? - Fischkopf 26
Only a few test pressings exist of this; it was never properly released.
Now let's look at the tracks:
A1 - One of the most fascinating (experimental) Hardcore tracks around! Essentially, the whole track consists of only two elements: a drum machine and a vocal sample.
The drum machine sounds like an 808, but maybe not quite; there is heavy use of all available percussive elements (snares, rim shots, hihats, cowbells...), there is no "909 gabber kick", but everything is so frantic and distorted that it still feels ruffian as hell. And the rhythm is not in a "four to the floor" manner, but completely broken and askew.
the vocal sample gets put through so much effect that it is more reminiscent of the distant whispers of an apparition than a "human voice".
that's all; these two sounds loop, cut out, come back, get manipulated for 7 minutes straight. yet it still feels like a complete track, and one hell of a banger!
A2 - here all the ingredients of all other tracks come together. Broken beats, "hardcore distortion", manipulated percussion, and belligerent acid. sweet!
B1 - my second favorite track, next to A1. while a1 lacked acid lines or synths, this one lacks *everything* else.
it is a strange kind of acid ambient love affair, more or less just a 303-sound looping, rising, disappearing... and sparse use of a drum type sound. reminds me a bit of 303 nation and tracks like "seis".
wonderful.
B2 - the most "normal" track on here (well, not really).
Hardacid / Acidcore that feels like a one-shot jam session with just machines running, getting on, and rioting for more than 8 minutes. a bit like some drop bass efforts maybe, but with a very distinct feel.
Paul Snowden / Christoph De Babalon – We Declare War ( Cross Fade Enter Tainment - Post Primitive 002 )
Paul Snowden, Christoph de Babalon, and DJ Raid were involved in setting up and running Fischkopf Records (I don't know who had which role, though).
Somehow they fell out with the parent label, and Hardy was put in control of Fischkopf.
The three of them then set up their own label, Cross Fade Enter Tainment.
This is the first release, "brutally" split between Paul Snowden and Christoph de Babalon, as both sides sound very distinct to each other.
Word is that CdB's side was supposed to be released as his second EP on Fischkopf; and when that didn't happen, they put it on here instead.
It's actually one of my best-liked CdB "releases". It's in his "early" breakcore style: super fast, chopped up dirty breakbeats joined with cyberdelic, spacey, psychotronic drones, pads, strings... making you feel as if they just had arrived on this planet.
Particular picks for me are "Meet Fate", "Babablon Bitch", and "Residuum (Rmx"), which is even one notch better than the version on his Digital Hardcore Recordings EP.
Paul Snowden's side... oh boy, where do I start! Do you like Hard Acid / Acidcore?
Well, this one release breaks the scales in overdrive, distortion, sheer noize... there is nothing quite like it. It's not "gabber heavy" with deep kicks and such, more on the high and mid ranges.
I remember Paul said somewhere that this was the closest he got to his dream of playing in a live punk/indie band, and I totally get that...
It's a bit like a "wall of noise" type independent rock band which jettisoned all their members and guitars, and then did a record with a 303 and a drum machine...
so, yeah, a wild release in the history of electronic music!
Somatic Responses – Methods Of Mutulation ( Cross Fade Enter Tainment - Post Primitive 001 )
Was on a demo that got sent to Fischkopf Records, and supposed to be released there.
Somehow, it did not happen, and Paul & Christoph decided to release it on their new label instead.
This is the first bona fide Somatic Responses release and EP. It's vastly different from their later style.
Still tied in to the whole Hardcore & Gabber "thing", but in their very own way, and definitely miles away from the cheese that got poured from some (major) labels in that time & genre.
In fact, I think this would fit right in with a "hard / dark / industrial" techno set or party of today - in a more refined and experimental way.
ultra-overdriven bassdrums, undefined noises, layers of abstraction...
the sounds of mutulation [sic!] indeed!
Taciturne – Ebizeme ( Blut 03 )
this was supposed to be on Fischkopf; in fact, some fanzines already had reviewed it as "Fischkopf 25", shortly before the label collapsed.
an album follow-up to his first EPs, and everyone expected he would follow this route; bold big balled "german" gabber and speedcore, like the various *domes and *dromes on benzedrine.
But, non, au contraire!
This is a very strange and mystérieux release.
Certainly no "gabber" traces are left in the bloodstream. It's like... well, what is it like? It defies description... maybe if Einstürzende Neubauten used Commodore Amiga improvisation in their live-sets... or "Euromasters" would have become construction workers banging on their tools; instead of kickstarting Rotterdam Records...
So, yes, this is the best description I can give, it is better to remain tacit (urne) about the rest.
Another stand-out track is the "97 Hammel Rmx" of das Toten, which feels like the logical deconstruction of the original; and of hellraiser and the whole gabber genre, too.
There is likely more stuff "out there" that was intended to be released on Fischkopf but never happened.
E.g. there are rumors that there were plans for an EP by Alec Empire, or that another Eradicator release would have been made if Patric had not fallen out with the label.
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