New Label On The Block – Brombért Records – frohfroh – we like electronic music from leipzig

After two label discoveries for more experimental sounds, this time our “New Label On The Block” series is very classic. Because Brombért Records celebrates Deep House in its purest form.

Soft, oppressive bass drums at a moderate tempo, plus cozy, warm synth chords and bright, translucent strings – yes, deep house in its classic form has something unbelievably timeless about it. Certainly almost everything in this genre has already been told and often moves in a similar framework. But the mix of soulful warmth and subtle pressure is hard to resist.

Brombért Records is right in this tradition of classic house, which isn’t permeated by the compressedness and insignificance of tech house, nor is it too smooth. The label has been around since the beginning of 2022 – during this time three vinyl releases have come out, which also quickly catch the eye with their illustrative artwork and screen-printed sleeves on the shelf. Musically, the label artists play very adeptly with the various nuances that also shape house again and again – with dubby influences, acid sounds and more technoid phases. In any case, every EP so far has opened a new door.

Catalog number 3 by Freudenthaler was released a few days ago and it turns everything even more in the direction of jazz and more organic sounds. In our mini-interview you can find out what the operators of Brombért Records plan to do with the label. At the same time you can already listen to the first three EPs:

How did the idea for Brombért Records come about – and who is behind the label?

We, Thorsten and Jens, met 15 years ago at a party in Kiel and a deep friendship developed from that. Actually, we always felt the need to found a label independently of each other, but despite our shared passion for dance music, we never thought of doing something together – probably also because we had different preferences when it came to music for a long time. Overall, the starting conditions were not right.

In mid-2020 we suddenly got talking and then everything happened very quickly: Thorsten had gotten a new musician alias, namely Himbert, and from a stupid joke it became clear that the label had to be called Brombert. At the same time, a first draft for the logo was created and in order to take the matter completely ad absurdum, we then decided on an impossible Accent de Gue. Since then we have been very happy to hear how differently people try to pronounce the label name.

The label is a kind of German-French project – how did the connection between Leipzig and Lunéville come about?

Originally we both lived in Leipzig, but Thorsten lived with his French wife in Lunéville until recently. In the meantime, the joint label work is easier to implement again because the family has now moved near Bremen.

What kind of sound do you want to give a platform to?

Basically, Brombért is a platform for music that invites people to dance. The sound or a genre is not so much in the foreground, but rather our personal taste. This inevitably leads to long discussions, but it’s all the nicer when we can agree on something. This is the case when we have the feeling that the music doesn’t simply follow common formulas, but has its own character. We want to surprise ourselves and our listeners with every new release.

You have very spaced out artworks – what’s the thought behind it?

The cover is designed by the artist Zatina Kessl from Kiel, who is also a good friend of ours. They are designed by him and made by hand using the screen printing process. It makes it possible for our publications to represent a total work of art. His ideas are based on the particular EP name that the music producers choose. The figures in the pictures are ambiguous, ambivalent beings. Despite their differences, they harmonize together. The label should also be like the figures: Versatile, open to all possibilities and still a harmonious whole.

What are you up to in the near future?

Brombért 004 is expected to be launched next in late February/early March 2023. We’re particularly looking forward to this release because we’ve tracked down a previously almost unknown but absolutely terrific artist collective from the south of England, whose music convinced us right away. In December we have a label night in Kiel, but we would like to expand our party ambitions in Leipzig as well, after our first party here was a complete success. In addition, the idea of ​​genre-bound sub-labels, such as Maulbért for rap and Schnurrbért for jazz, has been in our heads for a long time.