VOODOO RHYTHM HISTORY
DOWNLOADS:
LOGOS: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8
HISTORY PDF: 2012
VOODOO RHYTHM ON:
- JOIN MAILING LIST
- BANDCAMP
- TUMBLR
- FACEBOOK
- INSTAGRAM (voodoo rhythm)
- INSTAGRAM (the hardware store)
- OUR ONLINE SHOP
- THE VOODOO RHYTHM HARDWARE STORE
- YOU TUBE
- VIMEO
- SOUNDCLOUD
IMPORTANT LINKS:
- ARTE TRACKS DOCU
- SONIC TRACES
- SWISS MUSIC PRICE
- VOODOO RHYTHM THE GOSPEL OF PRIMITIVE ROCK'N'ROLL
SHORT:
Record Label / Shop founded in Bern Switzerland from Reverend Beat-Man in 1992 Specialized in Releasing New Artist from the Blooming Underground Rock’n’Roll Trash Garage Punk Gipsy Country Blues Swing and Cajun Minimal Electro Trash Scene around the Globe, Released of 150 Mostly Vinyl Records and some CD’s and Cassettes as well, they do as well a publishing jop for their band that brings them into the movies etc bands on the Label are : The Monsters, The Dead Brothers, King Automatic, The Devils, Movie Star Junkies, Blind Butcher etc
LONG:
Welcome to the strange and beautiful world of VOODOO RHYTHM RECORDS, home to some of the most idiosyncratic bands on earth
Have you had a healthy dosage of Cajun Core this morning, or how about Gypsy Funeral Jazz for lunch or a dinner made up of XXX Hobo Bluegrass Country or a simply an infusion of sexually frustrated Teenage Blues Punk before you hit the main drag at night. If you haven't, it's about time you ditch those nutrition supplements and get your greasy hands on our records.For more then twenty years now we have released a wide array of international cult bands that have invented entire hybrid genres.Has there been "Surreal Folk Blues Gospel Trash", before Reverend Beat-Man entered the building?We doubt it.
ENGLISH
The story of the record label starts in 1979. As a young boy Beat Zeller rather was drawing imaginary record covers or going to town, surfing the record shops and listening to new releases. In 1983 under the pseudonym ZERFALL TAPES Beat started producing tapes and trading with other labels .
1986 the band "The Monsters" was founded and Beat-Zeller turned into Beat-Man followed by a record deal with a Swiss independent label called 'Record Junkie. Together with the label owner Pfifu, Beat-Man learned how to manage a label, how to print records and how to sell them. In 1992 Voodoo Rhythm Records was born. The 1st record made was a Swiss Garage Punk Compilation called 'Garage Punk Primitive Rock'n'Roll and Psychotic Reactions from Switzerland vol1'. With a limited edition of 500 copies only, the record was sold out at the same night of the release party. Beat-Man was on the road with his bands The Monsters and Lightning Beat-Man, or as a rowdy and driver for US bands. During that time he met so many talented musicians, who's sound didn't seem to fit in any genre and which didn't have a record label supporting them. This was a big moment when things started to change for Voodoo Rhythm, lots of bands where signed to the new founded record company - the Dead Brothers, King Khan and his Shrines, the Watzloves, John Shooley, Mama Rosin, only to mention a few, started to release their albums through VRR.
SUPPORTING THE OUTSIDER LIFESTYLE SINCE 1992' The first success stories happened in Europe, then they started to get very well known overseas and finally Switzerland followed and recognized the potentially of Voodoo Rhythm Records and its artists. Today Voodoo Rhythm has a household name, it stands for a creative label, for a wide horizon in music styles and for quality. Initially purely a vinyl label VRR started soon to press cd's and dvd's and now also MERCHANDISE WITHOUT ANY BORDERS like t-shirts, key caps, bolo ties, stickers, patches, belt buckles and screen print posters. Digital downloads are offered and their own publishing pitches songs to movies (like Deficit ,ex 2007, the Death of Michael Smith ,usa 2006) and TV shows (Arte Tracks, Viva Wahwah). With patience and massive support by many distributors, Voodoo Rhythm Records became an important institution in the worldwide underground music scene. Bands and fans identify themselves with VR and trying to create similar stories.
in 2011 Voodoo Rhythm changed from a One Man Company into a GMBH company.. a real company , with 3 Workers Beat-Man, Tea Soza, and Lysander ( lee Thunder) Voodoo Rhythm has its won Radio Show and a show called: Sonic Nightmares
GERMAN
Voodoo Rhythm ist nicht nur ein Platten Label, sondern auch eine Plattform für Unabhängige Musik und Künstler in Bern, gegründet im jahre 1992 von Reverend Beat-Man.
Wir sind lokal und weltweit tätig dh verkaufen unsere tonträger und schicken unsere Bands auf Tournee. Zudem haben wir mit unserem Platten laden (the Hardware store, münstergasse 76) einen treffpunk geschaffen für junge musiker und bieten ihnen eine Bühne an zum spielen und komunizieren.
Voodoo Rhythm ist zu einem Weltweiten Aushängeschild für Alternative Musik aus Bern bekannt geworden
Die Geschichte des Labels beginnt bereits 1979 in der Schule. Jungspunt Beat Zeller zeichnete lieber imaginäre Platten Covers oder ging in den Plattenladen der Stadt um Neuerscheinungen zu hören anstatt dem Lehrer zuzuhören!
1980 wurden dann die ersten Aufnahmen auf Vaters Kassettenspieler aufgenommen unter dem Namen TAEB ZERFALL ( eine Mischung aus Einstürzenden Neubauten und Elvis) und dem ersten eigenen Label ZERFALL TAPES versuchte man Tapes mit anderen Tape Labels zu tauschen. Mangels Intresse wurde das Label wieder eingestellt.
1986 wird Beat zum Beat-Man und gründet die Gruppe The Monsters, gefolgt mit einem Platten Deal bei ‚RECORD JUNKIE' mit denen die Band die erste Single und 3 nachfolgende Alben produzierte. 1992 wurde dann offiziell Voodoo Rhythm Records gegründet zuerst nur 7" Singles dann die erste LP 'Garage Punk Primitive Rock'n'Roll and Psychotic reactions from Switzerland vol1'' mit einer Auflage von nur 500 stück die bereits am Abend der Plattentaufe ausverkauft wurde. Der Entscheid das Label definitiv weiterzuführen was somit klar!
Viel durch Europa tourend, mit den Monsters, Lightning Beat-Man aber auch als Rowdy oder Fahrer für US Bands, traf Beat-Man immer wieder auf viele talentierte Musiker und Bands die ohne Label und deren Support unterwegs waren. und es folgten Veröffentlichungen von den Dead Brothers, King Khan and his Shrines, the Watzloves, John Shooley, Mama Rosin, DM BOB etc und vielen mehr
z.z wird nicht nur Vinyl CD's und DVD's Produziert Sondern auch MERCHANDISE WITHOUT ANY BORDERS wie z.bsp Key Caps, Belt Buckles, Shirts, Slips oder auch Mats Screan Print Posters. und auch digital werden die Songs zum Download angeboten und das eigene Publishing ermöglicht den Verkauft der Songs u.a an diverse TV-/Film Produktionen.
Zuerst nur in Europa erfolgreich dann auch Übersee und am Schluss doch auch noch in der Schweiz. Voodoo Rhythm hatte viel Glück. Mit der Unterstützung und Geduld der jeweiligen Vertriebe ist Voodoo Rhythm zu einer Institution im Weltweiten Underground Musik Markt geworden. Bands und Fans Identifizieren sich mit dem Namen Voodoo Rhythm und probieren ähnliche Sachen zu machen.
Seit 2011 ist Voodoo Rhythm von einer Ein-Mann Firma zu einer GHBH gewachsen mit 3 Festen Mitarbeitern Tea Soza, und Lysander ( the Thuner)
THE VOODOO RHYTHM HARDWARESTORE
Visit our Record Shop and Show Room in a 338 year old Basement in the middle of an UNESCO WOLD HERITAGE !!! we have all Voodoo Rhythm Releases and special editions and not to find’ms for sell and T-Shirts Jackets Masks and tons of other Label Stuff and 2nd Hand Blues punk synth garage and Heroin Groove Vinyl .. and couple of CD’s
Münstergasse 76, Bern Switzerland .. please don't send any post we dont have a mail box, no email no telephone... but a FUZZBOOK side .. you have to come over, and talk to us person to person...
OPENING TIMES:
THU-SA 12:00- 18:30
(its open mostly like that, except if we had party day before, then we fucked up and open abit later.. sorry)
 |
BEAT-MAN --President, Boss and A+R Manager -- |
 |
LYSANDER --Publishing ContractsBusiness and Legal Affairs -- |
 |
OLIVER FRINGS --Orders -- |
 |
GABRIELA --Good Soul of the Hardware Store -- |
FUSED (UK)
WHAT IS VOODOO RHYTHM?
By Fused · On March 2, 2015
VOODOO RHYTHM TALKS IN BLOCK CAPITALS AND BROKEN ENGLISH. IT IS LOUD, BATSHIT CRAZY AND IT REALLY DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU. The website voodoorhythm.com will tell you that it is a record label. Don't believe it. No-one walks around wearing EMI T-shirts, with Parlophone tattoos on their sleeves.
No, this is a movement, a cult – a religion. It is the life's work of one man, Reverend Beat-Man; rector of rock, shaman of soul. In 1992 the Swiss rock 'n' roll enthusiast set up Voodoo Rhythm Records as a way of promoting the music he loved. Somewhere along the line heaven and hell came calling, and Beat-Man has been leading them on ever since. "I have both sides in me," he says; 'God and the devil. I'm constantly fighting with both of them and it's a lot of fun."
If you wanted to get pigeonholing then you might define it as rockabilly, psychobilly or something similar. The Reverend isn't really interested in that though. 'Our bands all have their own genres, he says. 'Primitive rock 'n' roll is one of them and blues trash we made up.'
Good food and drink play an important part in the Voodoo Rhythm philosophy. Commandment #4 of the Blues Trash Church is that you sample local cuisine whenever you're on the road. Commandment #3 is that the drug of choice is beer, not 'sissy wannabe superstar snow' – an interesting rule for a record label whose call to arms is 'we make a junkie out of everybody'.
More than that, Voodoo Rhythm is about the beast with two backs. Rock 'n' roll was a euphemism for getting it on way before it got messed around and watered down. Voodoo Rhythm is definitely putting the sex back. Releases have included 'Get on your knees', 'Hormone hop' and 'I like going topless'. Bands on their roster at one time or another include the Sixtyniners, The Pussywarmers and the Juke Joint Pimps.
The most important thing, though, is the music. There is no better way to tap into the human psyche than with the wail of a guitar; fast and dirty. Voodoo Rhythm knows this, and is raising two fingers to auto-tuning, overproduction and electronic gizmos. It is a back-to-basics approach that takes things to a primal level.
"It's something like if you are a bit crazy in your head and you constantly hear someone talking to you," he says. "That's exactly how important music is to me. It was always there and will haunt me day and night. No escape at all."
In a way theirs is an almost tragic story – one of finding your calling only to discover that the world at large doesn't really care. Put simply, Voodoo Rhythm Records doesn't sell anywhere near the amount of music that an organisation with that much passion should. It's like Beat-Man himself said in their documentary: "I have to play guitar, I have to go to the office and put out records nobody buys. I just have to do it. I don't know why."
At some point or other the apostle of a religion has to face up to the fact that not everyone is a convert. Some heathens just don't want to be saved. No matter how many denominations there are in your church, or how many preachers you're packing, you can't make them do something against their will. Many people don't choose to listen to Voodoo Rhythm records, but some do; those that do listen with a passion. "We have a wide spectrum of music," says Beat-Man, "and if people can take that, that means we have free people with a free spirit: People who can take a chance to experience something completely different. That's what we want."
Fifty years earlier they would have been right on the money. These days they don't even have the hope of some hipster revival to raise their profile. Perhaps it's for the best though. Bern is a long way from Kreuzberg, just as primitive rock 'n' roll is a long way from commoditisation. Music, sex and religion are all free. Long may they stay that way.
Ross Wittenham