(10.21.07) FROM Düsseldorf, Deutschland, comes a new label in the world of electronics: AUBE. The new imprint has been established by Michael Künzer, known for his work with Unit 4 and The Isolators, and Aube Velan. Aube is a label just starting out, but already it has two impressive releases under its belt.
The label was born with a release by Jupiter Black featuring Fred Ventura: Hold Me. This three tracker, picked up by Clone too, is a record of top quality nu italo. Jupiter Black first came to being last year with their homage to Georgio Moroder, We Like Moroder. The debut 12″ called on aspects of Moroder’s addictive electro disco sound whilst injecting a new wave aspect into the mix. Now Jupiter Black are back with one of the Dons of the 80’sMilano scene: Fred Ventura. Fred has one of the voices of italo, releasing timeless tracks such as “The Years” and “Wind of Change.” Ventura’s voice was responsible for other monster Milano works, such as “Love Theme from Flexyball” and “Bodyheat .” In 2000 Fred met up with I-F and Intergalactic Gary, in their collaborative form of The Parallax Corporation, with a vocal version of “Crocodiles in the Sky” on Viewlexx. Recently Ventura teamed up Alden Tyrell for a vox take on “Love Explosion.” Now Fred has joined forces with the talented Jupiter Black partnership of John Jupiter and Michael Black (aka MichaelK ünzer.) The record is modern italo love. The synth lines are spot on, energy filled and vintage, steering clear of the italo abyss of absolute cheese. The lyrics are catchy but have a certain love sick passion found in spaghetti dance, accentuated by Ventura’s voice. The A-Side is dedicated to “Hold Me (Extended Version),” a lengthy and Dj friendly edit. The B-Side, in true italo form, offers up an instrumental version for those who don’t dig lyrics but still want that synth sound. The 12″ ends with as shorter vocal version of “Hold Me.”
Already Aube is serving up their second release. The disco theme is still there, but this time the mirror-ball has been blasted into orbit. Roland Sebastian Faber offers up Hommage an die Jugend Europas into the cosmos. The two tracker is an interplanetary expedition across disco space. “Hommage 1” opens the record with crisp beats and heady synthlines. This is not a jerky launch through the atmosphere, but a warm analogue glide through the stratosphere which cruises into the welcoming embrace of electronic outer space. “Hommage 1” is an epic, and modern, odyssey through a sound that isn’t really found in record stores any more, a sound that is rich and as fresh today as when it first came to being in the late 1970’s. “Hommage 2″ follows on with what the A-Side started, more deep vintage synth action and beats to create a meteor shower of wonderful electronics. Roland Sebastian Faber has created a 12” that will turn any wary interstellar disco explorer into a fully fledged cosmo pioneer who’ll never want to leave space and this sound.
Aube and Michael have made a label brimming over with passion, a passion to relive a sound that is no longer heard in electro clubs. These are not just 12″s of electronic music, they are projects that have been lovingly worked on to the last detail. This is illustrated in the vibrant artwork of both EPs. The Hold Me sleeve features a piece by Syd Brak , whom some may know from his work on the Mars bar logo. The sleeve is an airbrush work recalling the cover art of Lime mixed with Bladerunner to create an amazing neo disco look. Emil Schult of Kraftwerk , responsible for the sleeve work on the Unit 4 releases, lends his paintbrushes to the Roland Sebastian Faber release. Such meticulous attention is emblematic of what Aube are trying to achieve, to bring back a style that has been overshadowed by laptops and sonic deconstruction. Aube are bringing back a style that many have never heard, a style that is full of passion, inspiration and emotion; not to mention catchy disco synthlines.
