Basic Channel

Basic Channel
Rhythm & Sound performing at MUTEK in 2007
Background information
Also known as	Rhythm & Sound Round One to Round Five
Origin	Berlin
Genres	Dub Techno Minimal Techno Deep House
Years active	1993–present
Members	Mark Ernestus Moritz Von Oswald
Website	http://www.basicchannel.com/

Basic Channel is a production team and record label, composed of Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, that originated in Berlin, Germany in 1993.

The duo originally released a number of vinyl-only tracks under various aliases, the most well known being Basic Channel and Maurizio, each of which employed their signature brand of minimal techno. The original nine releases under their Basic Channel name were each primarily identified as Basic Channel productions by their catalogue numbers, as the Basic Channel logo on the label became more distorted and unreadable with each subsequent release.

The duo set up a studio in Berlin on Paul-Lincke-Ufer, in a building which was eventually to house Mark Ernestus’ distributing company and shop Hard Wax, and the label's mastering studio Dubplates & Mastering, set up to ensure a desired dynamic quality for the vinyl.

The Basic Channel imprint ceased business in 1995 (apart from two releases almost a decade later that were originally issued on Carl Craig's Planet E label), but were followed by a string of similar labels. Main Street handled Chicago house-inspired releases; Chain Reaction released non-Von Oswald/Ernestus productions and helped launch the careers of dub techno producers such as Monolake and Porter Ricks.

Basic Channel has also shown a strong affinity for Jamaican music. The Rhythm & Sound label imprint saw the duo's sound move closer to dub reggae. Frequent Rhythm & Sound collaborator Paul St. Hilaire set up the subsidiary False Tuned in 2003.

Basic Channel occasionally reissues out-of-print music. Basic Replay specialises in dancehall reissues, while Wackies focuses on dub.

Discography

Basic Channel

• Cyrus – Enforcement 12" (BC-01, 1993)
• Phylyps – Trak 12" (BC-02, 1993)
• Vainqueur – Lyot (Reshape) 12" (BC-03, 1993)
• Quadrant – Q 1.1 12" (BC-04, 1993)
• Cyrus – Inversion 12" (BC-05, 1994)
• Quadrant – Dub 12" (BC-06, 1994)
• Basic Channel – Octagon / Octaedre 12" (BC-07, 1994)
• Radiance – I / II / III 12" (BC-08, 1994)
• Phylyps – Trak II 12" (BC-09, 1994)
• Basic Channel – BCD CD (BCD, 1995)
• Paperclip People – Basic Reshape 12" (BCBR, 2004)
• Quadrant – Infinition/Hyperism 12" (BCQD, 2004)
• Basic Channel – BCD-2 CD (BCD-2, 2008)
• Basic Channel – Q-Loop CD (BC-CD, 2014)

Burial Mix

• Rhythm & Sound (with Paul St. Hilaire) – Showcase CD (BMD-1, 1996)
• Rhythm & Sound (with The Artists) – Rhythm & Sound w/ The Artists CD (BMD-2, 2003)
• Rhythm & Sound – The Versions CD (BMD-3, 2003)
• Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya 7" box set (BMD-14-20, 2005)
• Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya CD (BMD-4, 2005)
• Rhythm & Sound – See Mi Ya Remixes CD (BMXD-1, 2006)

Maurizio

• Maurizio Ploy 12" (Maurizio, M1, 1992)
• Maurizio – Domina 12" (Maurizio, M3, 1993)
• Maurizio – M4 12" (Maurizio, M4, 1995)
• Maurizio – M4.5 12" (Maurizio, M4.5, 1995)
• Maurizio – M5 12" (Maurizio, M5, 1995)
• Maurizio – M6 12" (Maurizio, M6, 1996)
• Maurizio – M7 12" (Maurizio, M7, 1997)
• Maurizio – M Series CD (Maurizio, MCD, 1997)

Related

• Various – ...Compiled CD (Chain Reaction, CRD-06, 1998)
• Round One - Round Five – 1993-99 Main Street Records CD (Main Street Records, MSD-01, 1999)
• Scion – Scion Arrange And Process Basic Channel Tracks CD (Tresor, Tresor 200, 2002)
• Various – Basic Replay CD (Basic Replay, BR-1, 2007)

BC-02, 07 and 08. Note the progressive distortion of the Basic Channel logo

External links

• Basic Channel – official site
• Basic Channel (label) discography at Discogs
• Basic Channel (artist) discography at Discogs
• Maurizio (label) discography at Discogs
• Maurizio (artist) discography at Discogs
• Moritz von Oswald on Facebook
• Basic Channel article 'On First Listen' at Stylus Magazine