#ape records

[recordswithgooglyeyes]

Anomie / Peu Être - “Friendly Split Corporation”

submitted by @shuvittsteve420

[mywifeleftme]

364: Various Artists // Israfel

Israfel Various Artists 1997, Ape

A 1997 vinyl benefit compilation of mostly Middle American grindcore / powerviolence / emo acts, assembled in an edition of about 1000 by Bloomington-based DIY label Ape Records (active 1995 to 2002), in handmade sleeve with a recent release catalogue, a substantial zine, and a few priceless gag inserts (incl. YOUR HARDCORE SELL OUT DECODER RING). I’m not an aficionado of any of the genres Israfel covers by any means, but you’d have to be a real head to know most of these: in terms of notoriety, the Locust (who contribute a 47 second blast of lo-fi outrage) are basically Led Zeppelin compared to the rest of the acts, most of whom topped out with a couple of EPs and compilation appearances.

Of course, hearing music that would otherwise be basically lost to time is the appeal of taking a flyer on a comp like this. One of my favourite tracks is “Untitled” by Roanoke, VA’s the Weak Link Breaks, supposedly the first thing the band ever wrote (and, judging from their discography, nearly the last too). It begins with a very, very quiet spacy-Fugazi-style amble (the vocal harmonies couldn’t be more Ian and Guy) that explodes into a brief screamo-style D-beat section, and then some big heaving riffs that make me want to exaggeratedly lift and stomp my feet like a giant trying to keep his balance. I also dig Murfreesboro, TN’s Serotonin, an emo / post-hardcore act with a steely '80s shred band guitar tone who play like they want people in the pit to twirl around ecstatically instead of slam dancing. A lot of the other nasty yowling cat speedballs on Israfel don’t really catch my ear, but that’s okay—I’m weirdly proud of them 27 years after the fact for being themselves and getting out whatever they needed to get out through this violence.

The package’s tone is all over the place. The zine opens with a haunting description of the compilation’s beneficiaries, the family of a pair of little girls with spinal muscular atrophy (a common birth defect) whose condition worsened until they perished, leaving their parents distraught and financially ruined—and the 21-year-old compiler racked with guilt that he didn’t somehow do more to help. From there, it whips through his heterodox thoughts about the hardcore scene (despicably self-absorbed; unresponsive to requests from label operators); the state of emo (too abstract); the best way to bring about change (working within the capitalist system); rape (it’s bad; consent is black and white; can we stop litigating this in the scene?); calling the cops (fine to do); disrespecting the American flag (played out; tacky); and drinking/drug use (“when did self-destruction become rebellion?”). After he finishes up, each band (that got their artwork in on time anyway) gets a page to talk about themselves. This section is full of old school punk zine/leaflet treasures, with designs that mimic motel newspaper ads, postcards, messy handwritten perzines, and Xeroxed 7” grindcore sleeves.

It's funny reading his scornful words about pseudo-rebellious drunkards stumbling toward “the day when punk rock is shelved for an 8 hour workday, Budweiser, and television” and then finding his LinkedIn, where he describes himself as “driving omnichannel excellence” and as “whimsical (after coffee).” You wouldn’t believe it from the splenetic angst of the Israfel zine, but the guy seems like he turned out happy and normal, with a few kids and a successful career. I wonder how the 21-year-old would see the 48-year-old, if he’d call him a sell-out or feel relieved that things worked out; if the 48-year-old would pity his former self, or feel ashamed about losing his edge. More one-time zinesters and hardcore kids end up looking square from a distance than you’d think (I certainly do if you catch me during the workday), because you usually stop hearing about them when they drop out of the scene. For most, the quiet part of life is the larger portion by far. It’s your choice whether to embrace that, mourn it, or seek your own alternative. But if Israfel reminds us of nothing else, it’s the importance of having a good scream at least once in your life.

364/365

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: Introducing the Infectious Positivity of Ivory Coast-born Tel Aviv-based Elisee Akowendo

New Video: Introducing the Infectious Positivity of Ivory Coast-born Tel Aviv-based Elisee Akowendo

Yves Elisee Samuel Akowendo, best known as Elisee Akowendo is an Ivory Coast-born, Tel Aviv, Israel-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who grew up in a very religious and very musical home. “I come from a Christian family where music has a very important place,” Akowendo says in press notes. “Every morning, noon and…

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[rhythmbooze]

Elisee

'I Dey Shina' ('I'm Shining')

Out on Ape Records on March 10th

If it has anything to do with music, Elisee can do it. Born Yves Elisee Samuel Akowendo in the Ivory Coast, the multi-talented Elisee was raised in a home steeped in song. "I come from a Christian family where music has a very important place," he says. "Every morning, noon and evening, we sang gospel songs." As a boy, Elisee discovered his love of rhythm drumming in his local church's youth band. "Music has always been my passion. I was constantly listening, composing and singing," Elisee says.

In 2006, fate stepped in: his church group was invited to tour Israel. Elisee realized he had to make a choice: pursuing a masters degree in business, or following his lifelong dream of becoming a professional musician. He decided to follow his dream, and remain in Israel. The transition wasn't easy.

To begin with, Elisee didn't speak Hebrew. But his church and the ex-pat Côte d'Ivoire community provided some support. "I met great people, made new friends, and hoped that maybe here I could live from music," he says. It seems to have been a wise decision: in Tel Aviv, Elisee crossed paths with APE producer Tamir Muskat.

Muskat discovered Elisee's band, the Groove Ambassadors, on YouTube. "I was surfing through videos and became mesmerized by this amazing African drummer," Muskat remembers. "Then I saw him jump out from behind the drum kit, and grab the mic. It blew me away. I knew immediately that I wanted to work with him."

"Tamir played me some beats and we really connected," Elisee recalls. Surprisingly, Elisee had never written lyrics before. "This project was a new challenge for me," he admits. Although the artist seems equally comfortable singing in French as he does rapping in English, much of 'I Dey Shina' is sung in his native Baoule. "Sometimes it's easier to express certain emotions in your native language," he says.

So, what is the song about? "I was looking at my life, and seeing myself now living from music and playing around the world. I wanted to thank God for enabling me to live my dream, and to show others how being grateful for what we have, and never giving up on our aspirations, makes anything achievable, if we invest positive energy into it." Even if you don't speak Baoule, Elisee's positive energy jumps from the speakers and leaps off the screen.

Now there is no turning back. "Music is my life," he says. Where does he see himself five years from now? "I want to keep on making people happy, collaborate with other great musicians and producers, meet new people all over the globe. I want my music to be heard from the tiniest villages in the wilderness, to the bustling metropoles of the world's greatest cities."

What's the main message of the song? "We all have the same blood flowing through our veins" Elisee says. "And if we love and help one another, I believe we can live together in peace. I just want to spread love all around the world, and promote the cultural riches of the mother land, Mama Africa."

http://www.ape-records.com/

[rhythmbooze]

Loco-Hot Release New Single: 'I'm a Tribe' (featuring A-Wa)

Label Ape Records

Loco Hot is a duo comprised of producer / drummer Tamir Muskat and singer Gilad Kahana. Born in Mexico, vocalist, composer, and author Kahana is the founder and lead singer of Girafot, a critically acclaimed Israeli rock band who went gold in 2006.

Loco Hot's 2014 debut album burst onto the scene through the back door. The duo avoided radio and mainstream media, instead developing their own ground-breaking tools to mount a viral campaign which generated millions of hits. "Magazines and blogs kept talking about our bizarre methods," Muskat says. "It totally changed the game, especially coming from two established artists like us."

A-Wa

A-Wa (the Arabic word for ‘yes’) is a band of three sisters who fuse Yemenite traditional music with hip-hop and electronica – a style they call Yemenite Folk'n'Beat. Born in a desert commune, the Haim sisters were raised on the music of their Yemenite grandparents.

When the lead singer of Balkan Beat Box, Tomer Yosef, heard the Haim's demo, he joined as producer, and immediately put the band into the studio. The video for A-Wa's debut single 'Habib Galbi' ('Love of My Heart') went viral world-wide, while becoming the first ever song in Arabic to hit number one on the Israeli pop charts. Following concert tours of Europe and America, A-Wa began work with Loco Hot on 'I'm a Tribe'.

'I'm a Tribe'

The song was jump-started by Kahana's English lyrics, which A-Wa translated into Yemenite – riding on a custom Muskat beat. Kahana says his words originated from the idea that humanity is one tribe – despite the fact that societies can seem fragmented. A-Wa agrees: "We wanted to remind people of the true essence of why we are here: Love and unity."

The 'drop' (instrumental melody) was created by Muskat editing A-Wa's voices into a synth sound, then re-playing it like an instrument. From there on, A-Wa recalls, "We all worked together in the studio, brainstorming and developing the melodic structure." Kahana plays with lyrics as adeptly as Muskat manipulates beats and samples. "He's a master of his craft," Muskat says. "So working with him on ideas is amazing. Great stories just flow out of him!"

"APE Records is like a musical family for us," A-Wa agrees. "So the collaboration was natural and inspiring. The way we worked in the studio opened up new channels and ideas, which we will definitely use making our next album."

APE Records

Of the newly founded label that plans to only release singles APE's unconventional business model is mirrored in founder Tamir Muskat's unorthodox creative method. Songs are created spontaneously in the studio by artist and producer, with nothing prepared in advance. "Since the singles are stand-alone – not locked-in to an album concept – it gives us the freedom to go into uncharted territory," Muskat explains. "We want to surprise ourselves, and the listener. That's the goal. That's the APE sound!" The Balkan Beat Box star further explains, "A song is words and a beat – it's that simple," says Muskat. "It's been that way since people were living in caves. Call it hip-hop, call it what you want. Returning to the primal source and bringing back something new – that's what APE is about."

[rhythmbooze]

Marina Maximillian

Single: My Boy

Label: Ape Records

Ukraine-born singer, songwriter, and actress Marina Maximilian emigrated to Israel at the age of three. She studied with her mother, a classical pianist, sang in choirs, attended a music conservatory, and by the age of fifteen was performing in front of thousands at the Red Sea Jazz Festival.

Being a star comes with some baggage – like personal managers with high expectations. "That can create artificial pressure when we're making songs, because everyone expects a hit," Ape Records founder Tamir Muskat explains. But the combination of Maximilian’s humility and undeniable talent makes all the tension disappear. "Every time we’re in the studio together, the music always comes out a bit off-center, and everyone starts getting worried," Muskat laughs. "But the proof is in the end result."

Maximilian and Muskat wanted a vintage-sounding sample for 'My Boy', so the producer recorded and re-recorded into a tape machine until he found the perfectly damaged sound. "Tamir is really inspiring to work with," Marina says. "He has an amazing brain. I learn so much every time."

So where did the lyrics come from? "Tamir's crazy beat painted a scene in my head, some mysterious environment with lots of action and movement," Marina says. The singer was several months pregnant while working on the single. "My unborn baby was always on my mind," she says. Through the writing process, Marina discovered the theme: carrying love from the inside to the outside. "I felt the melody should be a bit childish and repetitive. I guess the song is about the adventure that is life, but also the hidden dangers."

"Shooting the video was a bit weird. I was very pregnant," Marina remembers. "But I wasn’t worried because I knew I was in good hands." The video also features Muskat's son, Ilya, playing a marching drum. "We both felt that Ilya could represent the idea of the imaginative kid, the one that is in Marina's head," Muskat says.

Can music change the world? "Yes! Music is magic," Marina says. Every time we let a song into our hearts, it alters us. In such a crazy world, I think creating change through positive energy is critical. Music rises above all the differences that divide us as humans. Music brings people together through beat and harmony."

APE Records

Of the newly founded label that plans to only release singles APE's unconventional business model is mirrored in founder Tamir Muskat's unorthodox creative method. Songs are created spontaneously in the studio by artist and producer, with nothing prepared in advance. "Since the singles are stand-alone – not locked-in to an album concept – it gives us the freedom to go into uncharted territory," Muskat explains. "We want to surprise ourselves, and the listener. That's the goal. That's the APE sound!" The Balkan Beat Box star further explains, "A song is words and a beat – it's that simple," says Muskat. "It's been that way since people were living in caves. Call it hip-hop, call it what you want. Returning to the primal source and bringing back something new – that's what APE is about."

With these and another release to follow before the end of 2016 APE Records do not appear to be monkeying around.

[nukkefistdiscog]

V/A - ISRAFEL 12" (1997, Ape/USA)

We had a band while we lived in Athens called Architects Of The New Christ Rebellion. I don’t remember how we got asked to be on this. Somewhere along the way, we met Greg Ape. Maybe at the Michigan Fest we played? We only played a few shows and did a short 1 or 2 week Midwest tour with The Party Of Helicopters when they had only but a tape out. We toured in my Geo Metro and Mike’s Volvo. Architects did one recording with Jeff, about five songs and this is the only thing released from it. We did do one other recording (just one song) in Kent with Jamie Stillman (Donut Friends, POH, HTS, etc) for some other comp that never happened and it sounded great, but I don't know what happened to it. This band is what happens when you listen to too much Neurosis, Union Of Uranus and Honeywell. The band that came out of Architects was Sequoia, who sounded similar but were more on the metal side of things. I don’t think Sequoia ever toured, we just did a few shows in Athens and Columbus. That band also did a recording, but didn’t release any of it. Actually, I don’t know if it was ever finished. Sequoia had Chris instead of Mike on bass and Jeff instead of Richard on drums.

Band list: The Panoply Academy Glee Club Architects Of The New Christ Rebellion Criswell Harriet The Spy Thenceforward Locust Inept The Weak Link Breaks Old Hearts Club Twenty Seven Hours Serotonin Eurich The Judas Iscariot Reversal Of Man

This came with a booklet and some inserts. This comp was a benefit for the medical costs of two young, twin girls with Werdnigg-Hoffman disease.