Description

Independent labels have always been risky ventures, marred by uncertainty; you never know how long they ll last for. Yet, for more than 15 years, Cosmo Vitelli has kept I m A Clich� going. During this time, his label, it s releases, and the artists behind them have found their place in the musical landscape, standing proudly and defiantly in the margins, a place where music is always more interesting and fluid than right in the middle of the spotlight. After countless EPs, several albums, and a compilation, a new chapter in I m A Clich� s story begins, one with a greatly reduced release schedule. To mark this turning point, the label releases Bongo Beats and Bankruptcy, it s second compilation ever. Aesthetically coherent and simultaneously diverse in it s expressions, Bongo Beats and Bankruptcy is a celebration of the label (and the label manager s) quirks and eccentricities and a tongue-in-cheek snapshot that brilliantly captures the label s DNA, featuring friends and allies along with newer faces on 13 exclusive tracks scattered over three LPs. Whether they are downtempo, up-tempo or ambient, like Orestt s contribution, each tune on this compilation distills in it s own idiosyncratic way I m A Clich� s essence: electronic music influenced by club culture but in no way constrained to the dancefloor. Ivan Smagghe and Marc Collin s analog synth track by their acclaimed Volga Select project, June s dreamy tune at the crossroads between wave and kraut influences, Coy s mutant synth arpeggios, and an old-school wave cut by Oliver Decrow mixed by Dunkeltier are all tracks boldly standing on the dancefloor s margins. For those looking for club-ready tracks that with I m A Clich� s one-of-a-kind atmosphere will surely find what they are after in an downtempo edit of Awkward Corners, a bouncy and melodic IDM not IDM number by Rouge M�canique, a bleeps and pan-pipes affair by Beno�t B, an esoteric dance-rock number with stated Lynch influences by Fantastic Twins, a freaky electro cut by Linja, a melancholic 707 driven banger by Krikor and finally an anxious and forward-thinking half-stepper by label head Cosmo Vitelli. Also features Awkward Corners, Sunju Hargun, Andrew Claristidge, and Odopt. Edition of 300.