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CPT 111-1 | 12" | "Outra Vida Remixes"

"Outra Vida" Eddy & Dus Kontrapunkt Remix
"Outra Vida" Original
"Outra Vida" DJ Patife Remix
"Outra Vida" Serguei Davidov Remix

Eddy & Dus Kontrapunkt Remix:
Their remix of „Outra Vida“ is a long journey into the realms of offbeats, wonderfully arranged. Starting off as smooth downbeat the track slowly evolves into a perfect groover for the dancefloor. Eddy & Dus from Croatia are remarkable deep-house and jazz producers who represent the next generation of music producers strongly influenced by variety of dance genres. Their sound has uniqueness of the continental freestyle jazz wave as well as freshness of the south-east. They recently released their debut album „High Life“, well worth checking out – also watch out for their forthcoming Sun Ra remix.

DJ Patife Remix:
In a truly fantastic way Patife kept the full vocal parts in his version while building a wild drum’n bass construct around it. Sounds great, feels good, makes you smile!
About one year ago DJ Patife’s Brasil EP was released on V Records. Several tracks of the EP have been rocking the dancefloors and being heavily radio played by Fabio, Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay and Ross Allen to name a few. Born and bred in Brazil's music and clubbing capital Sao Paolo, DJ Patife was developing a new taste for drum & bass in the early 90ies, which was a new genre in Sao Paolo where the music of choice was techno. In 1997 Patife came to London. From there he took the European Drum & Bass scene by assault. Today Patife along with his friend DJ Marky are considered as one of the big re-innovators of Drum & Bass in adding their local Brasilian flavours to this distinctive European musical style.

Sergej Davidov Remix:
The last remix comes from Sergej Davidov, one of Georgia’s highly talented upcoming underground producers’. This is a strong downbeat version of „Outra Vida“ giving the Southern exotic vibe a more electronic background. Sergej is also part of the Hip Hop group “Tormenta”. The group reached number 4 in the Alternative Hip Hop charts on MTV with their track “Flüchtling”.

COM 077-1 | 12" | "All Of Me"/ "Love Unlimited"

"All Of Me" Original
"All Of Me" Beanfield Remix
"Love Unlimited" Next Evidence Remix
"Love Unlimited" Capries Remix

"All Of Me" is not all of Les Gammas, but one of their beautiful moments! All of soul, deepness, heart, atmospheric sound-scapes. The Beanfield remix adds to the folky song their typical tricky groove programming and brings the song straight to the floor.
Next Evidence are not only France’ (Paris) great jazzy and musical deep house exposures, they are one of the new breed for Blue Note Records, where they just signed an album deal. If you’re familiar with their previous stuff on Straight Up Recordings and Versatile, then you know why we chose them for a remix. Unlimited love for this fantastic housy journey, underlined by a warm bassline and smooth vocals.
Capries makes their name and raises profile with an wicked track for Ubiquity’s New Latinaires series. In fact Capries are Gamall Awad (our US press and promotion man! Props!) and Jonah Sharp! Jonah founded the legendary straight edge electronica cult label Reflective, which he will be relaunching before the end of 2000. Jonah has just recording loads of new material, including tracks with the legendary percussionist Olatunji. Gamall is DJing at monthly NYC club Love Supreme, and various other spots across the US. He is also getting set to launch his solo musical project HIJACK with a remix Brooklyn's Jaymz Nylon. Also check his Bi-weekly radio show ON THE CORNER which can be found at www.streetsound.com. On one of the next Les Gammas 12inches there will be another Capries remix!

COM 074 | Exercices Des Styles | 2-LP / CD

Les Gammas

Mark Frank, DJ, drummer and singer and pianist Jochen Helfert are Les Gammas.
Jochen has been playing rhodes in a brasil-jazz combo - together with the Gammas' live bassist Pe Spier - where he has developed his own ideas of harmonics and sound. Marc, co-founder of Augsburg's legendary "Vibe Klub" had always been obsessed by the idea of combining electronic and acoustic music. Though living in the same town the two only met three years ago:
Trying to rearrange an old vocal-jazz tune, Mark despaired because his knowledge didn't go beyond c-sus. The only suitable pianist for this complex song who came to his mind was Jochen. After some bars it became obvious that their musical minds thought along the same lines.
Les Gammas, named after some extraterrestrial hippies of a TV language course, had landed.

Their first track,"Servus Mr. Bond" (Compost Records) had already conquered the clubs as dubplate before being put on their debut maxi. Since then the Gammas have been working on their own special soundworld, ranging between club and concert hall, exotic and electronic, between soul and soundtrack. The Remixes Marc and Jochen produced so far for Bugge Wesseltoft, Syrup and Moodorama are renowned.

Suspense. This is what all the the work in the "Solinarium"-studio deals with. When is the point reached where notes, rhythms and sounds make a song? The point at which the ingredients all producers and musicians have at their hands, turn into a Les Gammas track? It is reached when Marc and Jochen sit in their studio and listen to a half-finished track , when they look at each other, bemused :" Is that from us?" Every track is a step into unknown terrain, a pleasurable or unexpected discovery and revelation of the personal musical background, which was maybe thought lost. Every new track is an exercise for the following one, without knowing, what or how it's going to be like. Free-jazz legend Karl "Dr.B" Berger must have sensed this open-minded musical sensitivity, when the Gammas talked to him after one of his concerts. Since then he's been paying visits to the "Solinarium" whenever he's in Germany and his contributions to the Gammas' songs will surely not to be confined to their first album.
The same applies to Ingrid Sertso, whose unparalleled voice gave "Love To Be" a supernatural touch.

"Whenever": Swings itself in the saddle of a well-oiled brasilian bicycle and rides through the suburbs of Sao Paulo, passing open windows from where ghettoblasters playing old soul cassettes, a rehearsing samba-school, a lonesome rhodes player can be heard.

"All Of Me": Dedicated to a wonderful woman, who was to be won (and she was), "All Of Me" was originally made to remain exclusively in her possession. Marc simply interpreted the lyrics of the unnerving classic so contrarily, that all the guests in the Les Gammas Villa softened. A classic! Brilliant acoustic guitar: Daniel Bolkenius, piercing cello solo: Roland Merz, string section conducted by Karl Berger.

"La Vie Des Anges": The Gammas'wish is being fulfilled: Big band, choir and cool groove are arranged so pointedly as if 1967 was 30 years later. Don´t be lulled by the hard disk edited trumpet part, because Karl comes up with such an ecstatic vibraphone solo , that you won't want to believe that it's got to end sometime.

"Love To Be": Sigh! Spiritual clubsound! Like a fervent prayer Ingrid Sertso's voice - or vocal aura as the Gammas call it - penetrates your auditory canals. An extraterrestrial choir repeats the decisive line like a mantra. Deep and convincing fusion. By the way, a composition of Karl Berger from the seventies, raised into higher clubspheres by the Gammas.

"L'Homme Mystérieux": The opening sequency of a French political thriller. The killer was observed by a"mysterious man", it now dawns on him that he is absolutely alone. During a night time drive he is confronted with his client's bloodhounds, who want to liquidate him. A chase in a 504 Peugeot and on foot. The mysterious man opens his umbrella...

"Document A/B": Before only one note was played (can you speak of "notes" here?) the title was clear. The concept: Arrange nothing but free-jazz samples in a way that pays homage to the originals but don't forget about the musical background of the Gammas. Waltz action with a Kalashnikov.

"Don't Waste My Love": If it was up to the Gammas they could very well do without 99 percent of all R&B songs. If one thing earned a big revival it's boogie. Frank and Helfert can't easily conceal their enthusiasm for opulent string arrangements and original jeep- beat. And who thinks acoustic guitar (D. Bolkenius)
and falsetto are over the top?

"Chasing The Double Six": The CD edit of their first work, no need to mention a word about that.

"Afternoon At Rossi's": It's drizzling outside and you are having the fifth coffee at your favourite record store. The pile in front of you is getting higher and higher and you keep asking yourself which bank would allow you a loan for this musical madness on the counter in front of you. To get down to earth again you are having it all put aside and buy a summer-like soul-fusion record with slap bass.

"See The Sun": "Augsburg is famous for white-water kayaking and the voice of Mark Frank" (compilation liner notes): Over a hypnotic 5/4 backing the Gammas charm the few sunrays which reach them in their gloomy winterly studio, which is not without good reason called "Solinarium".

"Samba Para Dr. B.": Featuring Karl Berger on vibraphone and Yamaha electric piano. The Gammas and their guest musicians Rüdiger Maul (pandeiro), Martin Balda (congas) and Sandy Schmid (vocals) are acting if a 5/4 samba were a natural thing. It is not: "We were about to commit suicide when we first listened to that track" (a poignant remark on the Gammas' answering machine)

"Love Unlimited": No parallels to the Barry White construction, even though the voices are dangerously close to kitsch. Off-beat disco à la Gammas. Jochen surpassed himself with the string arrangement. Floating a little above ground.

"Chiffre": Funnily enough a commission for a soundtrack from Poland. The film never made it to the cinemas. The leading actor and actress of the dramatic love story attempted double suicide because they identified so perfectly with their characters. The director couldn't imagine his work without the two and cut the existing material and combined it with an earlier film which resulted in a middle-class espionage thriller. Nobody wanted to see this confused story and the Gammas music (Cello: Roland Merz, Bassclarinet: Thomas Nieberle) had become useless.

"Austrian Shepherd Dance" (LP only!): A shepherd finds himself a little below the snowline, all trees have rid themselves of superfluous twigs and needles. For this year he's given up hope of receiving a human sign of life but suddenly there's a sound of violins from the neighbouring valley. The sheep's baas are slow fade to silence, therefore it can't be imagination.

1. Whenever
2. All Of Me
3. La Vie Des Anges
4. Love To Be
5. L’Homme Mystérieux
6. Documenta CD Mix
7. Don’t Waste My Love
8. Chasin' The Double Six
9. Afternoon At Rossi’s
10. See The Sun
11. Samba Para Dr. B.
12. Love Unlimited
13. Chiffre

1. Whenever
2. All Of Me
3. Afternoon At Rossi’s
4. See The Sun
5. Love Unlimited
6. Love To Be
7. Documentb LP Mix
8. Don’t Waste My Love
9. La Vie Des Anges
10. Samba Para Dr. B.
11. Austrian Shepherd Dance

COM 076-1 | 12" | Guauanco (Remixes)

remixed by Kyoto Jazz Massive (Compost Records)
The Cinematic Orchestra (Ninja Tune)
Recloose (Planet E)

Les Gammas’ new album "Exercices De Styles” reflects what they are all about: true live musicians, great arrangers and composers with a unique style, remixers, visionaires, jazz- and soundtrack addicts and open minded people. Their music bridges perfectly the gap between listening music and club. Their inspiration comes from club sound, Jazz, Boogie, Northern and Soundtrack-music, but always with heart & soul.
The first remix comes from Kyoto, Japan. We guess that you are familiar with this hot Compost act already. But did you know that Augsburg, the hometown of Les Gammas, is exactly half way Kyoto – Detroit. Wonderful uplifting and up-to-date remix all through the end!
Jason Swinscoe of The Cinematic Orchestra practice magic! True genius work by this Ninja Tune artist. Matt from Detroit is Recloose, who has released four 12inches on Carl Craig’ s Planet E. Matt was working in a deli right next to the Planet E office, where Carl Craig and Hannah went out to having brunch every day. One day Carl Craig found a tape in the sandwich just between ham, salad and mayonnaise. This was from Matt. That’s why the first Recloose release on Planet E had a comic sandwich on the cover! Cool guy. Cool music.

COM 054-1 | 12"| Chasin‘ The Double Six

Chasin' The Double Six
Servus Mr. Bond
Servus Mr. Bond (Sao Delhi Tandoorinha Mix)

Les Gammas

are Jochen Helfert, harmonic supervisor, and Marc Frank, rhythm addict, both living in Augsburg, Bavaria. Their first tune "Servus Mr. Bond", which was released in February 1999, was actually recorded in December 1997, and marked the beginning of their musical alliance. As Jochen listened to one of Marc's DJ-sets, he decided that this must be the way. As Marc heard Jochen play Fender Rhodes, it was clear that their vision of soulful and percussive jazz music in the 90's could only be realised with each other's musical passions. Suddenly, as Les Gammas, they found odd metres and counterpointed, shiny string arrangements are no antagonists of the jazz-influenced electronically produced dance music in the 90's. This is something they always wanted to appear in one song, but never could imagine how harmonic, yet exciting and uplifting it could be.

exercises des styles

When you listen to Les Gammas' tracks you will often find samples from different eras harmonising with the electronic and self-produced acoustic sounds, and the result is seldom predictable:

"So many musical pieces – Bossa Nova, spy-movie soundtracks, swing vocals, jazzy basslines and well-set synth-solos – are ironically layered, and yet they naturally create three seamless and exciting club tunes".

Neither predictable as one single track is the whole production of the eclectic duo. They do not fear any existing style, whether disco, free jazz, folk jazz or fusion, merely to extend the song in other spheres or intensities. The visitor of the Gammas' "Solinarium Studios" is often amazed by the instruments used here: different e-pianos, only one sampler and lots of underrated vintage gear specify the sound of the recordings. Les Gammas love to experiment with so-called "limited" stuff, but in their opinion "that's where you must be creative, and finally you'll get the reward. Sometimes we think e.g. Oh, doesn't that sound like techno, but looked at with a certain distance, it actually sounds like techno could have sounded in the early seventies. Each time we listen to a mastered track, we wonder where all this emerges from. Obviously, it could have been neither this studio nor these brains."

additional players

Since December 1998 Les Gammas have been co-operating with brother-in-mind (but father-in-age) free jazz veteran and Laswell-fellow Karl "Dr. B." Berger, who played inspiringly thrilling vibraharp solos and also submitted one song for the Les Gammas-album.

Some of the Brazil-percussion tracks are recorded with percussion artist Rüdiger Maul, other instruments as guitars, double-bass, congas and female vocals are added by talented friends.

Bugge Wesseltoft | EveNin | Jazzland/Verve

The Gammas' live concept makes a pleasant difference to purely electronic and sample based "live" acts, especially for the audience. At live performances Marc sings and plays drums, Jochen's on rhodes, Pe Spier on bass plus a helpful multitracker for sophisticated string arrangements. In '99 Les Gammas have played live as well in clubs and at festivals, e.g. "Fez Jazz Festival" in Bari, Italy, the "Wiesen Festival" in Austria and "Jazz 2010" in Arhus, Denmark.

The Les Gammas DJ set includes Marc Frank and Tom Wieland, who occasionally works for Radio FM 4, Vienna. They are the founders of the already legendary "Vibe Klub" in their hometown Augsburg(!) Guests like Trüby, Reinboth, Forge, K&D, Jazzanova and Transatlantic have added to the tasteful multiplicity of sounds ranging from rel jazz to deep clubsound. Both, Marc and Tom are frequently on tour in Germany, as well as in Austrian clubs.

"...Les Gammas album, "Excercises De Style", which exceeds all expectations." Straight No Chaser 2/00

"A stunning new tune...Uplifting soul music" about "See The Sun"
Discoid 1999

"Pure funk vibrations. Strutting like a Shaft for the year 2000, this is smoother than mayonnaise dripping down your hand."
Echoes 6th of March 1999-04-01

"The lead track here could come straight off some old Michael Caine movie..."
Muzik April 1999

"Ein Highlight in der mit nicht gerade wenigen Höhepunkten gespickten Compost-Diskographie."
Groove #56/1999

"Mit dieser neuen Compost 12"ist ein Schätzchen gelungen, das aufhorchen läßt und Tanzflächen füllen wird."
Raveline 2/99

COM 054-1 | 12": "Chasin‘ The Double Six" / "Servus Mr. Bond", "Servus Mr. Bond" (Sao Delhi Tandoorinha Mix),

COM 066-1 | 7": Beanfield "Catalpa" / Les Gammas "Whenever",

COM 074 | 2-LP/CD: "Exercices De Styles"

COM 076 | 12": "Guauanco" remixed by Kyoto Jazz Massive, The Cinematic Orchestra and Recloose

COM 077 | 12": "All Of Me" / "Love Unlimited" with remixes by Beanfield, Next Evidence and Capries

For Bugge Wesseltoft "Eve Nin" (Jazzland)
For Moodorama "Viama" (Stereo Deluxe)
For Syrup "Strawberry" (Compost)
For Emo "So Fine" (Liquid Sound Lounge)
For Seila Landis "Parenthe Seizure" (Counterpoint)
For Minus 8 "Snowblind" (Compost)
For Aroma "Groovin'" (Universal)
For Claire Fischer "Descarga - Ye Ma Ya" (Universal)
For Don Freeman "Fracture In My Soul"
For Nicola Conte "Forma 2000" (Shema)

Break'n'Bossa Vol. 1 + Vol. 3 (Schema), Drum Rhythm Compilation (PIAS), Addictive Sound (Zivel), in-different
Vol. 2 (Lab Records), Black Coffee (Ecco Chamber), Fez Files (Schema), Folksampler von Spectrum Works
Tribes Of The Underground Vol. 5 (infracom!), Nova Tunes (Nova), Japan Sampler (Sony), Urban Visionairies

"People Gettin' High" for Spinning Wheel Records Compilation
"Outra Vida" for Spectrum Works
"Life In Montreux" for Playground Vol. 2
Les Gammas Mix-CD for Playground Vol. 2 (XXX Records. Ecco Chamber) LP/CD

Chasin' The Double Six
Servus Mr. Bond
Servus Mr. Bond (Sao Delhi Tandoorinha Mix)
All of me
La vie des anges
Samba para Dr. B
Chiffre

Remix for Eddie De Clerq