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MFS (label)
Encyclopedia
MFS was an independent electronic dance music
label from Berlin, Germany lasting from 1990-2008 (although it has officially never actually folded, it has just stopped releasing music). It was founded by Berlin based Englishman
, Mark Reeder
in 1990. The label was originally supported by "Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin" the former GDR
record company, which made it the very first independent dance music label of East Germany, until the DSB closed down in 1993.
After which, Reeder took MFS and carried on, to launch the careers, and release music, by some of electronic dance music's seminal artists.
MFS is consider to be one of the first trance labels, and to be the first to coin the term "trance music
", and seen by few as an underground label
. Its main focus from the beginning was trance music, but soon started to release different types of electronic
genres. MFS has helped start many famous artist with their early careers such as, Paul van Dyk
, Harald Blüchel (Cosmic Baby), Mijk van Dijk, Gerret Frerichs (Humate), as well as many others.
Mark Reeder
founded his own electronic music
record label "Masterminded For Success" or "MFS as it became known. The name "MFS" was actually taken from the initials of Ministry for State Security
(Stasi
) in East Germany.
The first artists to be signed on the label were Paul Browse, and Johnny Klimek known as "Effective Force" and Gaby Delgado from DAF and Saba Komossa's "2 German Latinos", and "Neutron 9000". MFS soon started to gain a "trance" profile and in early 1991 soon signed Mijk van Dijk, Cosmic Baby
, Humate
and Paul van Dyk
. Reeder's vision to create a melodic, uplifting and positive sounding version of Techno was eventually to be realised by Cosmic Baby. One of the most known projects under MFS was, "The Visions of Shiva", a collaboration by Cosmic Baby
(Harald Blüchel) & Paul van Dyk
. Together they released, "Perfect Day" & "How Much Can You Take?" before going their separate ways in 1993. Another one of MFS more well-known releases was "Love Stimulation" by Humate
in 1993, along with a remix by Paul van Dyk.
Taken from the previous years releases, MFS released the first ever Trance
compilation in 1992 called, Tranceformed From Beyond which became a milestone and set the standard for others to come. The album was sequenced and mixed by Cosmic Baby & Mijk van Dijk. A year later, MFS asked Paul van Dyk to make a mix for their second compilation album, a soundtrack for a early computer graphic video which they called "X-Mix 1 - The MFS Trip" this was a collaboration with the video label K7!.
Some of the more well-known albums from MFS were, "Stellar Supreme"(1992), "Ki"(1993) by 030/Dr Motte, "Afreuropamericasiaustralica"(1994) by Mijk van Dijk and Paul van Dyk's "45 RPM"(1994) and "Seven Ways
"(1996) albums. Both PVD & Cosmic Baby became MFS main artists, but in 1994 Cosmic Baby left the label, allured by promises of stardom from the major record company BMG
.
MFS started signing more underground artists and tracks, with Paul van Dyk being their main contributor.
During the mid-late 90s, Paul van Dyk would later become a huge commercial success for MFS. He released his first two albums and stayed with MFS up until 1998, when he left and formed his own label, Vandit
. MFS later faced a lawsuit with Paul van Dyk over his third studio album, which turned out to be "Out There and Back
" (which was eventually released on the MFS partner label Deviant Records
UK). According to Deviant label manager Rob Deacon, this album did exactly that "out there and back".
MFS later had trouble releasing other kinds of records other than trance and because of the change and rise of many trance
labels at the end of the century. Reeder decided he wanted to distance himself from trance and focus more on other genres, mainly techno
and a new deeper, sexier sound he had devised and created with Corvin Dalek, which he called Wet & Hard. In 1999, MFS created two sub-labels called, "Flesh
" and "Telemetric". The focus on the "Flesh" label was Wet & Hard and "Telemetric" was mainly techno
, including some deeper trance
releases.
The "Telemetric" label was very short lived (after the suspicious murder of the labels A&R Carlos Heinz in late 2001) and therefore never reached commercial success.
Label "Flesh" however, went on to release some great and highly controversial tracks by artists like Corvin Dalek (who Reeder worked together on many remixes with for artists such as New Order
, Destiny's Child
, Da Hool
, or Faithless
), "Mr Sam", "Eiven Major", "Klang" and "Jan Kessler". "Flesh" records are rare and most sought after these days and are easily recognised through their distinctive "HotKunst" (hot art) artwork style which Reeder and Dalek created and which frequently caused controversy, one CD "Assorted Lovetoys was even banned in Switzerland.
The "Flesh" label released some classic club tracks, such as "Young People", "Pounds & Penz", "Pornoground", "Crystal
" or "I Like It 69", culminating in a series of "Flesh" Wet&Hard compilations ("Wet&Hard", "Flesh For Fantasy" or "Feel") and Corvin Dalek's album "I Am A Dalek". With this album, Mark travelled the world together with Corvin Dalek, from Colombia to China, USA, Mexico and UK and almost everywhere in between..
Sadly, due to the demise of many of the main European vinyl distributors, record label owner Reeder decided to put MFS and his sub-labels on ice and ceased all label activity in 2008. He wanted to return to making and producing electronic-rock music again.
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
label from Berlin, Germany lasting from 1990-2008 (although it has officially never actually folded, it has just stopped releasing music). It was founded by Berlin based Englishman
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Mark Reeder
Mark Reeder
Mark Reeder grew up in Manchester, England. He is a musician and record producer. At a young age, Reeder became interested in progressive rock and especially early electronic music. In his teens, he worked in a small Virgin Records store in Manchester city centre.Reeder has been living and working...
in 1990. The label was originally supported by "Deutsche Schallplatten Berlin" the former GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
record company, which made it the very first independent dance music label of East Germany, until the DSB closed down in 1993.
After which, Reeder took MFS and carried on, to launch the careers, and release music, by some of electronic dance music's seminal artists.
MFS is consider to be one of the first trance labels, and to be the first to coin the term "trance music
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
", and seen by few as an underground label
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
. Its main focus from the beginning was trance music, but soon started to release different types of electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
genres. MFS has helped start many famous artist with their early careers such as, Paul van Dyk
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
, Harald Blüchel (Cosmic Baby), Mijk van Dijk, Gerret Frerichs (Humate), as well as many others.
1990s, MFS - Masterminded For Success
In December 1990, EnglishmanEnglishman
Englishman may refer to:*English people*Grey Partridge*Jason Englishman, Canadian rock music singer and guitarist*Jenny-Bea Englishman, real name of the Canadien singer Esthero*Erald Briscoe, reggae musician who records under the name Englishman...
Mark Reeder
Mark Reeder
Mark Reeder grew up in Manchester, England. He is a musician and record producer. At a young age, Reeder became interested in progressive rock and especially early electronic music. In his teens, he worked in a small Virgin Records store in Manchester city centre.Reeder has been living and working...
founded his own electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
record label "Masterminded For Success" or "MFS as it became known. The name "MFS" was actually taken from the initials of Ministry for State Security
Ministry for State Security
Ministry for State Security or Ministry of State Security may refer to several state security ministries:*Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China*Ministry for State Security *Ministry for State Security...
(Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
) in East Germany.
The first artists to be signed on the label were Paul Browse, and Johnny Klimek known as "Effective Force" and Gaby Delgado from DAF and Saba Komossa's "2 German Latinos", and "Neutron 9000". MFS soon started to gain a "trance" profile and in early 1991 soon signed Mijk van Dijk, Cosmic Baby
Cosmic Baby
Harald Blüchel is a German electronic artist who is mostly known under his alias Cosmic Baby. Blüchel is also well known for his participation in dance acts such as Energy 52 with Paul Schmitz-Moormann and The Visions of Shiva with Paul van Dyk.- Biography and musical career :Harald Blüchel was...
, Humate
Humate
Humate is a German record producer who has released singles with record labels such as Yoshitoshi and Prolekult. His work has been featured on many compilation albums including the Global Underground series, Sasha and John Digweed's Northern Exposure series and the Cafe Del Mar series...
and Paul van Dyk
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
. Reeder's vision to create a melodic, uplifting and positive sounding version of Techno was eventually to be realised by Cosmic Baby. One of the most known projects under MFS was, "The Visions of Shiva", a collaboration by Cosmic Baby
Cosmic Baby
Harald Blüchel is a German electronic artist who is mostly known under his alias Cosmic Baby. Blüchel is also well known for his participation in dance acts such as Energy 52 with Paul Schmitz-Moormann and The Visions of Shiva with Paul van Dyk.- Biography and musical career :Harald Blüchel was...
(Harald Blüchel) & Paul van Dyk
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
. Together they released, "Perfect Day" & "How Much Can You Take?" before going their separate ways in 1993. Another one of MFS more well-known releases was "Love Stimulation" by Humate
Humate
Humate is a German record producer who has released singles with record labels such as Yoshitoshi and Prolekult. His work has been featured on many compilation albums including the Global Underground series, Sasha and John Digweed's Northern Exposure series and the Cafe Del Mar series...
in 1993, along with a remix by Paul van Dyk.
Taken from the previous years releases, MFS released the first ever Trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
compilation in 1992 called, Tranceformed From Beyond which became a milestone and set the standard for others to come. The album was sequenced and mixed by Cosmic Baby & Mijk van Dijk. A year later, MFS asked Paul van Dyk to make a mix for their second compilation album, a soundtrack for a early computer graphic video which they called "X-Mix 1 - The MFS Trip" this was a collaboration with the video label K7!.
Some of the more well-known albums from MFS were, "Stellar Supreme"(1992), "Ki"(1993) by 030/Dr Motte, "Afreuropamericasiaustralica"(1994) by Mijk van Dijk and Paul van Dyk's "45 RPM"(1994) and "Seven Ways
Seven Ways
Seven Ways is a trance album by Paul van Dyk released on MFS in 1996 and later on Deviant Records and Mute Records. It is Paul van Dyk's second studio album...
"(1996) albums. Both PVD & Cosmic Baby became MFS main artists, but in 1994 Cosmic Baby left the label, allured by promises of stardom from the major record company BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
.
MFS started signing more underground artists and tracks, with Paul van Dyk being their main contributor.
During the mid-late 90s, Paul van Dyk would later become a huge commercial success for MFS. He released his first two albums and stayed with MFS up until 1998, when he left and formed his own label, Vandit
Vandit
VANDIT is an independent record label that was founded in June of 2000 by German DJ Paul van Dyk and continuously releases records in the fields Trance and Techno....
. MFS later faced a lawsuit with Paul van Dyk over his third studio album, which turned out to be "Out There and Back
Out There and Back
Out There and Back is the third studio album by Paul van Dyk. It was released in 2000 and is the first album released on his own Vandit record label. It can be seen as Paul van Dyk's breakthrough album. Several editions include a bonus CD.-Track listing:...
" (which was eventually released on the MFS partner label Deviant Records
Deviant Records
Deviant Records was a London-based record label which has featured releases from artists such as Paul Van Dyk, Witchman, Humate, and Spooky. It went into liquidation in 2006 and was sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd.-External links:*...
UK). According to Deviant label manager Rob Deacon, this album did exactly that "out there and back".
Discontinuation
After 1999, the dance scene was starting shift into a new direction, most importantly trance was as well.MFS later had trouble releasing other kinds of records other than trance and because of the change and rise of many trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
labels at the end of the century. Reeder decided he wanted to distance himself from trance and focus more on other genres, mainly techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and a new deeper, sexier sound he had devised and created with Corvin Dalek, which he called Wet & Hard. In 1999, MFS created two sub-labels called, "Flesh
Flesh
In vertebrate animals, flesh is the colloquial for biological tissue which consists of skeletal muscles and fat as opposed to bones, viscera and integuments. Flesh may be used as food, in which case it is called meat....
" and "Telemetric". The focus on the "Flesh" label was Wet & Hard and "Telemetric" was mainly techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, including some deeper trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
releases.
The "Telemetric" label was very short lived (after the suspicious murder of the labels A&R Carlos Heinz in late 2001) and therefore never reached commercial success.
Label "Flesh" however, went on to release some great and highly controversial tracks by artists like Corvin Dalek (who Reeder worked together on many remixes with for artists such as New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, Da Hool
Da Hool
Frank Tomiczek , better known as Da Hool, is a German DJ and producer. It was in Bottrop that he first honed his skills as a DJ, and by 1990 was an acclaimed performer in his native country....
, or Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
), "Mr Sam", "Eiven Major", "Klang" and "Jan Kessler". "Flesh" records are rare and most sought after these days and are easily recognised through their distinctive "HotKunst" (hot art) artwork style which Reeder and Dalek created and which frequently caused controversy, one CD "Assorted Lovetoys was even banned in Switzerland.
The "Flesh" label released some classic club tracks, such as "Young People", "Pounds & Penz", "Pornoground", "Crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
" or "I Like It 69", culminating in a series of "Flesh" Wet&Hard compilations ("Wet&Hard", "Flesh For Fantasy" or "Feel") and Corvin Dalek's album "I Am A Dalek". With this album, Mark travelled the world together with Corvin Dalek, from Colombia to China, USA, Mexico and UK and almost everywhere in between..
Sadly, due to the demise of many of the main European vinyl distributors, record label owner Reeder decided to put MFS and his sub-labels on ice and ceased all label activity in 2008. He wanted to return to making and producing electronic-rock music again.