Bureau B

Bureau B (sometimes quoted as Bureau-B) is an independent record label, music publisher and booking agency from Hamburg, Germany, founded in 2005 by Gunther Buskies (B for Buskies) as a sister label to Tapete Records. The label releases varieties of electronic, free-spirited music, with the spectrum ranging from pop to avant-garde. The label has amassed an extensive catalogue of reissues and new productions, including classics from the genre of electronic music in the 1970s and early 1980s popularly classified as Krautrock (Cluster, Roedelius, Moebius, Plank, Schnitzler), alongside new recordings by such formative artists as Faust, Kreidler, Roedelius, Tietchens, Moebius.

Bureau B
Logo of the record label Bureau B
Founded2005
FounderGunther Buskies
Distributor(s)Indigo Musikproduktion + Vertrieb GmbH
GenreKrautrock, avant-garde Electronics, Post-punk
Country of originGermany
LocationHamburg
Official websitewww.bureau-b.com

History

The label started with (re-)releases of quality-rated recordings of German Schlager artists like Gitte (with Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band), Mary Roos (a chanson album), Heidelinde Weis, or James Last (a 1975 jazzy Easy Listening session in Los Angeles) and compilations like Achtung! German Grooves, Sprechen Sie Pop? or Easy Beatles.[1][2]

In 2008 Bureau B re-issued one 7" by Neue Deutsche Welle band Palais Schaumburg, and two 7" by Klaus Dinger's la Düsseldorf, and from 2009 began to exploit the catalog of Sky Records,[3] focussing on albums of musical genres like electronica, avant-garde, krautrock: e.g. recordings by Cluster, Conny Plank, Brian Eno, Roedelius, or Dieter Moebius considered as landmark albums.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

In 2012 Bureau B expanded its repertoire by re-releasing a series of important out-of-print albums by Conrad Schnitzler[11][12] as well as recordings out of the catalog of legendary Neue Deutsche Welle label Ata Tak, like D.A.F., Andreas Dorau, Der Plan, or Pyrolator.[13][14][15]

Original releases by contemporary artists include Karl Bartos,[16] Faust, Kreidler, Like a Stuntman, Pyrolator, Qluster, Ulrich Schnauss, or Tarwater.

To provide an overview of the various musical styles in which Bureau B specializes, the label launched a compilation entitled KOLLEKTION in 2014. Each release in this series is curated by a musician. So far, artists like Tim Gane, Lloyd Cole, Holger Hiller, Richard Fearless and Thomas Fehlmann have participated. The latest release in this series is KOLLEKTION 05, released in July 2015.

All in all, there have been over 200 releases on Bureau B so far (as of November 2015). The label is internationally distributed, with the overseas sales being considerably higher than the sales in Germany.

List of artists with original releases

List of artists with re-releases

Releases

All the records are printed on high-quality 180g vinyl.[17][18][19]

The re-issues contain new liner-notes, e.g. Schnitzler and Sky Records re-issues by Asmus Tietchens,[20][21] Andreas Dorau re-issues by Carsten Friedrichs.[18][19][22] Some of the re-releases contain bonus.

The vinyls additionally include a download code for the album as a digital file or the whole album as a CD.[19]

See also

References
  1. http://www.discogs.com/label/Bureau+B Discogs
  2. "Grosse Freiheit".
  3. http://wasistdas.co.uk/news/2009/10/bureau-b-re-release-sky-records-releases/ Bureau-b re-release Sky Records releases, Was ist das co.uk, October 18, 2009
  4. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sowiesoso-mw0000651409 Cluster - Sowiesoso, John Bush, Allmusic ****
  5. http://www.allmusic.com/album/eruption-mw0000258043 Kluster - Eruption, John Bush, Allmusic ****
  6. http://www.allmusic.com/album/jardin-au-fou-mw0000767570 Roedelius - Jardin Au Fou, François Couture, Allmusic ***-****
  7. http://www.allmusic.com/album/wenn-der-südwind-weht-mw0000182565 Roedelius - Wenn der Südwind weht, John Bush, Allmusic ****-*****
  8. http://soundcolourvibration.com/2011/11/21/roedelius-wasser-im-wind/ Bureau B opens the vaults back up on the 1982 electronic and ambient record “Wasser im Wind” from Cluster’s Roedelius, Sound Colour Vibration
  9. http://www.allmusic.com/album/durch-die-wüste-mw0000186228 Roedelius- Durch die Wüste, Keith Farley, Allmusic ****-***** Album pick
  10. http://www.allmusic.com/album/cluster-eno-mw0000647074 Cluster & Eno, Michael Waynick, Allmusic ****
  11. http://www.allmusic.com/album/rot-mw0000376319 Conrad Schnitzler - Rot, John Bush, Allmusic ****-***** Album pick
  12. http://www.factmag.com/2013/05/23/bureau-b-to-reissue-pair-of-vintage-conrad-schnitzler-lps/ "His thrumming electronic music is often fingered as a crucial link in the DNA of techno and synth wave, and celebrated electronic artists have correspondingly paid tribute" Fact Mag
  13. http://www.factmag.com/2012/11/30/the-40-best-reissues-of-2012/23/ Pyrolator - Ausland & Pyrolator - Inland, the 40 best reissues of 2012, Fact Mag
  14. http://www.factmag.com/2013/02/27/bureau-b-to-reissue-a-k-klosawski-and-pyrolators-manic-1985-lp-home-taping-is-killing-music/ Pyrolator/Klosowski - Home Taping Is Killing Music "In other words, very highly recommended", Fact Mag
  15. http://www.allmusic.com/album/normalette-surprise-23-elektronische-schlager-mw0000889329 Der Plan - Normalette Surprise, Peter Schaefer, Allmusic ****
  16. http://www.factmag.com/2012/11/27/kraftwerks-karl-bartos-announces-first-album-in-nine-years-off-the-record/ "Kraftwerks Karl Bartos announces first album in nine years" Fact Mag, November 27, 2012
  17. http://wasistdas.co.uk/news/2009/10/bureau-b-re-release-sky-records-releases/ "Bureau B reissues more than 20 of the most exciting SKY albums on CD and on 180 g heavy vinyl"
  18. http://www.discogs.com/label/Bureau+B detailed infos in Discogs entries
  19. http://www.bureau-b.com/ detailed infos on label site
  20. http://www.factmag.com/2013/05/23/bureau-b-to-reissue-pair-of-vintage-conrad-schnitzler-lps/ "with liner notes from fellow Krautrock traveller Asmus Tietchens" Fact Mag
  21. http://wasistdas.co.uk/news/2009/10/bureau-b-re-release-sky-records-releases/ "Bureau B reissues more than 20 of the most exciting SKY albums on CD and on 180 g heavy vinyl – all include rare photos and liner notes by Asmus Tietchens"
  22. "Bureau B".
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