When the brothers Stefan Mitterer (DJ Sotofett) and Peter Mitterer (DJ Fett Burger) decided to extend activities from their graffiti origins in their small hometown Moss in Norway to music, they founded the label Sex Tags for their own sounds and those of friends and artists they admired, either from their own country or met while travelling. Thus an ever growing and fiercely independent network came into being that by now is so complex and diverse that many find it difficult to decipher. But for the brothers it all makes perfect sense, and there is a coherence based on their own varied musical preferences, humour and attitude, and that of the likeminded collaborators they encountered along the way. There is also a vital dose of determination and conviction that ensures that the whole construct is as antithetic as it is cohesive, and as tight-knit as it is open-minded. We take a look on some choice tunes from the back catalogue of the parent label Sex Tags Mania and its leftfield offshoot Sex Tags Amfibia, plus the imprints the Mitterers run individually (Sotofett’s Wania, and Fett Burger’s Sex Tags UFO, Mongo Fett and Freakout Cult, the latter a joint venture with Jayda G). The other talents that populate the Sex Tags universe are too many to list, but we included some that pop up more frequently.
This joint venture of Norwegian old school don Bjørn Torske and the enigmatic Crystal Bois (or Siob Latsyrc, if you prefer) is a supreme example of how little a good house track needs to achieve magic. A deep and dubbed out chord, some improv percussion, and that is basically it. But it keeps moving floors since it first appeared twelve years ago, and will most likely continue to do so.
Acido – After Club Rectum (Crystal Bois’ 727 MANIA) (Sex Tags Mania, 2007)
An early appearance of the tag Acido (but confusingly not involving Acido label head Dynamo Dreesen himself) and Laton label head Franz Pomassl, who was to become a regular fixture in the Sex Tags universe. Crystal Bois on remix duty, and they transform the source material into a hard jacking rhythm tool track that you can most probably mix into anything and gather all attention. Erlend Hammer provides brilliant liner notes, making a perfectly valid point that every local scene needs a Club Rectum.
Doc L Junior – Baracuda (Sex Tags Mania, 2009)
Kolbjørn Lyslo had already released fine and highly individual tracks on the prolific Music For Freaks UK imprint in the early 00s, but the sound of this track (originally scheduled for Torske’s Footnotes label, but then lost for very obscure reasons) was not to be expected. A latin and jazz tinged summer breeze of a tune that could so easily have ended sounding camp and corny, but sounded absolutely sublime instead. A reproachful echo of the days when uplifing was not yet an insult.
The first appearance of Greek vocalist and musician Paleo, the closest the Sex Tag empire has come to an in-house diva. He delivers his trademark meandering voice to a dark hypnotizing jam produced by Busen, an alias of Daniel Pflumm, a prolific graphic designer who also released on Elektro Music Department, General Elektro and Atelier, and Stefan Mitterer. Also well worth noting for a typically tripped out session on the flip, provided by Dreesvn alias Dynamo Dreesen and SUED label head SVN, at their Neues Deutschland studio HQ.
Another mainstay at Sex Tags and affiliated labels, Skatebård, who rides a psychedelic new wave take on new beat, before most even cared to remember what both were. Skatebård always manages to come across as both earnest and gleeful with every reference he works into his music, and is thus a perfect match. At Sex Tags, fun and seriousness go hand in hand.
Pablo Gad – Hard Times Dub Achterbahn D’Amour – Königsstr. (SW. Remix) Willis Anne – Untitled Lena Willikens – Mari Ori Reckonwrong – Hansie C.C. Not – Untitled Lohhof – Midway Moodswings (Terekke Remix) X – Untitled The Maghreban – Green Apple Florian Kupfer – Discotags Kai Alcé – Rockin K-Tel Orson + Skratch – Untitled Leigh Dickson – Praise (Baby Ford Mix) Perbec – Chaser Translate – City Slicker Marquis Hawkes – The Way Isanlar – Kime Ne (Ricardo Villalobos Version 1) Hashman Deejay – Samba DJ Sprinkles & Mark Fell – Insights Ken Gill – Love Moon DJ Sotofett – Nimbus Mix Simone White – Flowers In May (Kassem Mosse Version) Stump Valley – Caruso Plaza – Night Lines (Moon B Extra Nocturnal Mix) Aphex Twin – diskhat1 Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras – She Had Her Nerve
Mix recorded live at New Forms Festival, where I played after a live set from Dresvn. It was a wonderful trip, and I got to know quite few people I am still friends with. Some became really successful too. And they deserved it.
Madteo – We Doubt (Dresvn Remix) Madteo – Very Sweaty Palms (Kassem Mosse Remix) KGB – Stark Barnt – Stac Battle Box -Battle Box (Main Mix) Primitive World – Danceteria Tapenade – Untitled Mgun – Let Conversation Take Place Anthony Naples – El Portal Zombie Zombie – Illuminations (DJ Sotofett’s House-Chugging-Tuff-Trip-Mix) Blank – Still Bass Clef – You Don’t Know Don’t Know You Broadcast – Come On Let’s Go
I wanted to do a mix that was more mid tempo. A revolutionary concept for me at that time, believe me.
NRSB-11 – 685-471 2 Shades Of Rhythm – Exorcist Eric B & Rakim – Follow The Leader Sugar Bear – Don’t Scandalize Mine Mr. Fingers – What About Is Love (Even Deeper Mix) DJ Sotofett Presents Bhakti Crew – Sunrise Mix Four Tet – Love Cry Cos Ber Zam – Ne Noya (Daphni Mix) Olonga – Feel The Melody Far Out Disco Monster Orchestra – Keep Believing (Can You Feel It) (SS Translation By Theo Parrish) Joe – MB James Din A 4 – Untitled MM / KM – Birds Flying In The Sun Like U Know How Magazine – Happen Nearly Ra.H – Spacepops Dreesvn – Untitled Tase – Oh Boy Duplex – Below The Photic Zone Electribe 101 – You’re Walking (Ambient Groove Mix) Tommye – I Need To Go Away (Principle Theory Version) Specter – Do You Really Know? Ron Trent – Pop, Dip And Spin The Detroit Experiment – Think Twice Larry Heard Presents Ona King – Premonition Of Lost Love (Extended Adult Mix) Ethyl Meatplow – Queenie (MK Vox Mix) Designer Imposter – Good News (Pink Alert‘s Good News Remix) Stephanie Mills – All Day, All Night (Def Mix) Inner City – Hallelujah (Spiritual Sample Mix) Pressure Drop – You’re Mine Kathy Diamond – Over Soul 223 – Almost Like It Used To Be Crusho – Someone To Love (Crusho TR Treatment) Xosar – Elixir Of Dreams John Beltran – Placid Angles Michaela Mélian – Convention Swing Out Sister – Notgonnachange (Classic Club Mix)
Mix I recorded for a Russian podcast. Which might explain the intro. Well, it did not help in the end.
Pet Shop Boys – My October Symphony DJ Sprinkles + Mark Fell – Say It Slowly (N.U.M. Mix) Robert Hood – Torque One DJ Qu – Times Like This King Felix – Spring 02 Schizolectric – Traveller Circuit Paranoid London feat. Paris Brightledge – Paris Dub 1 Cheap And Deep – Words, Breaths & Pauses (Jonsson/Alter Remix) Frak – Untitled (DJ Sotofett Remix) SVN Feat. Paleo – Track 1 Velvet Season & The Hearts Of Gold – The Special Place Theo Parrish – Black Mist Funkinevil – Night Heatsick – Benelux Innerspace Halflife – Wind Four Tet – Percussions Bookworms – Love Triangles Aardvarck – Nubian Joy Orbison, Pearson & Boddika – Faint Mark Fell – Side 3 Track 5 Stefan Goldmann – Rigid Chain Secret Mixes Vol. 14 – I’m Warning You Pépé Bradock – Katoucha? Trance Yo Lie – Cosa C’e Sotto? KiNK feat. Rachel Row – Hand Made (Main Mix) Soundstream – Disco Crash Da Sampla – Over Unfinished Business – Out Of My Hands (Love’s Taken Over) Dez-Andrés – Seasons So Long Lil Louis – Fable (Frankie Knuckles’ Directors Cut Classic Club Mix)
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