Around the world in 80 labels: Elsewhere – Fxyz

While paving our (somewhat disorganised and wholly erratic) path across the globe, exposing worthwhile imprints from far flung places and closer to home, it was only going to be so long until we arrived in Berlin for the first time. And in a city focused on the electronically creative there are plenty of major organisations to choose from when looking at the business of exporting quality beats. Instead though we’ve gone for one of the youngest in town.

Elsewhere is a label you may not be that familiar with, yet, as the crew are currently working on a third release following two mighty fine outings from Esquare. Dark but funky, like a bastard child of techno and Andy Weatherall’s school of electro house, we reviewed the TV Pet EP earlier this year and were blown away, not least thanks to vocalist Elle P- who, incidentally, designs all the associated imagery. As such we invited the elusive label boss (note the lack of image), known to some as Fxyz, to discuss stand out electronic music and having some of the best sleeve art in the known universe. Here we go again then.

Elsewhere (Germany) – Fxyz 

 

Describe your imprint’s output.

Elsewhere is an audio-visual art platform and independent label from Berlin for personalised structures and music founded in 2009. We put out EP’s digitally and on vinyl and are currently working on LSWRE#003, which will be an album on cassette tape.

What would you say makes it different?

As we spread music via physical media we care about the artwork on and around it. The covers mostly relate to an exhibited work, that’s why the name of the EP may differ from the actual song titles on it. Each release is accompanied by a video that isn’t necessarily referring to the EP title or the cover. A shared Elsewhere topic stands for itself and simultaneously completes a fragmented picture. That’s our vision of music.

Opposites not only attract but hammer and pulsate together. We take a risk by diffusing information, flying zigzags instead of loops. Besides entering solid vinyl shops, jiggly dancefloors, and Antarctic radio stations we try to gather art from spaces and enchanted forests, which helps us keep an eye on the quality and the audio-visual aspect of each release.

What is it that makes you keep looking for new talent to expose?

For now we’re busy with customising and sharing the earcandies of people we know personally. In general? To kill boredom.

What’s the label’s pinnacle achievement so far?

Esquare’s Scandiving EP sold out. All vinyls found a proper record case or bouncy living room, so we had good ground to build on for their following EP, TV Pet. That release is going well, getting played all around the coloured globe, plus we have some nice feedback from well-known musicians and zoologists.

If people were going to hear one release from your camp, what would you prefer it to be?

As we have two releases to offer so far we’d invite you to have a cup of bubbling tea and a bowl of two vinyls. As we are a bunch of people running the label our preferences are finely divided.

All being well, skip forward five years, where would you like things to be?

One wish would be that the audience remains interested in Elsewhere’s output and recognises it as a label offering unexpected, surprising ear and eye candy. In order to do this we hope to continuously be able to keep up a label philosophy that doesn’t depend on the market, and invent new ideas with friends that exceed the dancefloor to invade interplanetary audiovisual space.

 

Recent stops

Switzerland – Yan Stricker – !Organism 

UK – Jonas Stone – EPM

 


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