12rec. was launched in September 2004 by the current owners Sven Swift and Sim Sullen. Having met about a year before, Sven and Sim formed the rock band Majestik 12 and began recording songs at home and releasing them on cassette, CDR and, eventually via free MP3 download. Over time Sven and Sim became acquainted with other artists making outstanding music such as the Cologne artists Yokölastand and Jasmin along with the hip-hop duo Sichtbeton from Berlin. As Sim had been familiar with the netlabel scene since 2002, they decided to form their own netlabel and release music both as free downloads and on CDR. Combining their experiences gained from making Majestik 12 concert CD-R’s along with their skills in graphic design, Sven and Sim were able to produce fine quality products at reasonable prices. Each 12rec. release is accompanied by high quality, professional artwork. Sven says that “the packaging is nearly as important as the music” and that the CD-R’s “are more like a special service to music-lovers- the mp3’s will always be free.”
My first 12rec. download was Sichtbeton's self-titled long-player “Sichtbeton LP” (November 2004) - an entertaining experimental fusion of German rap and hip-hop beautifully textured with samples, field recordings, and synthesized orchestral sounds with the haunting “Kinder_des_Mittelmass” being an oft played track. A second early favorite download was Milhaven’s “Bars Closing Down“ (February 2005). No vocals on this album per se (except for some spoken words on “Drink a Pint of Blood a Day”) as the focus is on instrumental slow-rock featuring some beautiful guitar melodies. “New Orleans” is a keeper with its flowing acoustic guitar rising above a wash of watery field recordings while the sadly reverberating and cinematic electric guitar playing on “The East is Red” makes a lasting impression. The year 2005 closed with two memorable releases in December. James Gardner made a second appearance with his “Giraffe LP” which when compared with his previous folk-inspired and acoustic guitar oriented “Dusty Window EP” (January 2005) came as a complete surprise. The “Giraffe LP” moved more into progressive soft-rock territory as the overall sound is more electric and multi-instrumental (vocals, guitar, synths, field recordings, drum machines etc.). The acoustic guitar is still present but gone are the dominant folk music flavorings. Jasmin closed 2005 with their second album titled “EP02” a sequel to their EP that had been released one year earlier. This four-track album includes the fast-paced, hard rock influenced, distorted guitar riff laced “Heute im Stadion” and the warm and melodic pop-influenced “Koeln”. February 2006 saw 12rec. expand its already eclectic discography even further by releasing Daniel Maze’s amazing “Treehugger” album - six compositions overflowing with laptop-based digital soundscapes and electronic pop music born of digital noise.
Two recent releases to take note of are the Spanish based Heezen’s “Secret Speech” album (September 2006) whose six tracks are a surreal collage of sample-based electronica and electroacoustic sounds derived from old vinyl recordings, found sounds, guitar loops, and vocal fragments along with some laptop processing. “Lastre” and the “Secret Speech” are two representative tracks. Just released is the beat-laden, rap and hiphop album “Logenplatz im Pantheon” by Raflesia (October 2006), a rather tough sounding trio from Dortmund and Cologne. German lyrics, synthesized sounds, samples, and catchy rhythms define this album. Especially notable in this latest release are some rather darkish, melancholic tones that are clearly evident in tracks like “Soylent Green”, “Karbon”, "Nekropolis". and “Daedalus“.
For a general taste of what 12rec. has to offer and for a preview of what the future might hold, there are two compilation albums available. “Keepin´ It Real In 2005” (July 2005) offers many exclusive tracks from the label’s roster of outstanding artists including Fuellsand, Milhaven, Sichteton, Tupolev, Jasmine and more. Of the most recent compilations “Moreover Mödling” (August 2006), the liner notes read: “An adventurous mindset is about the only thing the bands on this record have in common.” Themed around the avant-garde music scene of Austria’s suburban Mödling region, the artists on his anthology delve into some truly ultramodern sounds.
“Adventurous” might be a good one word précis of the overall 12rec. style. To quote from their homepage - “no complaining about styles, we don't mind if the music consists of guitars, synthesizers or field-recordings. It should be touching, experimental or best both.”
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