Time Out Moscow, June 13-19 view1, view2, view3
Element Moscow, June 16-22 view
Some Other Mag Moscow, June 16-26 view
Citylife Manchester, June 23-29 view
VOGUE Italia, April 2004 n.644
By Olivier Rohrbach
Questa nuova tendenza musicale presenta anche interpreti piu glamorous, e I Scissor Sisters - in uscita questo mese in Italia con il primo, omonimo album - ne sono la material- lizzazione Americana: immaginate I Bee Gees sotto effeto di acido che registrano con Felix da Housecat e Tiga. Un mix esplosivo come dimostra la rapida scalata del gruppo composto da tre gay e due etero il cui nome e ispirato a una posizione dell'immaginario sessuale lesbico: difficile inventarsi qualcosa di meglio per farsi notare. E dopo che la tournee inglese appena terminata ha fatto registrare il sold out, il ritorno sul palco - previsto per aprile con I Duran Duran - e sulla bocca di tutti. Le armi invincibili dei Scissor Sisters? Affermazioni provacatorie ("We believe in sex"), un gusto innato per un look eccentrico. E, sopratutto, fascino musicale che cita il Bowie del periodo "Let's dance" fino alle Hungry Wives, passando per I Pink Floyd di cui hanno campionato un titolo da "The wall" per registrare "Comfortably Numb", il loro mega-hit sotto forma di inno in falsetto. "È il mio mondo naturale di cantare, ma diventa pesante farlo tutto le sere. A volte fa male!", afferma Jake Shears, venticinque anni, cantante e leader del gruppo. L'etichetta newyorkese A touch of class, con cui I Scissor Sisters hanno inciso I prima dischi dopo essere stati scoperti in un club del Greenwich Village mentre si esbivano davanti a un pubblico di cinquanta persone, non e nuova a queste folgoranti scomesse. Fondata da Olivier "Class" Stumm e Dominique Domie "LeTouch" Clausen, due djs di Zurigo in trasferta a New York, la label fa della stravaganza un must. Ma guarda anche alla qualita, come dimostra la band The Ones (di cui ora mettono sul mercato un nuovo lavoro molto groove), e il fatto che George Michael ne abbia chiesto la collaborazione per il proprio album. Il fantasma dei Pink Floyd non e apparso solo ai Scissor Sisters: a Sheffield, la band I Monster ha subito lo stesso fascino con variante electro. L'eccellente "Neveroddoreven", il primo album del duo psichedelico, propone un buon recycling sonoro che va dai Boney M. alle colonne sonore cinematografiche. Il falsetto imperversa anche in "The great blue scar", esordio di Yann Destall, il cantante dei Modjo. Musicista esperto, Yann Destal ha realizzato in questo primo disco un collage di suoni e atmosfere teatrali che evocano I suoi miti (Queen, Bowie e Pink Floyd) ma senza le classiche campionature e con una presenza scenica che non riporta in vita solo il suono di un'epoca, ma anche il suo sex appeal: un vero tour de force.
Production team A Touch of Class finally emerges as NYC's hottest purveyor of dance music
By Elisabeth Vincentelli
Far be it from us to begrudge the DFA's accomplishments, but the hyped local producers don't actually seem to produce that much. A couple of songs here, a DJ gig there-at the end of the day, the DFA's credit list remains pretty damn short. Meanwhile, it's A Touch of Class-the other local production team, band and label combo-that's stealthily cranking out one infectious dance number after another, in styles ranging from Italo disco to house and electro.
ATOC's Oliver Stumm doesn't seem to mind his semi-obscurity. "When electroclash hit (in 2001), we'd read about all the New York underground labels, and we weren't even mentioned," he recalls. "We'd be like, Hmmm, do we need a publicist?" Electroclash's 15 minutes ran out, and Stumm and his ATOC partner, Dominique Clausen (who moved to NYC from Switzerland in 1997), are having the last laugh: Their work on the current Scissor Sisters' Eurohit, "Comfortably Numb," has helped turn an old Pink Floyd song into an all-out disco number. Now, the track anchors 14 other ATOC productions and remixes on A Touch of Class Sucks!, a new retrospective that mixes and matches dance genres with rare glee.
This freewheeling approach isn't surprising, considering that Stumm and Clausen started ATOC in reaction to the dogmatic splintering of electronic music in the late 90's. "We were tired of these boring beat-defined genres: progressive house, trance house, happy trance, Goa trance, etc.," Stumm explains. "With us, anything goes."
ATOC's break came in 1999, when Stumm and Clausen co-wrote and produced "Flawless" for downtown trio the Ones. "Nobody here was interested," Stumm recalls. "It finally was released in England, where it became a (top ten) hit in 2001." ATOC's disco-pop sound continues to be more popular in Europe than in NYC, but the duo perseveres, writing, producing, and remixing tracks for acts both local (A.R.E. Weapons) and International (Waldorf).
As word got around that Clausen and Stumm knew their way around the fine points of hot dance subgenres, they also became in-demand DJ's. Yet they shun club staples, such as velvet ropes and doormen, preferring to set their own events in more democratic locales. "In 2000, we did a party in a building that had gotten shut down because it was a brothel," Stumm says. "We asked the owner if we could rent it and he agreed-as long as there wasn't any prostitution involved." If that's not classÉ
A Touch of Class plays the Repellent Festival at Volume Saturday 27. A Touch of Class Sucks! Is out on A Touch of Class Recordings.
Paul Flynn, The Guardian, 02/18/04
More rock and pop features Why I love... ... A Touch of Class
At a moment in pop culture when dance music has hit a superannuated, ego-driven stalemate, a funky little Manhattan imprint friskily turning out a bunch of 12" party records has become a shot of adrenaline to the arm of a stagnating industry.
A Touch of Class is two people, Domie Le Touch and Oliver Class. Bored of the velvet rope tedium of the serious Manhattan nightclub circuit, they began holding parties in disused Korean brothels and Lower East Side laundromats before fashioning records. Their coterie included a couple of played a souped-up, semi-blasphemous electro cover of a Pink Floyd song in their set. Now the toast of every hipster dinner party conversation, Scissor Sisters' Comfortably Numb was originally thrown away as a B-side on their A Touch of Class debut, Electrobix.
Domie and Oliver made Flawless for the Ones - a record so ubiquitous it is covered on the new George Michael album - as a situationist prank, so that their three outre, gender unspecific pals had something to dance to at Wigstock. It turned them into temporary, hot-panted pop stars for a season.
A Touch of Class have an implicit, effortless feel for the unspoilable fun of dancing. Beyond the pop hits lies a further bevvy of riches, all on the fabulous A Touch of Class Sucks! compilation. On it you'll find vocals by punk disco off-shoot of art rockers ARE Weapons and a coruscating mash-up of the Ones with Frankie Goes to Hollywood. And if you thought that their Pink Floyd campathon was sacreligious, wait until you hear what they've done to the Beatles' Because. It's all quite enough to put a bit of faith back into the day-glo possibilities of disco. Contrary to popular thinking, the glitterball is alive and well in 2004.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Touch of Class Sucks! is an all-night NY club binge - without the inevitable hangover, empty wallet, and pesky supermodel entourage - on the arm of New York production duo A Touch of Class (Oliver Stumm and Dominique Clausen). Vinyl sides alternately labeled "Disco Sucks!," "Electro Sucks!," "Rock Sucks!," and "Punk Sucks!" feature the Scissor Sisters' ingenious '80s dance take on Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," HiFi Serious' blessed version of the Beatles' "Because," and ATOC's own update of Klein & Mbo's 1983 electro-disco classic "Dirty Talk." Waldorf's "Fashionist" and the Ones' runway-related UK club anthem "Flawless" demonstrate why ATOC is a favorite in NY's elite fashion circles, and ATOC's own spectrum-bending electro rounds out the collection. Having learned from electroclash's mistakes, ATOC is betting that anti-hype is better than no hype at all, but buyer beware: they definitely don't suck.
(CW), earplug.cc, Feb 2004
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Touch Of Class Sucks!
Britanski glazbeni tisak ne samo sõto voli hype, nego i zõivi od njega. U kratkom razdoblju sretni dobitnik zasluzõi hrpu odlicõnih recenzija, intervjui pune stranice magazina i stjecõe se dojam kako je taj, ponu?eni tip glazbe, upravo najaktualniji zvuk ovoga trenutka. Sluzõbeno, prvi veliki hype za 2004. godinu zove se Scissor Sisters, njujorsõka electro-disco-glam-rock skupina koju je vec« preuzeo veliki Polydor, a cõija se Pink Floyd obrada ÇComfortably NumbÈ vec« neko vrijeme nalazi na gotovo svim plesnim playlistama. Krajni dokaz ucõinkovite promotivne masõinerije osjeti se i u glazbenoj zabiti zvanoj Hrvatska: neobicõnom milosõc«u ovdasõnjih distributera, cõija informiranost o novoj glazbi dosezõe tek Madonnu i komercijalni americõki hip-hop, Scissor Sisters dospjeli su i u TV umoboliju zvanu ÇBljeskalicaÈ. Jedva punoljetna najavljivacõica opisala je tako ÇComfortably NumbÈ kao vrhunski novitet necõega sõto bi, mozõda, jednog dana, mogli kupiti i u ovdasõnjim CD shopovima.
Scissor Sisters me?utim, nisu frisõka vijest koju je otkrio britanski tisak, niti postoje od jucõer. Unazad dvije posljednje godine vinili ove skupine koja je zanat pekla u gay klubovima New Yorka, redovito su izlazili pod okriljem etikete A Touch Of Class Recordings, pocõevsõi od velikog electrowave hita ÇElectrobixÈ. A Touch Of Class, zapravo producentski dvojac kojega cõine Dominique Clausen i Oliver Stumm, dva su Sõvicarca trajno preseljena u susjedstvo DFA Records, jedan dizajner, drugi matematicõar, a zajedno, sõtovatelji Çretardiranog disco zvukaÈ, kako sami vole rec«i. ÇA Touch Of Class Sucks!È njihov je prvi izlet u CD izdavasõtvo, retrospektiva svega sõto se radilo od osnivanja 1999. godine pa sve do danas. Za razliku od electroclash mogula Larry Teea kojemu je ironicõni glamour electro scene na prvome mjestu, Clausen i Stumm nikada u reklamu nisu ulozõili niti jednoga dolara, marno su izdavali plocõe, dok je jedini i vrlo pametan potez promocije bio omoguc«avanje besplatnog downloada cijelog njihovog kataloga na maticõnom web-sajtu.
ÇA Touch Of Class Sucks!È, sasvim ocõekivano i otvaraju Scissor Sisters s ÇComfortably NumbÈ, osvijesõtena obrada nekoc« progresivnih dinosaura u kojoj vokali simuliraju usõkopljeni pjev Bee Geesa, a koja je u vrijeme prvoga izdanja bila dozõivljena kao simpaticõna B-strana skupine koja ocõito ima smisla za humor. No, to doista nije vrhunac promisõljene ÇretardiranostiÈ u opusu Clausena i Stumma: tako?er je ukljucõen i ÇStrange SoundsÈ, sjajni singl Manuela Minda i Valentina Tomasija, u cijelosti otpjevan na josõ posebniji nacõin. Naime, vokalist je zõelio pod svaku cijenu biti drugacõiji i u tome se priklonio neobicõnome postupku &Mac220; dok pjeva, drzõi prstima zacõepljen nos, pri cõemu bi se tehnika mogla krac«e nazvati i pjevanje iz sinusa. Disco punk skupina Secret Weapons zastupljena je sa odlicõnim ÇBumpsÈ, no nazõalost, na CD-u nije visõe bilo mjesta za njihov garazõno gitaristicõki ispad ÇNervous BreakdownÈ snimljen odvojeno u dva stereo kanala, tako da slusõanjem svakoga zasebno dobivate i dvije posve nove stvari. Od vec«ih uspjesõnica A Touch Of Class produkcije, tu je i na underground electro sceni omiljeni Waldorf, camp sastav koji je naslovom ÇFashionistÈ, nastalim krizõanjem termina fashion i fascist, te tekstom kojega cõini nabrajanje marki i dizajnera, kriticõki intonirao svoj stav prema modnoj industriji.
Od ostalih imena, autenticõan proizvod ove etikete su i The Ones, koje danas svojata Ministry Of Sound, a na ÇA Touch Of Class Sucks!È uklopljeni su remixom stare uspjesõnice ÇFlawlessÈ. Clausen i Stumm ovdje su ponudili i prve snimke svog banda, imenovanog kao i sama etiketa, zõestoki disco punk u ÇStart It UpÈ i ÇNot You-Me!È, te ponesõto smireniju ÇStreetdubÈ, obradu ÇStreetgangaÈ A.R.E. Weapons. Usporedbe s DFA produkcijom vec« su spomenute u nekim tiskovinama, no tek moderno isõcõitavanje starog disco zvuka je zajednicõko, dok u dodacima, tamo gdje se DFA fasciniraju rock glazbom i eksperimentalnim finesama, A Touch Of Class kao prioritet stavljaju opsesiju italo discom, te imenima poput Bobby Orlanda i Patricka Cowleyja. Ovo dakako ne znacõi kako je Clausen i Stumm produkcija zõanrovski jednodimenzionalna &Mac220; varijacije su uvijek dobrodosõle, i to je upravo ono najbolje, dok jasan odmak od trendovskog jamcõi aktualnost i u buduc«nosti. Plasõi li se pak tko aveti zvane italo disco, mozõda c«e mu pomoc«i saznanje kako ovaj u nas pogresõno reprezentiran stil u novije vrijeme jest nezaobilazan element DJ setova Aphex Twina i slicõne ekipe, pa su A Touch Of Class i u tome segmentu gotovo proroci dobrog, eklekticõnog zvuka.
Ipak, cõekati da sve to stigne u ÇBljeskalicuÈ stvarno nema smisla.
Zõeljko Luketic«, Radio 101 Zagreb Croatia, Feb 2004
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ATOC Records are a bit of a well-kept secret. Those that have already discovered them will know exactly what I mean when I say they are the home of some of the most innovative, inspiring and damn 'out-there' music, with a dance emphasis to emerge in the past 18 months. Musically they take elements of disco (The Ones "Flawless"), electroclash (Scissor Sisters "Comfortably Numb"), punk (The Fox "Ride On") and some seriously weird shit (Waldorf "Fashionist"). The Ones enjoyed a top 10 hit here with "Flawless" and it's included in a seriously retro Italo Disco Mix, alongside 14 other unmixed offerings. Highs are many - I just love Waldorf's spot-the-influence "You're My Disco" (Indeep, Daft Punk, Oliver Cheatham), and an ATOC re-edit of Klein & MBO's cult '80s offering "Dirty Talk". If alternate-dance is where you're at then ATOC is where you should be.
5 out of 5 stars
Lewis Dene, Update Magazine UK, Jan 2004
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Der Titel der CD & der Name "A touch of class" ist weiter Oberbegriff und eigenständige Philosophie für das Schaffen der beiden New Yorker Oliver Stumm & Dominique Clausen, die Musik Produzieren, Artwork & Webdesign anfertigen, ein Label betreiben und Installationen & Events aufbieten. Die beiden liefern Elektropop, Discofunk, Elektroclash & elektronischen Punkrock ab, an dem die Freunde von Labels wie Gigolo, Dekathlon, Ghostly International, Ersatz Audio Ihre Freude haben. Die zwei traten mit Künstlern wie 2 Many DJs, Tiga, Felix da Housecat, Erol Alkan auf und produzierten mit Ihnen. Ihre Stücke sind u.a. auf den MTV Ibiza- & Ministry of Sound-Compilations zu finden. Die CD ist eine Sammlung der vergangenen Arbeiten & Produktionen auf Ihrem Label wie u.a. The Ones "Flawless" (Top Ten in den UK), Scissors Sisters "Comfortably Numb" (ein elektroides Pink Floyd-Remake) oder des 83er-Elektro-Disko-Klassikers "Dirty Talk" von Klein & MBO. 15 experimentierfreudige Elektro-Tracks, die frisch & frech klingen und keinen Trends hinterher rennen sonder sie neu setzen! Really hot shit indeed! (DS) (4.0 von 5.0)
www.Nitebeat.de
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Touch of Class Sucks V.A. - ATOC Rec. - Electro / Techhouse - Do. LP 12 Tracks Das New Yorker DJ- Gespann Oliver Stumm und Dominique Clausen bilden das vorwiegend Electro- Disco- Punkfans bekannte "A Touch of Class" Duo plus gleichnamiges Label, auf dem in der Vergangenheit jede Menge verwertbares in Sachen "Clash" das Licht der Welt erblickte. Jetzt beginnt die Sache langsam zu Nerven, obwohl man es ja liebt. Deshalb "Sucks"! Auf jeder Seite dieses Doppelvinyls gibt es eine Sucks- Variante. Electro, Rock, Punk und Disco alles Sucks! Aber nicht verwirrt sein, es geht um die Thematik die seit geraumer Zeit die Discos "aufmoshed" und das perfekt. Neben dem zum Hit avancierten "Flawless" der "The Ones" finden sich unzählige Perlen auf diesem Album, die allesamt Peektime- Geilheit in der Hose haben. Waldorf, Hifi Serious, oder eben A Touch of Class himself, sowie der Hitansage aus dem Beipackzettel für Scissor Sisters "Comfortably Numb". WZBW, aber könnte schon hinkommen. (srt)
Freshguide online
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Touch of Class - Sucks! (A touch of class Rec. / EFA) Rotziger Titel, rockige Attitüde. A touch of Class wollen provozieren, ein bisschen den musikalischen Stinkefinger ausleben, sich mit diesem Titel auf die "Disco Sucks"-Bewegung Ende der 70er beziehen und das mit einer kleinen Auswahl ihrer Werke und Produktionen. Wer will hier wem was beweisen? Jedenfalls stürzen sich die beiden New Yorker Oliver Stumm und Dominique Clausen voll ins Getümmel zwischen rockigen Elektropunkern und elektronischen Discorockern, um mal diese zwei Schlüsselbegriffe aus dem Pressetext zu zitieren, die eigentlich nur um den hei§en Brei herumschleichen, um den die Tracks kreisen: Elektroclash. Autsch, das klingt nach Hype. Doch dumpfes Bedienen von selbsterschaffenen Bedürfnissen steht bei a Touch of Class nicht zur Debatte, zu präzise treffen ihre Produktionen ins kickende Schwarze, egal ob bratzig losrockend wie mit "Ride on", discoid groovend wie bei "Because" oder hämisch grinsend im Skuril-House-Gewand wie bei "Flawless" von The Ones, dass sich mit seiner Gummibandbassline-plus-Vocoder-Kombination schon mal bis in die UK Top Ten hochgebounct hatte und ja immer gut für ein kleines Inferno für zwischendurch zu gebrauchen war und ist. Nasal-Gesänge, Gitarrenorgien und Pink-Floyd Coverversionen, das unglaubliche "Fashionist" von Waldorf - keine leichte Kost, aber so selbstironisch augenzwinkernd präsentiert, dass man alle Bedenken vergisst, den ein oder anderen Track der nervigeren Sorte fröhlich skippt und sich am unterhaltsamen Rest bestens erfreuen kann.
ludwig, De BUG Dec 2003
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Touch Of Class (Atoc /Efa) Electroclash war ja auch 2003 noch immer so ein sehr griffiges Schlagwort, wenn es darum ging, die Vermählung von kühlen elektronischen Sounds und exzessiven Rockgesten zu feiern. Dabei hat sich das daraus erwachsene Genre ja schon wieder getrennt, verteilt, die Kinder weggeben. Bei all diesem Overkill auch seitens der Hypemaschinerie ist Electroclash als Begriff auf direktem Weg zum Unwort geschliddert. Zuviel Müll wurde geschrieben, zuviel partyblöder Mist veröffentlicht. Da tut es gut zu sehen, dass zu dem Thema auch noch stilistisch einwandfrei und vorwärtsdenkend compiliert wird. So muss man nämlich "A Touch Of Class Sucks!" verstehen. Ein Name übrigens, den sonst nur Mel TomZ&Mac255;, Shirley Bassey, Nat King Cole für ihre Alben verwenden. Diese Version hier jedenfalls bringt das Spannungsfeld von Retro und Zukunft unheimlich auf den Punkt. Trotz unterschiedlichster Akteure wirkt alles wie aus einem Guss. Mit u. a. ARE Weapons, Scissor Sisters, Waldorf, The Fox. Nur zu empfehlen. Taugt für den gepflegten Absturz aber eben auch für einiges mehr.
Ulrike Puth, Intro magazin, Dec 2003
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disco sucks!
Immaginate "Confortably Numb" dei Pink Floyd trasportata allo Studio 54 alla fine degli anni 70. Strobo a mille, luci e paillettes, giacche bianche e voci accelerate tipo Bee Gees. Avete inorridito abbastanza? Bene, quella era la versone delle Scissors Sisters, un white label di cui abbiamo parlato qualche tempo fa a proposito dell'Hotel Pellirocco. Ora immaginatela di nuovo, ma con un tiro impressionante, con gli arpeggi di di Gilmour che stridono in contrasto con un riff proveniente da chiss&Mac246; dove prima che entri l' "Hello, is there anybody out there?" e tutto vada per aria come se James Brown fosse ad un party electroclash. Ecco, questa ? la stessa canzone dopo il trattamento di A Touch Of Class. Gruppo numeroso e multisessuale di Mc, DJ e ballerini con base a New York, gli ATOC sono ormai l'eccellenza del circuito cittadino e del club, ma ancora sconosciuti al grande pubblico. Almeno sino a quando questa raccolta di remix non giunger&Mac246; all'orecchio di un numero sufficientemente alto di persone. Se siete tra quelli che guardano all'electroclash con un sopracciglio alzato, se la sapete troppo lunga per cascarci, se avete hanno perso interesse dopo i primi tre dischi... beh, lo so che si dice sempre cos“, ma potrebbe davvero essere arrivato il momento di ricredersi. PerchZ&Mac255; A Touch of Class riportano l'electoclash al puro fattore di divertimento, lo travestono come un viado, lo imbottiscono di fuochi d'artificio, accendono la miccia e depongono il tutto al centro della pista. Su questa raccolta non c'? un pezzo che non sia sopra le righe, e non ce n'? uno che non faccia il suo mestiere, ovvero farvi ballare. La Disco (D maiuscola) la fa da padrona assoluta, sia nel revival a firma Mind/Tomasi ("Strange Sounds" sa di Will Powers e di Indeep) che nel glitter sintetico di Hi Fi Serious che campionano/traducono Because dei Beatles in Italiano (e ci risiamo coi mostri sacri) con risultati che non esito a definire eclatanti. Poi c'? il funky modernizzato da Klein&MBO (direttamente dal 1985), reminescenze eighties e spettacolarismo house da The Ones, l'elettropunk con sirene di The Fox che in Ride On cavalcano senza sosta. E gli originali a forma ATOC non sono meno interessanti: forse perdono un po' in inventiva (si va dall'electro camuffata da hardcore di "Start it up" ai beats di "Not you - me!", che ? come le Chicks on Speed con un po' di personalit&Mac246; in meno e qualche nota in pi?) ma rimangono dei perfetti esempi della esplosivit&Mac246; della scena electro di downtown New York. Ce n'? quanto basta per concludere che questi signori (difficile dire quanti siano, ad occhio e croce una dozzina di persone impegnate nella produzione) sono in grado di trasformare in oro tutto ci&Mac247; che toccano, come il Fatboy Slim di qualche anno fa.
Salvatore "Howty" Patti , musicboom.it, Jan 2004
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Comment: Hello, is there anybody out there?
Oliver Stumm and Dominique Clausen (aka A Touch Of Class) are a production duo that originate from Switzerland, before moving to the big apple. They established the A Touch Of Class Recordings label to release material under their various production guises. Since then, the NY label has had a string of releases, most notably Comfortably Numb by Scissor Sisters and the massive Flawless by The Ones (Top Ten in the UK). A Touch Of Class Sucks! is a collection of songs from the label, including cuts from A.R.E. Weapons, Waldorf, Pop Deluxe, The Fox and Hi Fi Serious. Ok then, get comfortable and lets get started. Scissor Sisters opener is a lively remix of Pink Floyds Comfortably Numb. Streetgang and Strange Sounds follow on, then its time to get serious, Hi Fi serious, simply Because. A bit of Dirty Talk comes up next before the italo disco retouch of Flawless. After that its time to get your fashion shoes on, with the Fashionist pumping praise via an a-z of popular designer labels. The original mix of Comfortably Numb wouldnt sound out of place on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, very reminiscent of the Bee Gees sound. Youre My Disco is a fine track that makes you want to make love and listen to the music. Ride On speeds the tempo up again, which is built upon by Start It Up and Bumps. A Touch of Class have their say with Not You-Me! and Steetdub. More Future wraps things up and winds the album down. So, is the album flawless, absolutely flawless? Its not flawless, but it doesnt suck either! Unlike Pink Floyd, it isnt a collection of great dance songs. However, this album is a collection of good dance songs blending electro with a touch of rock, dance, disco and punk. Its fair to say that this class has graduated full of fun and panache. Tres chic.
Domenico Marte, xpander.nl, Jan 2004
Photo by Isabel Asha Penzlien
By Paul Flynn
The first rule of electro: suck, don't blow
In 1999 Domie "LeTouch" Clausen and Oliver "Class" Stumm decided to do absolutely four-to-the floor- less. The preposterously named duo had it with nightclubs, period: 'Beat syncopated house had become elevator muzak. No personality. Guest lists. VIP rooms. Velvet ropes. Meathead bouncers. Genre music. Phoning ahead for invites. Dull, dull, dull, yawns Domie from his Manhattan studio. So they threw a party in a downtown Korean brothel ("the fixtures were still there, it was kinda neat"), watched a clientele of their own outre chumps having booth sex and flipping out to random electronic tunes, and kick-started the flouro freakshow nuovo disco imprint A Touch of Class. Given their company ethos, it might just as well have been A Touch of Crass. "As long as it's retarded, we love it," shares Oliver, kindly. ATOC is a different kind of retarded dance label. There is no PR , no flannel, very little in the way of mass distribution and just one genius website (www.atouchofclassusa.com) from which the world can download the infectious, feet friendly cartoonery of Messieurs Touch and Class (possibly not their birth names). They're in thrall to the aesthetic of electroclash - "all our artists are freaks", they boast - but that's where the Larry Tee connections close. ATOC marry their audacious outfits' visual sense to thrillingly realised and camply theatrical musical directive, descended directly from their heroes Partick Cowley, Bobby O., Giorgio Moroder ("obviously") and Boney M colossus Frank Farian. All lovingly produced and mixed by them. "We 're control freaks", says Dominique. Somewhat incongruously, they are also both straight. "A lot of the electroclash acts forgot that people wanted to dance. We love Casey Spooner's performances, the whole art gallery thing" says Oliver, partially explaining why their soon-come, thrill-a-minute 'best' of compilation was going to be titled "Electro Sucks!" But musically, well, I think at least over in Britian you were waiting for someone a little...more. The visual attitude of these bands is wow, but I'm getting kinda bored of bands sending us photos and press releases with no demos. They just want magazine covers." The ATOC roster, though burgeoning, is already mighty real. There's glacial electro from Pop Deluxe, Rimini beach boogie from Waldorf, outlandish rollerboot disco from The Ones, kinky couture synthetics from Sideview (guest vocalist: Jeremy Scott) and possibly the world's first ever bootcamp psychedelic house ensemble, Scissor Sisters. If none of the beats match then, hey they weren't meant to. Domie and Oliver made Flawless for their three friends to have something to dance to at Wigstock. "It pays the rent", says Domie now, of its one-time ubiugity. Comfortably Numb was originally thrown away as a b-side to Scissor Sister's gawdy hymn to body dysmorphia Electrobix. And next? It's all about punk disco. ARE Weapons thrashy, flashy dance offshoot Secret Weapons is an ATOC collaboration, while ATOC artists' contribution to the compilation - now called A Touch of Class Sucks - it's a witty rock pastiche, Punk Demo. And for Domie and Oliver? We're looking for the perfect gym for our next party, so if anyone could help us Answers on the back of something day-glo, scented with a little Liquid Gold. ATOC is that kind of a operation.
Photography Conrad Ventur
Hair and make up Rob Talty (Luxe)
Back row from left Andrea (ATOC Recordings), Disgohst (Waldorf) Middle row from left Clark Steiner (Waldorf), Oliver Ces't Class (cofounder, ATOC Recordings, A Touch of Class), Domie LeTouch (cofounder, ATOC Recordings, A Touch of Class), Paul (The Ones) Jo Jo ( The Ones), Nashom (The Ones), Babydaddy (Scissor Sisters), Jake (Scissor Sisters) Front row from left Elfa (Waldorf) Ana Matronic (Scissor Sisters), Derek G (Scissor Sisters) Kid-Italy (Waldorf), Elfe (Waldorf)
ALL THE LABELS YOU NEED TO KNOW
BY MICHEL GAUBERT
Record labels---and that's labels as opposed to brands- are sprouting up rapidly all over the world. They are the new mini majors, although none of them is about to give up its state of independence. The 90s have seen the evolution of Gigolo, MoWax, Source, Thrill Jockey, Disko B, Roulé, Warp, One Little Indian, and now DFA, A Touch of Class, Gomma, Output, Gooom, Kitty-Yo, Flesh, and Bpitchcontrol. Taking advantage of all the formats that our media-frenzied world has to offer, they not only produce great music, they also have finely tuned visual identities to match. Their founders started out in life as graphic designers, party promoters, art-school dropouts, zine editors, and more often than not DJs. They operate like families, some more functional than others, producing only the music they like, made by people they like to hang out with, which in some cases means their own music. They handle everything in house: artwork, graphics, websites- even distribution. Legendary labels like Factory, Mute, Warp Ze, and 99 Records stand as a point of reference for most of them, pioneers of phenomenon that can best be described as music design. Despite their obvious differences in taste, all agree that the connection between the image and the music is essential to getting the message across. The message being, of course, the music.
ATOC RECORDINGS
FOUNDERS Domie "LeTouch" Clausen and Oliver "Class" Stumm, 1999
BASE New York City
ARTISTS A Touch of Class, The Ones, Waldorf, Pop Deluxe, Manuel Mind & Valentino Tomasi, Scissor Sisters
Who is hiding behind the pseudonyms Domie Le Touch and Oliver C'est Class? Dominique Clausen, alias Domie Le Touch grew up in Zurich, Switzerland, where he went to art school to get a masters degree in visual design. He played drums as a teenager, before he got his fingers on one of those drum machines. He then started deejaying at illegal parties in basements. Oliver C'est Class (Oliver Stumm) is half American, half Swiss. Having both passports lets him switch identities any time, which has come in handy at immigration offices and police headquarters. He has a masters degree in mathematics and computer science and enjoyed a classical-music education. While his music teachers couldn't explain why he like the pubescent, primitive popmusic, he moved on to beome known as sort of a DJ Legend and pioneer in Switzerland and popular for his rather eccentric and provocative behaviour and attitude. He was a member of the New York-underground house label Liquid Groove and producer of acts such as H2O ("Take me higher", "Nobody's Business") and Massflow.
What were you doing before you founded ATOC ? We were tired of the whole anonymous "beats" movement. Every style was defined by a specific beat with a hundred subgenres and really boring. Everything was politically correct and had no attitude. So we made the "Rock EP" with Michael Jackson, which was our first illegal ATOC release in 1999.
What's with the name A Touch of Class? We are tired of easily assembled lifestyles and industry compromises so we decided t make a label that was not about a specific beat or style a label that was bold and all about the attitude. A label that allowed some irony. We got the name A Touch of Class off of a garbage truck, you know, the chrome emblem with the naked girl. The name a Touch of Class signifies suburban Laundromats, limousine and escort services. Every music style is allowed on our label as long the attitude is right. We also believe in total independence and control. From sound programming and mixing to artwork and design of our website, we do everything ourselves without outside help, thus making meetings unnecessary.
What is the swiss music scene like ? After the club and liquor laws opened up and the illegal spots vanished it got really boring. But those formative years brought forward some successful new artists like Waldorf, Golden Boy, Miss Kittin, The Genva posse (Iggy Cock, Melistar, etc. )
Where you involved in that scene at any point? We were the creators, until we moved away.
Why did you move to New York to do your label? We believed that although Switzerland is a comfortable place to live, New York is an inspiring, fertile ground for new music Also, there is an immense amount talent here. New York is in a transition right now and reminds us very much of the early 80s with its everything goes mentality.
The most famous swiss musical exports before you were Dieter and Boris from Yello and they also had ties with New York. Do you know them? And do you relate to them at all? Yes We had to drive up to their Villa every now and then to play them the newest records, since they were too lazy and scared to come to our illegal events. We still have a lot of respect for what they did even though they never gave us an opportunity or supported us. They had the Fairlight (the first real sampler) back then. Thats why they were the kings.
You obviously control the graphics of the label. How important is this? It's as important as the music. We not only control it; we actually do most of it ourselves (that's why the programming on the website is so shitty) We don't see the label as just an outlet for music. It should be a world of its own.
How did you meet the artists that you have signed to your label? By coincidence and through friends. We don't listen to demos.
Do you produce them all ? We produce most of the artists. We don't really consider ATOC a real label. It's more a platform for our work and other people's stuff we really like. Sometimes we'll put something out as is. We collaborate with the bands and help them develop and define themselves from a musical, as well as a visual, point of view.
You are releasing a single by Jeremy Scott "Wanna Be", Do you plan on launching other fashion designers into singing careers? I know a few who can sing "Comfortably Numb". If you ever want to make remixes, let me know I could help. Maybe Nicolas Ghesquiere could do something. Since he's such a perfectionist, it'd probably turn out great. He must be really busy, though.
I think that "The Fashionist" by Waldorf is quite witty. I especially like the choir at the end, and with names like Scissor Sisters and Pop Deluxe the artists on your label, don't you agree, are quite fashion-friendly and like to be seen? It's great to see unfabricated bands and artists from a visual perspective again. They are more or less aware of whats going on in fashion and reference certain elements of it. Waldorf, for example, is beyond fashion--"The Fashionist" is actually a critical approach to describe the current state of fashionÑand since they are a performance-oriented band, you actually have to see them to understand their concept.
Any fashion victims among them? We all are to some extent. While the Scissor Sisters might not be the most stylish band in the world, The Ones definitely strive for that title. You wouldn't want to be their suitcase valet on tour. .
What is the biggest hit your label has had so far? The Ones "Flawless" pretty much cleaned the plate. And we did that tune in 1999!
Who- past- or present- would you like to produce or to have produced? Lene Lovich, Gina Kikoine (Gina X), Lizzy Mercier, or anything recorded at Compasspoint Studios Bahamas, with the team of Steven Stanley, Wally Badarou, Sly and Robbie. Der Plan, Roxo, Azoto or maybe Bobby O. should produce us.
I hear you are planning to release an album called "Electro Sucks." Does it suck that bad? We are already reconsidering to calling it "A Touch of Class Sucks!" The album will contain the body of our work of the last two years, including remixes, demos, etc., as well as our catalog of ATOC releases.