You name Swiss and electronic music and you can immediately find a history that goes back to pioneers like Yello, the groundbreaking duo formed in Zurich at the end of the 70’s by Dieter Meier and Boris Blank that became legendary during the 80’s. But since house music and techno revolutions changed the agenda Switzerland started having many DJ’s and producers that from late 80’s and through the 90’s gravitated around the club scene between underground and rave parties and made their name both locally and around the world. An explosion that peaked with an annually happening in the form of The Street Parade in Zurich. However the names are too many to mention, it’s a league of artists that came from all around Switzerland, uniting German, French and Italian areas, and where you can find house giants like Djamin or Jamie Lewis and at the same time cult techno producers such Marco Repetto and Cut A. Kaos. A list that could be infinite, with other greats such Deetron, Rozzo, Eric Borgo, Mr. Mike, Adriatique, Andrea Oliva, Dee-Tree 9, Dario D’Attis, Pino Arduini and many, many others. In Lugano during the 90’s there was an exciting scene with house clubs like Prince and Morandi and DJ’s like Jonathan Tedesco, and a bunch of passionate techno DJ’s like Raimond Ford, Dr. Klaus, Andrea Festa, Lee N Pee. Andrea Festa moved from this background with his label AFRecords, that started in 2005, releasing albums and singles by him and legendary producers from Chicago and Detroit, and now his next move is Electronic Swiss Music, that will go separately but in parallel with AFR. It will be a label for all that is electronic and from Switzerland, where you can find old and new, classic artists and new talents, and at the same time a platform for promotion, booking, organizing events. All with the main goal to work inside something that we can call a cultural tradition. Something truly and deeply Swiss and truly and deeply electronic. With no boundaries, from house to techno to ambient to synth stuff. All is welcome in a language that we must start to feel part of us and our history.
