>> Munk
bio: Unimpressed by the crash of the major music industry, the MUNK guys ? Italian Mathias Modica and German partner Jonas Imbery ? have been releasing their own music as well as records by friends like Mocky and Headman on their little label Gomma for several years. Without a big PR - budget or what you?d call a ?professional? label structure they create some very special new sounds ? with big support by DJ?s worldwide, a growing international fan base and friendly feedback by international journalists. (UK?s Dazed & Confused Magazine just called Gomma ?the world?s freshest and most interesting label? and NME just praised: ?All is good on Gomma!?....big honour for the german boys.)
MUNK have their very own style ? somewhere between club and listening, connecting live band and samplers. Inspired by Disco, House and HipHop culture. Infected by Psychedelic rock, No wave and Punkfunk. They both play several instruments (piano, bass guitar, flute, drums...) and since their school days have been collecting records, organizing parties and playing in several Freakjazz as well as Punkfunkbands and electronic projects. At the same time they have been djing a lot the last years, spinning house records not only at many alternative happenings, but also at clubs like the ?Pulp in Paris, Culture Club in Ghent or the DFA - partys in New York. A few years ago they decided to combine their club ? skills with their ability to play ?real? instruments and formed Munk and the Gomma label. Since then they have released three Munk singles and one album (produced under the alias LEROY HANGHOFER). Besides, they release music by other people they like. Records that no other label wants to release. Canadian performer Mocky as well as discopunk pioneer Headman made their first albums for Gomma. Nick McCarthy (guitar player of Franz Ferdinand) released his first album (with his former band Kamerakino) on Gomma, as well as New York artist The Rammellzee. Gomma also made the No Wave & Punk Funk- compilations Anti NY and Teutonik Disaster (which were followed by a whole wave of similar CDs). Last but not least in 2001 Munk released their selfproduced Leroy Hanghofer/ White trash album that - after becoming a clubhit with many DJs ? now funnywise it gets popular also in the fashion scene (Companys like Colette, Givenchy and Pucci are using it for their shows or invited Munk to play at their partys). Besides records, Gomma publish a graphic/ poster magazine (AMORE) and from time to time also self designed T ? shirts. Over the last year Munk have made lots of new friends who share similar ideas of music. Spontaneous sessions happened and so on Aperitivo you will find several guest appearances: French DJane Chloe (from Paris? Pulp Club) recorded ?Ce kul? while spending some time in Munich last year. The vocals were recorded on Gomma?s studio toilet, which also serves as a vocal cabin. Besides, their London friend Midnight Mike, guitar player JAW (who lives in Munich but usually produces for DJ Shadow?s label Quannum), Princess Superstar and Bobby Conn also added some vocals and ideas. The first single ?Kick out the chairs? was recorded with vocals by James Murphy of New York?s DFA (producer for The Rapture, Radio 4, LCD Soundsystem). He is a big fan and supporter of Munk?s records and invited them to play records at his New York parties. When he heard ?Kick out the chairs!? he asked to perform the vocals and so they created this Munich ? NYC joint.
Aperitivo was recorded in Modica?s hometown in Sicily, a few places in New York and Munk?s little studio in Munich. Artwork by Smal & Paze - with a little help from designer Kostas Murkudis. (By the way: there will be a collection of Gomma ? coverworks to be released by Berlin?s ?Die Gestalten? ? Verlag this winter) Munk didn?t want Aperitivo to be one of those straightforward, dance - CD?s with one beat and one mood. Their intention was to make an album with a dramaturgy and including various atmosphaeres and musical influences. The result is this Bavarian - French - Italian - American - British mix.
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