FM4 Schnitzelbeats: The other sound of music

Today, on the occasion of the National Day: The Other Sound of Music, a brand new sampler, extracts historical disco, funk and new wave gems from the Austrian archives.

By Al Baird Sputnik

After re-releasing some rare releases from bands like Zenit, The Word or Falco, producer Robert Ponger, the Viennese label Hawara edition Now a debut collection has been released: “The Other Sound of Music” with the beautiful subtitle “Austria’s Forgotten Treasures from the 80s”. On this occasion, I arranged to meet one of the three operators, Johnny Nimitz, who launched the project with Fabio Wolkenstein and Julian Horn.

Al Bird Sputnik, FM4: Hi Johnny, how can you best describe EDITION HAWARA's work? What is the motivation for establishing the brand?

Johnny Nimitz: We release reissues, i.e. new versions of local 70s and 80s releases in the genres of jazz, funk and soul. All three of us have roots in the club scene. But at some point you grow up and your interests change a little. Above all, the desire to spend the night away takes a back seat. Hence the idea of ​​naming it at the right time.

Sputnik, FM4: How did you get involved in Austrian music?

Johnny Nimitz: We generally have a great interest in 70s and 80s music, apart from focusing on Austria. But at that time – I would say for 5 to 10 years – there was already a global trend that people were looking for soul and disco outside the USA and England. Of course there were incredibly exciting things happening in Austria as well.

Al Bird Sputnik, FM4: The Other Sound of Music sampler contains eight songs by eight local artists, some of which have been largely forgotten. How did this tracklist come about?

Johnny Nimitz: These are the titles that matter most to us after six to seven years of research. We were also pleased that we did not have to make a single compromise. These 8 tracks now in the collection were also the original selection we made about 5 years ago. I would say the choice is very personal. We did not experience that time ourselves simply because we were too young at the time. This means that our approach is not that we want to photograph a particular scene, but rather that we – as collectors and diggers – try to find what has not been discovered and make it accessible again.

Al Bird Sputnik, FM4: When working with historical releases, you always come across a surprising number of small recording studios and small record labels located all over Austria. What can you say about the 80s indie label scene today?

Johnny Nimitz: So, as far as I could see, there was an incredibly diverse and interesting label culture, with small brands appearing in various genres and in all federal states except the major ones. I think it wasn't very easy to get into the major record labels. So the solution, sooner or later, was to do everything yourself. The result is certainly a great variety. It was only later that I realized that the countless brands I grew up with in the '90s and 2000s existed much earlier.

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Hawara edition

Al Byrd Sputnik, FM4: The Other Sound of Music consciously opts for an experimental approach to local pop history, both in terms of the collection's title and artwork. What can be said about the concept?

Johnny Nimitz: Yes, we didn't want to delve into the classical clichés too much, i.e. mountains and Mozart and such, but we wanted to get away from that a little bit and do something more individual, but not losing sight of Austria.

Al Baird Sputnik, FM4: Thanks for the interview!