Bjørn Torske is a veteran Norwegian electronic music producer, who has been around since the late 90s, producing four stellar albums along the way. Since the Sex Tags inception, he’s released a few records for the imprint, implementing his well-accustomed disco flair to the mix. Under his Krisp alias, Torske splices a tantalizing disco riff. The whole tune is made up of endless filtered cuts and loops fixed together to create an amalgamated disco edit, and it sufficiently highlights the Sex Tags quality and authenticity.
DJ Sotofett – Pulehouse (Wania)
A contribution from Sex Tags co-bossman DJ Sotofett in the form of floaty weirdo house. The percussive workout and lush pads complement each other here, but what stand out the most is the different snippets of nature echoed throughout the production, adding to the overall pleasantness of the listening experience. This record epitomizes all that the Sex Tags crew try to invoke in their output. Their originality is second to none and this track only helps to highlight that notion.
Kambo Super Sound is a group dedicated to promoting sound system culture in Norway, often teaming up with the other Norse dub overlord Don Papa with their releases, as well as hosting parties in the traditional sound system manner. If there’s anything that can be taken from the Sex Tags crew, it’s that quality overrides quantity. This record is testament to that with its tasteful replication of dub that promotes the Sex Tags gangs’ eclecticism and obsession with the obscure.
Demented party music from DJ Fett Burger on the A-side of a split 12” release on Sex Tags UFO with the equally impressively named DJ Grillo Weiner on the B-side. A disco sample is tweaked and flipped whilst a fat bass line stomps its way through a whirlwind of hand drums, eventually joined around the five-minute mark by a keyboard line that takes the track in an altogether more lovely direction. It’s summarised nicely by what’s written on the label: “Extraterrestrial output! Mad disco trippin for the next millennium!”
XI – Untitiled (Sex Tags Mania)
Credited to ‘XI’ (a collaboration between PE aka DJ Fett Burger, and the Sued/Acido-affiliated SVN) and consisting of C and D sides as opposed to A and B, the information surrounding this record is cryptic even by Sex Tags’ standards. The music however is much nicer than the initial head scratching might lead you to believe. On track ‘I’ soft chords and a squelchy bass line accompany 808 drums and swirling delays, creating the warm, humid atmosphere that characterises some of the best Sex Tags records.
Doc L Junior – Footnotes 3 (Sex Tags Mania)
Here’s another disco loop trip, this time the trip last nine minutes of more or less the same loop and riff. What differs more noticeably throughout is the clever stereo range that Doc L Junior manages to manipulate so well. This record was originally intended for Bjørn Torske’s Footnotes label way back in 2001, but the master tapes were lost and so its release was put on hold for what could have been an eternity. In 2009 however, the Sex Tags crew somehow found them, and decided to release it themselves given that Footnotes was no longer operating. It’s a real journey initiator. With nine minutes to play Doc L Junior manages to surprise and enlighten with every passing second.
Skatebård – Way Out / Why Not? (Sex Tags UFO)
Fellow Norwegian producer Skatebård is a close affiliate of the Sex Tags crew, having released the seminal ‘Conga’ on Sex Tags Mania in 2005. ‘Why Not?’ from a 2010 single on Sex Tags UFO is unusually straightforward for both the producer and the label, but just as essential. A classic organ sound repeats a trancey melody whilst other synth sounds build to euphoric climaxes before slowly fading away again, with stereo delay effects giving the track an expansive, timeless feel.
Released in 2009, this record is comprised of two 13+ minute tracks produced by staple Sex Tags contributors. The A-side is by Skatebård and is a heavy, hi-hatted techno heater, whilst the flip, attributed to Dreesvn, is a meditative dub techno masterpiece. Whilst the B-side may well be attributed to Dreesvn, upon closer inspection, it would seem they had more than a helping hand, with Don Papa, Rasselbande Housemæn, Franz Pomassl, and even Sex Tags boss DJ Sotofett all contributing to the production to make it what it is. The folk at Sex Tags share adoration for dub infused music and this team effort surely highlights that.
Frak – Börft EP (Sex Tags Mania)
Cult favourite ‘Synthfrilla’ by Frak is a five-minute polyrhythmic trip through cycling synth melodies and an addictive, single note acid bass line that periodically shifts in pitch. Released in 2012 and now fetching very high second-hand prices, it’s raw, analogue-sounding and has the psychedelic touch that makes it a perfect fit for Sex Tags.
DJ Fett Burger & DJ Speckgürtel - Speckbass (Sex Tags UFO)
A collaboration between DJ Fett Burger and the mysterious DJ Speckgürtel delivered through Sex Tags UFO, ‘Speckbass’ pairs a driving organ riff and drums with a slap-bass line and an improbably catchy mallet percussion melody. On paper it sounds quite normal, but in reality the track is filled with strangely processed drum sounds and most of the parts are periodically twisted out of shape and thrown together in ways that most producers would never dream of doing. A classic example of the oddball Sex Tags style.
Written by George Burden and Will Wynne-Morgan
