VOODOO RHYTHM HISTORY

 

 

 

 

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 instead of learning in school. In 1980 under the pseudonym ZERFALL TAPES Beat started producing tapes and trading with other labels too. 

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, C.W., Stoneking, 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.
Voodoo Rhythm is still a One Man Company but supported with help of many friends like Nicole Zorn, Tea Soza, Robert ‘Panti-Christ’ Butler, Chris Rosales, whos also produces the famous Voodoo Rhythm Radio Show “Sonic Nightmares” on www.garagepunk.com.
Most of the studio recordings happened at the famous friends place Outside Inside Studios in Italy. Dan Suter from Echo Chamber or Adi Flück/Central Dubs  are in charge of the mastering and Artists like Märt Infager, Dirk Bosma, Darren Merinuk or Rob Jones (White Stripes) are doing artwork for album covers.


 GERMAN
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 und dem ersten eigenen Label ZERFALL TAPES versuchte man zusammen mit anderen Tapes die Musik zu verkaufen. Leider war der Sound ( eine Mischung aus Einstürzenden Neubauten und Elvis) nicht unbedingt Verkaufs fördernd und so 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. Von Record Junkie lernte man wie ein Platten Label funktioniert, wie man das Produkt Platte an den Mann bringt und so weiter und somit wurde 1992 Voodoo Rhythm Records gegründet. Die erste LP 'Garage Punk Primitive Rock'n'Roll and Psychotic reactions from Switzerland vol1'’ mit einer Auflage von nur 500 stück, war bereits am Abend der Plattentaufe ausverkauft. 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. Leute die komische Musik machen, deren Sound zwischen Stuhl und Bank falle’ aber dennoch eine Berechtigung haben gehört zu werden. Absolute Außenseiter halt, so wie Voodoo Rhythm, und es  folgten Veröffentlichungen von den Dead Brothers, King Khan and his Shrines, the Watzloves, John Shooley, Mama Rosin, C.W,. Stoneking und vielen mehr

SUPPORTING THE OUTSIDER LIFESTYLE SINCE 1992’
Produziert wird nicht mehr nur Vinyl sondern auch CD’s, DVD’s und „MERCHANDISE WITHOUT ANY BORDERS“ wie z.bsp Key Caps, Belt Buckles, Shirts, Slips oder auch Mats Screan Print Posters. 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 2000 ist Voodoo Rhythm zwar immer noch ein Ein-Mann Unternehmen doch unterstützt mit Hilfe vieler Freunde wie Nicole Zorn, Tea Soza, Robert Panti-Christ’ Butler und Chris Rosales, mit denen man ausserdem die Voodoo Rhythm Radio Show ‚Sonic Nightmares auf www.garagepunk.com produziert und moderiert. Die meisten der Studioaufnahmen werden bei bekannten Freunden im Outside Inside Studio, Italien produziert. Für das Mastering sind Adi Flück von Central Dubs oder auch Dan Suter/Echo Chamber zuständig. Künstler wie Märt Infanger, Dirk Bosma, Darren Merinuk, Rob Jones und und und machen Artworks für die Platten Covers.

 


 

E-Mail info@voodoorhythm.com

VOODOO RHYTHM HOMEPAGE: http://www.voodoorhythm.com/
VOODOO RHYTHM MYSPACE http://www.myspace.com/voodoo_rhythm_records
VOODOO RHYTHM FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26927843105
VOODOO RHYTHM LOGO : http://www.voodoorhythm.com/Images/LOGO-RADAR.gif 

 


 

BEAT-MAN

-President, Boss and A+R Manager bio


 

 

TEA SOZA

--Sales, Business and Legal Affairs

 

 

 

NICOLE ZORN

--Publishing ContractsBusiness and Legal Affairs

 



 

 

SOME WORDS


PATRIK CABY (RCV 99FM, RADIO FRANCE)

'm always enchanted by your productions
Nobody in our audience ignore that your label is a nest of very good music It's very simple for me to prove you are one of the best label in the world with all the excellent music you have in your catalogue
It's not a simple flattery, it's reality

 


 

NO HIT RECORDS / SOUNDS THAT SWING (LONDON UK)

Im still selling loads of Voodoo Rhythm in the store ( Beat Man & Monsters are very popular with kid's and adults alike ) they always tell me the sleves are just the full dogs danglers , yeah !! Ok thank's and take it easy !!Best - Keith

 


 

SLEAZEGRINDER: (USA)

Led by the mysterious and obviously quite insane Beat Man, the Switzerland based Voodoo Rhythm is one of my favorite record labels, ground zero for the most primitive rock n’ roll, R&B, and slopabilly bands in the world. All their releases come packaged in beautiful digipaks with artwork that’s part pulp novel, part haunted carnival poster, and the hype sheets, written in Beat Man’s signature Swisslish, is some of the greatest yellow journalism I’ve ever read- according to him, the Zorros “Are sleazy elevator music played in a incredible lo budges porn movie”, and as far as the Monsters’ album goes, “nothing except the sleeve has a nice and positive touch”, because “this is negative to the edge. If you go for garage punk with power of today’s youth against nature generation, than this wax and plactic’s for you!” I mean, how do you argue with come-ons like that? And then there’s the music. Mutant rockabilly with fiddles. Jug bands playing funeral hymns. Screeching garage punk bands covering Europe and the Bee Gees. Apartment wrestling soundtracks. Swiss country and western music. New Mexican rockers from the 50’s that may not actually exist. It’s all here, all the craziest, most implausible bands on the planet. And the wildest part is, they’re always good. In fact, the jug/funeral band, the Dead Brothers, just might be one of my favorite bands of all time. Anyway, there’s so much great stuff in the VR catalog that they finally got around to putting together a label comp, just so you can get privy to all the madness they have to offer. On “Records to Ruin Every Party” you get everything from the frenzied early 60’s rockabilly of Jerry Nixon, the creepy tuba bleat of the Dead Bros, the froggy voiced, organ pumping freak rock of the Monsters, the drunk-punk gospel of Reverend Beat Man, the fuzzpunk savagery of Get Lost, and the slop-country of the Waltzloves, among many others. And in between tracks, there’s trailers for old hot rod movies. It’s like visiting a very musical mental hospital. To be honest, I’m not even sure how you get a copy of this, since I think it’s a promo-only kinda deal, but hell, yr crafty, ain’t ya? If you don’t already own any of the VR releases, you really have to pick this up, and find out what you’ve been missing. And no, you can’t have mine. I need it. I’ve got a party to ruin.

 


 

RECENSIONE (it)

Voodoo Rhythm Records: Home of primitive rock’n’roll
Fa davvero bene al mio morale a pezzi pensare che nel cuore della vecchia Europa,
nella svizzera Berna, risieda ormai dal 1992 il quartiere generale di un’etichetta che si è posta con la determinatezza di una crociata ed un benedetto humour dissacratorio lo scopo di salvaguardare lo spirito più primitivo ed incontaminato del rock’n’roll.
Sto parlando della Voodoo Rhythm, una creazione in toto di mr.Beat-Man, clownesco personaggio che non si limita assolutamente al ruolo di business-man della label e che non ha certo nell’ortodossia la sua maggior virtù.
Vive di estemporanee reincarnazioni: in questi ultimi anni ha vestito i panni grotteschi di Lightning Beat-Man immerso in un movimentato immaginario wrestling ma anche quelli blasfemi di Reverend Beat-Man lanciandosi in Get On Your Knees (2001) in performances vocali viscerali e sporche: si tratta di un lavoro realizzato con gli Un-Believers, sigla sotto cui si celano tra gli altri Robert Butler (Slide/guitar/harp) e Gerry Mohr (Church organ/piano) dei Get Lost: Beat-Man rivisita a modo suo (‘primitive’ è l’aggettivo che predilige) gospel, spiritual, blues e rock&roll con una sporca dose letale di trash, sorta di novello Screaming Lord Sutch, l’antesignano britannico dell’horror&shock rock&roll dal quale eredita palesemente la tendenza alla parodia dissacrante ed allo scandalo verbale oltre alle caustiche e rauche corde vocali.

Precedente europeo illustre dell’estetica integralista della Voodoo Rhythm è l’etichetta francese New Rose che tra i ’70 ed i ’90 ha rappresentato un ricettacolo amorevole per tantissimi artisti e bands americane ( ma anche europee) punk e rock&roll che in patria non riuscivano neanche a mangiare.

Dalla New Rose la Voodoo Rhythm eredita ed in maniera più profonda l’attitudine a preservare vecchie e nuove forme popolari ed etniche anche europee affiliate al rock&roll come ventose e per certi versi in modo insospettabile: il country, il folk, il blues, l’hillbilly, la polka, il canjoun, il fuzz-garage, il punk, la psichedelia, in un affascinante calderone senza precedenti : ‘home of primitive rock’n’roll’ , ‘primitive rock’n’roll-blues trash - thrilling stompin’ rockabilly – fuzzed out garage : records to ruin any party’, queste le autodefinizioni poste sui gadgets e sui manifestini pubblicitari della label, credo non ci sia bisogno di commenti!

La versatilità estrema di Beat-Man gli ha fatto mettere sotto contratto terribili garagisti come The Monsters, rockabilly-jivers come The Hormonauts, i ‘roots’ Watzloves, i decadenti Dead Brothers, i bizzarri Die Zorros e via discorrendo, ma il botto vero l’ha fatto ( non so se anche in termini di vendite!) nel 2002 producendo Never Come Back dei Get Lost, ovvero gli eroici redivivi punk-garagers Gerry Mohr e Robert Butler ex Miracle Workers e Cavemanish Boys; un disco vitalissimo e pieno di idee che ha innalzato al massimo a livello internazionale le quotazioni dell’etichetta presso i fans del garage.
Ma passiamo in rassegna alcune delle sue produzioni più o meno recenti.

 

 


 

PLAYING HOOKY (FR)

"Records To Ruin Any Party", la devise du label, donne le ton, le label suisse ne se prend pas au sérieux. Les prods sont très variées, au programme : "primitive rock'n'roll, garage punk, cajun, funeral music, dirty blues trash, criminal country and voodoo soul". Vous voilà prévenus. Après une intro qui vous explique ce qu'est le rock'n'roll, vous êtes rapidement entraînés dans le monde merveilleux de Voodoo Rhythm Records, ça démarre fort avec les Come N'Go (garage-rock'n'roll speed et furieux), The Monsters (psychobilly suisse), Zero Tornados (rock'n'roll-country), Jerry J. Nixon (rockabilly live), Stompin Harvey (blues trash), The Hormonauts (surf-music), John Schooley (blues-trash qui rock), Die Zorros (musique au synthé semblant débarqué d'un film de SF allemand des années 30), King Khan And His Shrines (le désormais célèbre soul-man), The Dead Brothers (30's-revival - entre musique mexicaine et swing), Reverend Beat-Man (blues), The Del Gators (blues-trash avec chant féminin), The Super Supers (revival Motown-70's), Die Zorros (qui reprennent le "Final Countdown" de Europe) avant de terminer avec les Rocket Science (garage-punk-psyché) idéal pour achever en beauté la "party" ... Voodoo Rhythm est différent des autres labels, il crée son propre univers, au delà de la musique, les prods VR bénéficient toutes d'un artwork ultra-léché (mais pas forcèment de très bon goût), soit fait de collages, de détournements, une sorte de patchwork de revivals faisant penser aux productions des années 20/30/40. On ne sait jamais s'il s'agit de groupes qui officient dans le présent ou d'obscurs rééditions d'artistes oubliés, tant tout est fait pour que l'auditeur s'y perde ... En tout cas moi j'en redemande ... (Wize)

 

 


 

PDSFM (AUS)

man you have done it again with two sensational releases.

This is going to be wild when the cd's are played. Everything you have sent us, which we very much appreciate, has been so well received. As always l say on behalf of everybody here "Thank-you big time".Voodoo Rhythm doesn't ruin a party it makes a party rockkkkkkk!. Take care guys Melbourne loves ya, you know where we are if you need us.

kind rergards Peter.

 

 


 

PAULISTA.FRANSISCO.MICHAEL. INDONESIA.

 

Paulista FM from Jakarta/Indonesia is writing here. First of all i wanna introduce myself that in here i`ve ruined or own a small and DIY Hard Core radio station name Heart Crew Radio Station and it`s A Non profit radio Station. My Radio Station is just only a small diy station not commercial station i ruined with 2 of my friends in order to spread all good music to all of poor people in here!Cause almost of our people in here are poor!We try to spread and introduce foreign cool bands for all of people in here so they can know lots more about it! Let the musics growth our mind and heal all of our poor people bad and sad problems in this Nation of Hate!! About your songs,i`m really sorry i only have your: Birds Eat Martians album.I really love your songs at first time i hear it!Very cool for me! Everyday i often to play all of your cool band songs in my station for all of my radio listener.Cause it is to show my dedication and respect to your good band and it`is so very impossible for almost of poor people like us in here to buy or order any of that very very exspensive import cd or any stuffs!It`s all because of the worst and horrible Monetary Crisis and the greedy of our bad leaders and it`s been 7 years like this! Seems there`is no more better life or future! And maybe if you don`t mind i really need your original cd or 7 EP or LP for my radio station in order i can play it in here to all of my radio listener!Pleasehelp me and also my small poor radio station! And i`m really wish and hope for your great kindness to me that i really hope and wish that you would like to give or send me one or any of your band t-shirt for me!It`is been so long i dream and i wish to have and wear one or any of your band t-shirt!For poor people like me it`s only a dream that will NEVER come true to wear one or any of your great band t-shirt!! If you have and would like to give me your t-shirt i hope and i wish PLEASE send/give me SMALL SIZE shirt! It`s all because SMALL SIZE is my size!!I wish and hope that you would like to send me one or any of your band Small Size t-shirt for me! I wish and hope that maybe you can make my dream and my wish come true to have and wear one and any of your t-shirt! Thanks a lot for your great kindness to me and i hope to hear again from you very soon!Best regards!AND HERE`S MY ADRESS: SALUTE!

 

 

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