various: ostgut ton | zehn

Ostgut Ton celebrates its 2015 tenth anniversary with 30 new, exclusive tracks compiled over three CDs. Since 2005, the label has released 92 12"s, 20 albums, 14 DJ mixes, seven Unterton releases, two compilations, one 7", and one cassette; over this time, it has not only grown in terms of catalog numbers and musical variety, but also as a musical haven for the residents of Berghain and Panorama Bar. But so much for looking backward. At a time when young people are discovering techno and house for the very first time, and others are rediscovering the music that has been defining club culture for decades, much of the contemporary discourse is obsessed with the exploration and idealization of dance music's past. Ostgut Ton | Zehn, on the other hand, moves forward; the 30 exclusive tracks look back only twice, with one new edit and one new ambient version of Ostgut Ton back catalog tracks. This compilation is not a nostalgic collection of the best of the past ten years; it's not a testament to Ostgut Ton's past. It's a mature statement of the label's status and a glimpse of what's forthcoming, on the brink of the future. While the preceding anniversary compilation Fünf (2010) was more of a conceptual release (using field recordings from inside Berghain as the source material), Ostgut Ton | Zehn was conceived and commissioned to give maximum creative freedom for the artists involved. Listeners familiar with Berghain and Ostgut Ton will be served with new, original music by Norman Nodge, Boris, Marcel Dettmann, Function, Nick Höppner, Answer Code Request, Fiedel, Barker & Baumecker, Anthony Parasole, L.B. Dub Corp/Planetary Assault Systems (both Luke Slater), Ryan Elliott, Len Faki, Ben Klock, Steffi, Marcel Fengler feat. Elif Biçer, Virginia, Atom TM, and Tobias. But Ostgut Ton | Zehn also serves as a more formal introduction for new additions to the label and the Ostgut Booking agency roster such as Kobosil, Efdemin, Martyn, and Etapp Kyle as well as collaborations such as DIN (Efdemin and Fengler), Doms & Deykers (Steffi and Martyn), and S/D (Slater and Dettmann). While most of the latter have already put out at least one solo record on Ostgut Ton, their tracks for Ostgut Ton | Zehn are a peek into the near future -- full-length albums by Kobosil, DIN, and Virginia will follow in 2016. Dinky, DVS1, and Substance have been invited to add original pieces, too. Presented as a limited three-CD set in a hardcover box containing four mini-LP sleeves with a 28-page booklet. Artwork by Wolfgang Tillmans.