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THE GYM emerged out of an old circle of friends, throwing parties and DJing together,
while slowly building their individual careers. It became a record label when co-owners
Brandt Brauer Frick made their first steps in the music scene. Other GYM members include
film & video producers, club curators and bodybuilders.
MUSCLE TUFF is a snapshot of the contributors’ current state of mind. Eight of nine tracks
have been produced exclusively for this compilation.
Berlin-based singer and producer Josa Peit opens with "Waste", a hypnotic soul sketch, her
vocals beautifully fragile and intense, with analogue synths creating sonic Alice In
Wonderland moments.
Brandt Brauer Frick play a fast and raw Techno track. One feels like working out in the
jungle, or participating in a ritual worship of an archaic goddess. This time, they used only
synths, as Juno-106, SH-101 or Nord Drums, and left piano and other acoustic instruments
aside, contradicting their signature sound.
Offenbach-based Bodo Elsel delivers a radical old school approach, a bone dry one-take
house miniature, crooning "I Can't Reset My Mind" in his unimitable sloppy style, over
cascades of dry 707, 808 and SP12 beats and claps.
Copenhagen producer and long-time collaborator James Braun teams up with Dan M for
"People Move", a slow burner of the kind that are truly hard to find and that take you from a
low level into haunting ecstasy.
Next up is Berlin's 20 year-old house, bass and hiphop prodigy Max Graef, His exceptional
musical skills came to the labels attention during an in-store gig at the legendary OYE
RECORDS in Berlin. He is a unique talent and musically wise beyond his years. Enjoy “Nr
3” and brace yourself for his upcoming “Get Big Fast” EP on THE GYM.
For those who know THE GYM's former releases, it's evident that Dollkraut can't miss. The
Dutch analogue sound wizard keeps on fascinating us with his golden touch for pop
moments. "Catch My Soul" is an old pearl and one of Dollkraut's most housy tracks. As it
has never been released on vinyl and has proven to be a long time GYM mover it had to be
on MUSCLE TUFF.
THE GYM's brotherhood with Tartelet Records keeps on flourishing on Tartelet's label head
Muff Deep's contribution: "Let's Go To The Gym"! It's hot & sweaty and it gets you. It
sounds like a drunken Theo Parrish in a Honda, caught in a thunderstorm on his way to
THE GYM, trying to work the MPC. Kind of.
One of the clubbiest tracks on the album is supplied by Freude am Tanzen and BPitch boy
Douglas Greed, whose straight and no-bullshit techno track "Raw And Order" leads from
agitating percussion into synth madness, GYM music at its purest.
On its finishing track, MUSCLE TUFF opens up into the glamorous new wave disco world of
the mysterious Frenchman Bernard Crochet. He is an almost entirely unknown face to the
electronic music scene, except for his 2012 debut with Dollkraut. We know nothing about
him, and it's hard to situate him in any context in 2013. One thing is certain, he has access
to some crazy rare vintage gear and he's not afraid of big emotions!
MUSCLE TUFF