stay in the U.S.A.: "Destroy Existence" by AND CHRIST WEPT offers you a powerfull mixture of industrial, metal, gothic and techno.
Our recent release is PATTERNCLEAR's debut CD "Beat Supremacy" which offers electrosound between synthie-pop and EBM from England.
Out now:
NEW FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT VOL. 2
(Compilation with: SKINFLICK PROD., AND CHRIST WEPT, TEMPLEBEAT)
The "Crossover" edition! Includes exclusive remix of Euro-Dancefloor-Smasher "Wicked" by TEMPLEBEAT (plus their version of "She's Lost Control"). Also included are brandnew tracks by metalic-gothics AND CHRIST WEPT (USA) and eroto-maniacs SKINFLICK PROD. (Wales).
SIGNAL TO NOISE / EPOCH "Construction No. 008" Split by two north-american electro projects (electro sound with Frontline Assembly and Laibach influences)
Interview for the US magazine "Culture Shock"
- If I'm not mistaken, Vuz Records started as a mailorder service. What compelled you to start releasing music?
Actually it all started a very long time ago (ca. 1983) when I was involved in the industrial tape scene. Thanks to the international network I got hold of lots of interesting tapes which I distributed and soon I started to release tapes of my own musical projects. Due to various reasons (school, apprenticeship, ...) I paused for some years. In the early '90ies I re-activated the mailorder (now under the new name VUZ) and quite soon I thought about releasing some stuff again. But here in Germany the tape is not accepted as a regular format, so it had to be on vinyl or CD this time.
With the quite interesting music of D.A.R.P.A. I found my first artist and we planed to release a CD mini-album. Then I heard the first Wumpscut demos and after contacting him, I decided to release his debut too. At first we planned to release a whole series of 5" CD mini-albums, but then the idea of the NFE series was born: Why not compile these mini-albums on one regular CD, offering more music for the money? From then on one came to the other and the label developed and grew.
- What do you generally look for in bands that you consider signing?
First of all, I have to like the music! I could never release anything that I do not like 100%. Another point is the personal contact with the artist. I think it is very important to have the same wavelenght, otherwise it is quite difficult to work together over a period of some years. So besides their output I also have to like the person(s) behind the music.
- Can you explain the numerous collaberations Vuz is involved in, including the recent partnership with Arts Industria over here in the US?
Well, we have a lot of contacts from which various collaborations result (from joint releases as the "In The Butchers Backyard" compilation to distribution agreements as with Arts Industria). When I am in a good contact with somebody, I try to help where I can and it is also the other way round. Working with other people also makes things easier, you have a lot more idea input and a lot of additional contacts.
- You seem to be especially fond of releasing material in limited editions and/or with special packaging. Why is that?
To be honest, I do not like the normal CD format too much. It is easy to handle and it matches the norm, but from the artistic side it is boring. So from time to time we release something in special packaging to satisfy our aestetic demands. Besides that I am also one of the hunters and collectors and I like special / limited editions. So the step to release limited editions myself was just a small one.
- We feel that the idea of releasing a few seperate EP's on one full CD, with seperate artwork for each (such as your New Forms Of Entertainment series), is a phenomenal concept, and some other labels seem to be following suit. Why did you decide to do that?
As I said before, it grew out of the idea of releasing several mini albums. It also reveales more about the musical abilities and style of a band when you can hear about 20 mins. instead of just one song which may or may not be representatvie for the band. To me the idea was new but there where some others who did similar compilations of which I was not aware at that point of time.
- Tell us about your new sub-label, Cat's Heaven.
Cat's Heaven is not a sub-label but a lable of its own. It is dedicated to the more darker side of music, which includes ritualistic, ambient, trance and industrial influenced material. I found it necessary to make a clear split between the more electronical releases on VUZ and the more industrial (in the classical sense) releases on Cat's Heaven. We do not work with bigger distributors, we are free to experiment with all sorts of formats and packages. Cat's Heaven is dealing with CD releases and its sub-labels Chat Noir (vinyl), MFW (tape) and Spirit Of Sound Source (tape) also offer other formats.
- What does the future hold for Vuz Records?
Only good things, I hope. We have some big plans, but I have to see how everything developes before I can make any definite decissions. VUZ is still a small label which has a hard time surviving in this pool of sharks called music business.
| CAT'S HEAVEN |  |
Release Info
CAT'S HEAVEN in association with VUZ Records announces the launch of it's first two releases which shall be both released in November 1995.
Following you will find some brief informations about the CD's. If you would like to get detailed information about these and other releases do not hesitate to contact us.
We decided to start our line of products with the re-release of a classic of dark ritual music: Temperature Of Blood by Iceland's Reptilicus. Originally released as a tape it gained a lot of attention in the pagan industrial scene. Produced by Hilmar Oern Hilmarsson (HOH, Current 93) it presents some facets of the diversified output of this duo. Besides Bjork / Sugarcubes and HOH they are amongst the few Icelandic artists that gained attention worldwide. The artwork for this release was assembled by Icelandic Imigrant Andrew Mc Kenzie (The Hafler Trio). After three CD releases with new material (two on Staalplaat and one on World Serpent) this is the first to contain their classical ritual tracks together with two impressive EBM smashers.
The second CAT'S HEAVEN CD is the debut release of Peter Andersson's (Raison D'Etre) new project Necrophorus. It consists of two seperate parts: The Spirit Of Tranquility and The Impressions Of Salvador Dali. Both parts can be seen as conceptual recordings, offering beautiful ambient soundscapes, creating soundtracks for movies of the mind. Fawning melodies and smooth harmonies take you to a land of fairy-tales and elves. Open your mind and let your mind flow with the stream of sounds.
BASTET RECORDINGS
BASTET RECORDINGS is another sub-label of CAT'S HEAVEN. "On BASTET RECORDINGS we will only release limited CD+s with special packaging. Most releases will feature an extensive, oversized (15 x 21 cm) booklet. Due to the limited editions, these releases will only be avialable from a few selected outlets. The aural output will be dominated by powerful noise productions, but not restricted to." The first releases shall be available at the 01.09.97. BR 01 Einsatzkommandos / D.L. - XIIIB BR 02 D.L. - Best Of ... BR 03 Sheba Wore No Nylons - Best Of ... BR 04 Heisenberg Experiment - tba BR 05 Obscene Noise Corporation - tba BR 09 Defekt - Best Of ... BR 13 Felis Edere - Via Rhenus Fingeri BR 15 N.L.C. - Le Langage Des Auters
VUZ Records / CAT'S HEAVEN url: http://www.badlands.de/vuz snail-mail: VUZ Records P.O.Box 170 116 47181 Duisburg Germany