BASSWERK
BASSMASTERS
WORDS | Stu Cronin
PHOTOGRAPHY | Jörn Neumann
We became better acquainted with the new This community ethos shines through brightly Heiner. “I hardly ever go through an agency.
Basswerk sessions whilst schlepping home in the carefully crafted sleeve notes of We’ve featured Doc Scott who was the main
across London on a Sunday night. There Basswerk’s third and most recent compilation, inspiration for me, music and label-wise. Klute
aren’t many things that can brighten up a with seemingly everyone connected to the had his first ever international gig with us.
painful journey, doubled in length by tube label, past and present, getting a nod. The Shut Up & Dance came last year. I did a remix
closures, but disc one, the chill-out session, whole project, in the same way as their of their ‘Green Man’, which is where I took my
made a damn good stab at it. This made it all regular parties, draws on the skills of many DJ name from, and they allowed me to release
the more pleasurable when Knowledge was people to make it the sum of its parts. “I do it. They are great as they are at the root of this
able to pick the brains of the man behind the my part my way and a lot of other people musical movement. Check their new album!”
German d&b label, Heiner Kruse, aka The involved do it their own way. I work very close
Green Man. with VJ Sehvermögen, MC Chevy, Fabian The first sessions in 1998 were followed
(VJ Konvex/artwork) and my girlfriend Eva. in 2003 with volume two so the continued
Having studied product development in his Some artists I haven’t met personally but development of the label seems to have been
younger years and feeling that Germany communicating went surprisingly well online. quite linear. Whereas the previous two releases
lacked a strong d&b label, Heiner kick started Although in general I can’t stand AIM. Most were mainly limited to dancefloor driven
his own business, originally as Junglegrowers artists have played at our parties. I think tunes, the introduction of a third disc made it
Records. After their first release in 1996, he people buying the CD like to know something possible to include a more laid back selection.
changed the name to Basswerk and began about the musicians involved. It’s also about “The hard stuff is what DJs play and people
drawing in other artists. It wasn’t long before paying respect to an artists work rather than freak out to, so currently CD3 is my favourite
their regular parties had pulled in enough forgetting it the next day when there is a new in the car stereo,” says Heiner. “There are not
contacts for the label to put out its first release. I hope people will enjoy the release many good mellow d&b CDs out there. Good
compilation. “Here in Cologne, d&b parties for a long time. That’s more a goal for me than Looking did some for example. I wanted to do
are the best events at the weekends but being the hot shit for a few weeks.” one for a very long time. I could give CD1 to
there are only a few good CD releases and a non-d&b listener like or a waiter in a nice
hardly any airplay or press coverage,” Heiner Having nurtured the label from a single CD lounge café. People listening to d&b outside of
explains. “I still want to work on changing that compilation release in 1998 to the forthcoming the party environment want to be in control of
and extending the d&b community. A label triple one featuring around 30 different the sound and choose hard, say for cleaning up,
can fulfil functions that a band had in earlier artists, it’s safe to assume that Heiner has or mellow, say for Sunday morning breakfast.
days. It’s about meeting other people, sharing comfortably achieved this goal. Their regular Each disc is just the next level of intensity and
a vision and being enriched by other artists’ Basswerk Sessions parties, thrown in an pushes things forward to new limits. I can’t
music, without being totally dependent on one old warehouse called Gebäude 9 in Cologne, really decide which one is my favourite.”
single personal relationship working out. This attract two to three hundred people and in
is often a problem with bands. I’m still excited April featured a Movement night, with Jordan To listen to preview tracks and decide yourself
about music I discover which I would never V, Zero-T and MC Dread. “I prefer people I visit www.basswerk.de
have made myself.” can personally get in touch with,” admits
www.kmag.co.uk
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