Morr Music
Encyclopedia
Morr Music is an independent record label
based in Berlin
, Germany
, founded in 1999
by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music
, electronica
and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste. This results in a cohesive aesthetic observable in both the aural and visual elements of this label's releases.
The label's style of music stems from the hybridization of electronica
and indie
or shoegazer rock
. Generally speaking, artists on this label combine these elements in a way that can appeal to pop
, dance
, and rock
fans alike. The shoegazing sound is represented here through the deployment of pop-rock melodies buried under layers of digital signal processing
effects, such as distortion
and reverb. Many music journalism
sites reference bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins
, and Slowdive
when reviewing Morr Music releases. A perfect testament to this overlap in styles is the Morr Music two-disc compilation album
Blue Skied an' Clear
, which contains a full disc of artists reworking Slowdive
tracks in the style of electronica
typically associated with Morr Music.
, whose name was coined by the producer Thomas Morr, the founder of record company Morr Music
. First popularized by the German
musical group Herrmann & Kleine
, the genre is noted for its unique and engaging style in which "glitchy" synthetic
tones are intermixed with what is described as "genuine pop bliss".
Plinkerpop was initially popularized by the now-defunct German band Herrmann & Kleine. While Herrmann & Kleine disbanded in 2005, plinkerpop still enjoys mainstream acceptance in the German and British
alternative music scenes.
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
based in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, founded in 1999
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste. This results in a cohesive aesthetic observable in both the aural and visual elements of this label's releases.
The label's style of music stems from the hybridization of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
or shoegazer rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. Generally speaking, artists on this label combine these elements in a way that can appeal to pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
fans alike. The shoegazing sound is represented here through the deployment of pop-rock melodies buried under layers of digital signal processing
Digital signal processing
Digital signal processing is concerned with the representation of discrete time signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
effects, such as distortion
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
and reverb. Many music journalism
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
sites reference bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
, and Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
when reviewing Morr Music releases. A perfect testament to this overlap in styles is the Morr Music two-disc compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Blue Skied an' Clear
Blue skied an' clear (album)
Blue Skied An' Clear is a two-disc compilation, featuring various artists from Morr Music covering songs from the shoegazer band Slowdive on the first disc and composing songs "inspired" by Slowdive on the second disc. It was released in 2002 by Morr Music, and was the label’s 30th release...
, which contains a full disc of artists reworking Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
tracks in the style of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
typically associated with Morr Music.
Plinkerpop
Plinkerpop (or Plinker music) is a genre of rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, whose name was coined by the producer Thomas Morr, the founder of record company Morr Music
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste...
. First popularized by the German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
musical group Herrmann & Kleine
Herrmann & Kleine
Herrmann & Kleine was a plinkerpop duo that formed circa 1997 and featured veteran DJ Christian Kleine and City Centre Offices label manager, Thaddi Herrmann. In addition to releasing a pair of EP recordings, the duo also provided remixes to tracks by various notable bands, including His Name Is...
, the genre is noted for its unique and engaging style in which "glitchy" synthetic
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
tones are intermixed with what is described as "genuine pop bliss".
Plinkerpop was initially popularized by the now-defunct German band Herrmann & Kleine. While Herrmann & Kleine disbanded in 2005, plinkerpop still enjoys mainstream acceptance in the German and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
alternative music scenes.
Bands
- The American Analog SetThe American Analog SetThe American Analog Set is an Austin-based indie rock band. They have released six studio albums, on the record labels Emperor Jones and Tiger Style, with their latest on Arts & Crafts.-History:...
- Benni Hemm Hemm
- F. S. Blumm
- Butcher the Bar
- Contriva
- CouchCouch (band)Couch is an instrumental Post-rock band based in Munich, Germany. The band is:* Jürgen Söder * Thomas Geltinger * Michael Heilrath * Stefanie Böhm ; also plays in Ms...
- Duo 505
- Electric PresidentElectric PresidentElectric President is a Jacksonville, Florida musical duo started in 2003 by Ben Cooper and Alex Kane. Both were in Helicopter Project prior to its breakup though no music from this group was ever released. Afterwards the pair decided to continue to make music together. They subsequently completed...
- B. Fleischmann
- Herrmann & KleineHerrmann & KleineHerrmann & Kleine was a plinkerpop duo that formed circa 1997 and featured veteran DJ Christian Kleine and City Centre Offices label manager, Thaddi Herrmann. In addition to releasing a pair of EP recordings, the duo also provided remixes to tracks by various notable bands, including His Name Is...
- The Go FindThe Go FindThe Go Find is the electronica project of Belgian Dieter Sermeus on the independent record label Morr Music.- Albums :* Miami, 2004* Stars on the Wall, 2007* Everybody Knows It’s Gonna Happen Only Not Tonight, 2010- External links :* *...
- Guther
- IsanIsan (band)Isan are an English electronic music duo. The name was initially explained as Integrated Services Analogue Network - a play on ISDN, reflecting their preference for analogue synthesisers....
- It's a Musical
- Christian KleineChristian KleineChristian Kleine is a German musician. He was a member of Herrmann & Kleine duo which was disbanded in 2005.He has collaborated with several electronic musicians including Arovane.His signature sound includes warm, ambient guitar riffs.-Albums:...
- Lali PunaLali PunaLali Puna is an experimental electropop band from Weilheim, Germany . Founded in 1998 by Korea-born Valerie Trebeljahr , other members include Markus Acher , Christoph Brandner and Christian Heiß . The latter joined Lali Puna in 2003, after keyboard player Florian Zimmer had left the band...
- Limp
- ManualManual (band)Manual is the performing name of electronic musician, Jonas Munk, from Odense, Denmark. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient dream pop and indietronica. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars , and various digital signal processing effects...
- Ms. John SodaMs. John SodaMs. John Soda is an indietronic band from Weilheim, Germany. Their members are Stefanie Böhm singing, and Michael Acher the main composer and programmer of the songs.A side project of sorts, Ms...
- MúmMúmmúm are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.- History :...
- OpiateThomas KnakThomas Knak is a Danish electronic musician, producer, film composer and DJ. He lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Jack of all trades, he makes music for commercial , for various radio and TV programmes, for theatre plays, for choreography and films.He started in 1999 under the name Opiate...
- The NotwistThe NotwistThe Notwist are a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989, the band moved through several musical incarnations despite maintaining a relatively stable lineup...
- People Press Play
- Phonem
- Populous
- Masha Qrella
- Radical FaceRadical FaceRadical Face is a musical act consisting of Ben Cooper , a resident of Jacksonville, Florida, who also makes up one-half of Electric President and Iron Orchestra and one third of Mother's Basement...
- Seabear
- Seavault
- SolventSolvent (producer)Solvent is the stage name used by electronic producer and remixer Jason Amm . Although his music has been included in the electroclash movement , many of Solvent's tracks fall under the intelligent dance music or electropop genres...
- StyrofoamStyrofoam (artist)Styrofoam is a Belgian one man glitch electronica project on the independent record label Morr Music...
- Surf CitySurf City (band)Surf City are a Space Rock/Shoe Gaze/Indie band from Auckland, New Zealand. -History:Formed in 2004 in Mt Roskill, Auckland, Surf City quickly formed a name for themselves as a "band to watch." This attention quickly spread overseas, with the band being picked up by notable label Morr Music for U.S...
- TarwaterTarwaterTarwater is a German music duo comprising Bernd Jestram and Ronald Lippok. Tarwater have recorded several albums of mostly instrumental music usually tagged as post-rock.-History:...
- Tied & Tickled TrioTied & Tickled TrioTied & Tickled Trio is a German electronica/dub/jazz musical collective. It was founded in 1994 by Markus Acher and Christoph Brandner in Weilheim, Bavaria as a polyrythmic duo playing drums only. After the joining of sculptor Andreas Gerth and Markus' brother Micha , the core of "Tied & Tickled...