Various Artists
Sixteen F**king Years of G-Stone Recordings
Founded in Austria in 1993, independent label G-Stone Recordings has and continues to be a forerunner in electronica, maintaining their role as providers of quality releases from artists from the dub, hip-hop, downtempo, trip-hop and lounge traditions. With legends Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister (of Kruder & Dorfmeister, Peace Orchestra and Tosca) at the helm, G-Stone has maintained their vision of music by consistently outputting a plethora of bass-hugging grooves and infectious jams of memorable and everlasting reverberation. The importance of G-Stone as a label and as a ‘signature aesthetic’ is broad and deeply-rooted. Having their music featured in commercials, films, and even animated productions over the last 16 years, the music of Kruder, Dorfmeister and their roster of talented artists has been influential in a variety of ways.
Sixteen F**king Years of G-Stone Recordings is a new compilation of songs that showcases the accomplishments of G-Stone and reintroduces their style to a new generation of listeners while, at the same time, legitimizing the appreciation of veteran listeners through a delectable selection of beats. Each disc of the collection starts off with tracks by the masters themselves, Kruder & Dorfmeister (of The K&D Sessions fame) introduce the comp with a paradoxically relaxing and upbeat track “Aikon,” a subtle composition blending creativity and finesse while playing with listener expectation. The analogous disc 2 cut is titled “The G-Stone Anthem,” a mash-up track by URBS (credited to the OG’s K&D) over Peace Orchestra’s seminal 1999 track “Who Am I?” a song made popular in the episode “Kid’s Story” as part of The Animatrix collection—there is also another version of this track included remixed by Broken Reform which is equally striking. The entire collection includes productions from G-Stone’s flagship artists like K&D, Tosca (Valldemossa on disc 2 is a treat), Peace Orchestra, Makossa & Megablast, DJ DSL (“Happy Bear” is a fantastic cut), URBS (“Happy Days” is an impressive song), Rodney Hunter, Stereotyp and d.kay and more. Also included are gems from the G-Stone archives (from rare singles and 12’s), giving us a snapshot of the body of work generated by the label that brings their trajectory to the present-day.
Above from being European in core aesthetic, the music of G-Stone is remarkably international and brings in diverse influences and artists from around the globe. With traces of influences stemming from the musical conventions of Latin America, Africa and Asia, G-Stone has been able to gather and reenvision these rhythmic styles and affect the global music community with their distinct creations and simple-yet-complex approaches to music. This two-disc, 25-track compilation (13 f**king new and 12 f**king classics with an accompanying 32-page booklet chronicling the history of the label) is a combination of refreshing new compositions by recognized G-Stone artists and also some nostalgic cuts from their back catalogue that some of us may have missed. Sixteen F**king Years of G-Stone Recordings is a thoroughly enjoyable listen and collects some of the most sublime cuts from the Viennese label. This collection of G-Stone recordings looks back, looks forward yet represents the healthy and celebratory state of the label today. For as along as I can remember, G-Stone has always been of quality, and this release substantiates this belief. If you don’t know anything about G-Stone, you should get this. If you know everything there is to know about G-Stone, you should get this too. Pick it up, turn it up, and let the music accompany you on your travels.
Leave A Comment!