AUDIOPORNO Biography (January 2006)
Audioporno is the story of Bâm, Mél & Samy which meet again and again in different
constellations at the same time at the same place: in the legendary Wasserwerk Club.
The club as a space for culture becomes inevitably a mother-ship for the DJ and producer
collective Audioporno. Artistic puberty was passed there, and in due time
they emancipate themselves as the present platform is founded, now on eye level with
the international artist world. Thus they played, for example, with Black Strobe,
Princess Superstar, Freeform Five, Justus Koehncke, Mocky, Shapemod/Terranova,
Moonbootica and many more. So far all's well.
To go into some more detail, this story begins in 1996, when the youth buddies Samy
and Bâm turn to the soon to be presentable Rap culture and, as DJs, become an active
part of it. They play at illegal outdoor parties and private raves to be soon a part
of the resident roster in the Wasserwerk Club. Toward the end of the nineties the
two friends go separate musical ways. Bâm works in a local record store and is further
engaged in the local Rap scene. With Miami bass he is, for the first time, in
contact with electronic music. In the meantime, Samy moved to the Dancehall scene,
holds in the Wasserwerk Club a monthly Dancehallmeeting and is with his sound system
successfully traveling on international roads. He also works part-time in a record
store and is occupied there, at first hesitantly, but over the years more and more
interested in the Electronica department.
In 2003 Bâm and Mél run into each another in the context of a reciprocal engagement
in the Wasserwerk Club. The chemistry behind the deck works, they are down with each
another. Bored of Hip Hop congregations where mainstream Rap is getting duller and
duller and the clientele younger and younger, the two decide to join forces, in
order to spy out new styles and extend their musical horizons. They define the
hybrid style Ghettotronica, call themselves Audioporno and appear masked, once in
Wrestling outfits, another time in a nun frock, monthly before the club clientele.
The people start to puzzle: Who is Audioporno? Where do the masked shapes that produce
chronic dance rage with 4 turntables and cheap effects come from? Rumors circulate.
Berlin? Reykjavik? All the same, the masquerade soon looses its joke and
stinks suspiciously of some awkward sensationalism, as known from the Electroclash
scene. They drop the masquerade.
End of 2004 - beginning of 2005: Audioporno is for the first time being internationally
noticed. Princess Superstar, at this time on an intermediate stop in the Wasserwerk
Club, rejoiced: "Audioporno – these guys are so dirty, they are more than
triple x", and plays in the following months 2 Audioporno Mixes in her Radio show
on the London radio station Kiss100 FM. Big Dada’s Diplo - in the Wasserwerk Club
with Shooting star M.I.A. - is delighted by the Baltimore Edits produced by Bâm.
The two work on an active file sharing of their productions.
In the second half of 2005 Samy arrives and supplements the Audioporno duo as a
second producer beside Mél. Audioporno becomes for the three gentlemen a place to
bustle around in experimental sounds. Stylistic borders are torn away without
drifting into musically adorned idiocy. The focus is strictly on electronic, dance
floor oriented products, but not denying to add exotic ingredients, such as Hawaiian
sounds from the 50ies, American Hillbilly curiosities, eccentric electronics
experiments from the 80's or other obscura.
2006 - Something concrete, understandable, a first milestone has to be set. They
decide to publish an adeviating mix compilation, a mix CD, wrapped in a fictitious
Radio show. They win the New Yorker Electroclash/Rap icon Princess Superstar (DJs
Are Not Rockstars) as a host, which carries us charmingly and refreshingly trough
"Porno of FM". Apart from Tracks from the catalogs of Audioporno's favorite labels
as K7, Kompakt, Playhouse, Gomma and Fine, there are also releases from their own
label Ghettotronica Records (Nation/Groove Attack), for example an Electro/Grimecollabo
with London's newcomer MC Ears.
