Toolkit (Működésben in Hungarian) is a new series started out on MMN Magazine, that features interviews with notable figures of the local Hungarian and international electronic music scene. The focus of the interviews is on artistic practices and creative methods, but of course, each interview touches upon other topics too, may that be a more specific or a general one, including past events or future plans.
Published March, 2024
The Budapest-based label Farbwechsel has been relatively dormant in the last two years, but that wouldn’t be obvious from their latest opus magnum - a 17 track compilation that gathers producers from their roster, friends and like-minded knob-twisters. Sonically, it’s as diverse as its title promises - from the straighter strains of techno and house of the likes of Imre Kiss and Mike Nylons, through weirder, more quirky endeavours by the likes of 12z and academic and sound artist Zlatko Baracskai.
Published April, 2017
Asio otus’ latest album hovers on the liminal borders - oscillating in a ghostly non-space, a soundtrack to a landscape that is still and content with its non-suggestive desolateness. Asio otus is the moniker of Marton Toth, a Hungarian producer currently living and working in Portugal.
Published January, 2017
“And so begins the final dramaIn the streets and in the fields” Well, this article will be about the lyrics of the Hungarian rock band GUSTAVE TIGER, because they have very strange lyrics.Those are full with historical, mythological and literary references.
Published November, 2016
Új Bála is a solo project by Gábor Kovács, a Hungarian musician and visual artist. Active in numerous music projects, Új Bála sees him embrace the (basement) dancefloor.
Published April, 2016
Traumas are sketches from life. Life is made of traumatic sketches.
Published January, 2016
Kokum’s sound harks back to those times in musical history that cherished the primordial and the raw. A ritualistic narrative inspired by his interest in “primitive ancient things” and his search for what is irredeemably lost.
Published October, 2015
From April 17 to June 12, 2015 we have tried to encapsulate what we have been doing in the last five years through a gallery exhibition and a series of events, which aimed to highlight the thriving DIY culture that has flourished in this region. Dozens of excellent music videos, which - with a dose of inherent irony - employ and subvert the cliches of “Eastern topography” - the concrete blocks (ghettos, right?), the ostentatious display of consumer goods, and the lo-fi aesthetic (more by necessity than choice) were displayed in the pristine white cube gallery space Higgs Field in the centre off Budapest as part of the two-month OFF Biennále Budapest, which was basically a statement against the current political status quo in Hungary.
Published June, 2015
From 17th of April until 12th of June 2015, Easterndaze is curating a an audiovisual exhibition in Budapest as part of its OFF Biennale exhibition in the Higgs Gallery. At the forefront of the two month event are music videos, as well as events which aim to centre around labels which constantly push the boundaries of their respective fields.
Published April, 2015
Farbwechsel’s recent releases are becoming more different, offering a broader range of musical genres. This change is welcome since their lo-fi and dreamy house-driven sound slowly started to become a bit worn-out.
Published December, 2014
Új Bála is side project of the singer of Der Tanz, a Hungarian noise-rock band. Whilst in his band, he transforms into a Ian Curtis-like crooner delivering his baritone with intensity and fervour, Új Bála is more introspective or introverted.
Published December, 2014
Gábor Lázár is back. Not much time has passed since we - positively - reviewed his previous album and now his reach bounds to get even wider, as Boomkat’s label The Death of Rave has decided to support this young Hungarian experimental artist coinciding with the rising interest in the Budapest music scene which slowly, but surely infiltrates international music magazines.
Published October, 2014
There is a thing with remixes, an almost philosophical question. Shall they eclipse the originals, shall they pay homage to them, or rather totally arbitrarily, like the ol’ Aphex Twin used to do, throw in a random track.
Published July, 2014
A never-ending bipolar fight between the Good and the Evil, on a personal level, on a historical and society level, on all levels. There are days, which are dark, clouds hovering low, it’s hard to breathe.
Published June, 2014
“Every mix tape tells a story. Put them together and they add up to a story of a life.
Published May, 2014
Last week, we brought out our fifth release on the Baba Vanga imprint. And similarly to the previous releases on the label, the decision to release it came very quickly.
Published April, 2014
Another release on the Hungarian scene is something different than the traditionally more club friendly output of the Budapestians spearheaded by the likes of Norwell or S Olbricht. But still, the connection is there, as Gábor Lazar is graduate of the Faculty of Music and Visual Arts in Pécs, which is an institution also attended by S Olbricht in the past, one of the rising artists of the Farbwechsel collective with a handful of releases on internationally acclaimed labels.
Published April, 2014
Following in the footsteps of the SicSic Tapes Alpár/Carla Under Water/S Olbricht split, is another proof of the healthy state of Budapest’s electronic scene, the numerous impromptu collaborations and happenings, improvised sessions or heavy analogue synth abuse hosted by the splendid Ballacid studio housed in the concrete housing estate of Új Pest. After Martin Mikolai released his well-received solo album on Opal Tapes last year, he has shunned ego-masturbation in favour of introducing further talent from the Hungarian capital, the Magyar Zodiak Club, as they say.
Published April, 2014
The Budapest scene of the last few years has garnered attention, because of its cross-pollinatory nature, specific sound revolving around the Farbwechsel label. Lo-fi house, analogue electronics, vintage techno have become staples of sonic map of the Hungarian capital.
Published February, 2014
There is music and sound that without any ornamentation or sycophantic tropes manages to evoke specific almost synaesthetic evocations. It is almost as if it didn’t need a particular source or origin, it is acousmatic, as if it existed alone, emitted into urban decay, those areas abandoned by the well-to-do and successful.
Published January, 2014
Every week on Wednesday Czech Radio’s Wave station, we try to present a project, label, in a short interview format. Our show Východiska (you can check the archive of the show here) aims to map the latest happenings on the independent music scene in Central and Eastern Europe.
Published December, 2013
12z sessionz Podcast by Easterndaze on Mixcloud The 12z sessionz started as a weekly rehearsal in 2012 for practicing purposes on free electroacoustic improvisation in a Budapest flat. As the project developed, 12z members started to invite friends to join the weekly improvisations, to get inspirations from very different styles and record the jamming.
Published October, 2013
Farbwechsel has become a staple and a nurturing umbrella for several up-and-coming Hungarian producers, acting as a catalyst for the diverse and noteworthy Budapest electronic scene of the last two years with Martin Mikolai at its helm, who produces music under his moniker S Olbricht. The Opal Tapes artist has also created a specific sound - hazy, dance-oriented and nostalgic, which have also been translated on the output of his own imprint.
Published October, 2013
The Exterritory compilation series strives to present the best up-and-coming music from Central Europe - Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, aka the V4. It is the third installment of the annual sonic list, focusing mostly on electronics and new forms of the aural underground.
Published September, 2013
Budapest, as I have experienced over the last year, is slowly turning into a hotbed for offbeat electronics, vintage dance and experimentalism. In spite of the recent politial, economic and societal state of the country /dubbed “Orbanistan”/, much of which has featured prominently in global media as of late, the music scene, especially the dance one, has been thriving.
Published August, 2013
Imre Kiss is a fledgling Hungarian producer, who is currently based in London as a freelance graphic designer. He is part of the burgeoning Budapest dance/electronic scene, underpinned by the Farbwechsel label.
Published July, 2013
In spite of the increasingly weird political situation of Hungary, the absurd new laws and changes in constitution, nationalism and other xenophobias, its underground music scene has been blooming, largely unaffected by the cuts in arts funding. Plenty of new ensembles, projects and labels have come out in the last two or three years, most notably imprints and crews surrounding them, like Farbwechsel and Last Foundation.
Published July, 2013
Another mysterious project appeared on the roster of Budapest’s prolific synth label Farbwechsel. The latest addition to the imprint is called A i w A, a producer with hidden identity yet strong artistic concept.
Published July, 2013
Martin Mikolai, S Olbricht, is one of the staples of the burgeoning new Budapest electronic scene, which manages to thrive inspite or thanks to the alarming political and societal situation in this country, as the label head of the Farbwechsel imprint, that has been championing and releasing several noteworthy musicians since its inception a couple of years ago. Martin studies electronic music and media at the academy in southern Hungary in Pécs.
Published June, 2013
14-year old Hungarian producer Alley Catss, whose music and overall attitude towards the world seem to be centered around nothing, released his latest batch of sonic weirdness earlier this month. Withdwr is a collection of 8 beautifully crafted experimental lullabies that will soothe your ears and brain with their raw, unpolished softness.
Published May, 2013
Last Foundation is a relatively new imprint curated by Gábor Lázár, operating from the burgeoning Budapest electronic music scene. Though you wouldn’t even know it, since their roster includes stars of the international noise and experimental scene including Ekoplekz or Russell Haswell, which they release on tapes, usually as split releases with their local affiliated producers.
Published May, 2013
12z is an improvisational project from Budapest, whose regular weekly sessions in their Buda flat overlooking a park and the famous Gellert hill, have lead to a full-fledged album, recorded not in Budapest, but in a countryside hut. 12z’s Marci Kristof has told me that he doesn’t think music that is aimed at live contexts, should be statified on record.
Published May, 2013
Route 8 emerged from the sprawling Hungarian lofi scene that mostly encompassed guitar-driven and quirky electronic acts. Route 8’s sonic trajectory verged towards the dancefloor, the dancefloor of slow, hypnotic tunes made on analogue hardware.
Published April, 2013
Gloryhole is a Hungarian indie garage/pop band, whose songs are perfectly accessible and radio friendly in The Smiths kind of way, even your mum would like them. Enter “Heavenly Remixes”, a collection of beat-driven remixes, mostly by local producers, which have ended up completely recontextualising the original, turning it into at times harrowing, menacing offering.
Published March, 2013
We featured the Hungarian beatsmith Zomblaze on our first compilation back in 2011. His sample and bass-heavy abstract hiphop was released by Chi Recordings last year.
Published February, 2013
Budapest-based producer Balázs Semsei aka Norwell makes his debut with his psychedelic electronica project on Shabu Recordings. The Farbwechsel co-founder is the third man connected to the fledgling label we featured earlier.
Published January, 2013
water of chaos water of the art water of the styx spring water water of blood water of talc water of life leafy water heavy water
Published January, 2013
1. What’s the highlight for you in Hungary’s music scene? Budapest had an eventful year in 2012.
Published January, 2013
Do artists who live in one geographical area have more in common than those across borders but with stylistic affinities, especially at times when anything confined to the national level seems obsolete? This is the question we also have asked numerous times during our travels. Two compilations are trying to prove that there is still place to highlight local productions, especially if there are certain parallels in their sonic output and a shared physical interaction and context.
Published December, 2012
The Budapest-based duo of Silf is a new project by experimental electronic producer Martin Mikolai aka Stephan Olbricht and his Farbwechsel co-founder and label boss Bálint Zalkai aka Alpár, exploring leftfield territories of acid, Chicago and Detroit house, with a blend of Eastern melancholia, tropic daze and vintage nostalgia. Their self-titled first EP premiers here today /insert smug smile/, stream the record in its entirety before it will be released on 1st of January 2013 via Farbwechsel.
Published December, 2012
For fans of the deeper spectrum of abstract hip-hop and zombieish bass music, we present three splendid cuts courtesy of Chi Recordings that showcase the production of our Budapest-based friend Zomblaze (his track 21 was included on our first compilation). Balkan Kannibalizm by Zomblaze Coming from the realm of hip-hop, his production uses sampling, scratching, heavy bass and hip-hop’s pulse, but moves further into industrial and experimental sonic territories, never without a catchy sample or vibe.
Published August, 2012
Having three sides as painter, rapper and songwriter-poet Gazsi Rap Show aka Gáspár Szőke is one of those multi-facetted artists. Gathering attention of the DIY-art scene with his memorable live shows and visual aesthetics of trash art he is finishing now his first album Az Atom Utolsó Erkölcsös Vak Királya (in English: The Last Virtous Blind King Of The Atom).
Published June, 2012
Volkova Sisters are not only the characters from William Gibson’s cyberpunk novel Pattern Recognition, but also a Hungarian DIY band making dark waves with their second record Hope EP released a few days ago. The Hope EP’s five tracks are accompanied by a remix package from electronic producers some of whom you might be familiar with from this very blog.
Published May, 2012
Bedroom pop and lo-fi in Hungary has evolved to the next stage since early 2011. The first record label to cover this scene, Golf Team Records, was born a few days ago.
Published April, 2012
Published April, 2012
Route 8 has dropped his first EP Never Ending Stories just two months ago - we also featured his 4-track debut a while ago - and for now he’s working hard on his live set debut at the release party for the imminent second compilation of Easterndaze on 11th of May in Budapest’s Roham Bar. We’re eagerly looking forward to seeing his ‘synthpop-house’ tunes live.
Published April, 2012
After last year’s techno boom, with several more than decent comebacks of mavericks like Surgeon or Regis, straightforward pounding beats started to invade the minds of the music producers around the globe once again. Hungary is no exception and that’s the place from where SYNUS0006 puts out his latest release on the B4CK6ROUNDNO1SE sub-label of the Hungarian Panel Trax imprint.
Published April, 2012
Exploring the local alternative scene can bring up really interesting results, from lo-fi hip hop, garage rock to more electronica driven experiments, you just name it. Hungary has it all and we are glad to hear the demos and releases sent over to us or unearthed on the www (feel free to send us your musics too:).
Published April, 2012
Synus0006 aka Laslow Bényei returned to renowned Hungarian label Chi Recordings with his latest output symbolically titled Five Years Later, after Da Micro Cop EP back in 2006. Synus0006 spent the last five years tirelessly producing a lot of tunes to release them on various labels.
Published March, 2012
The graphic designer graduate and producer Yvein Monq releases his second record Post Apocalyptic Codex X EP on newly launched Budapest label 8ounce. In contrast to his first album Hookers in My Strings back in 2010,the new release, has an interesting concept visualized in the 27-years old Yvein Monq’s mind and transformed to a sonic mood.
Published March, 2012
The latest export from Hungary /where our new collaborateur and author of this article Andras G. Varga comes from/ comes via Route 8, a very young producer making atmospheric electronic vibes.
Published February, 2012
The end of the year is nigh, and thus we have decided to - surprise, surprise - compile a list of Best of from the countries we have been exploring over the last two years. And since our knowledge is limited, we have asked those living, working and creating in those particular countries to tell us about the music happenings in their country.
Published December, 2011
When Benedek Szabó, the mastermind behind the Hungarian project Zombie Girlfriend asked us to be the international platform through which the project’s second LP will be announced, we couldn’t say no. First of all we love Benedek’s musical humour, as manifested in the laid-back surfpop killer Jesus Stole My Zombie Girlfriend released as a part of the seminal Hungarian Lo-fi vol.
Published December, 2011
It has been an age-old assumption that when the times are shit - politically and/or economically, the art thrives (punk or the NY-based no wave and new wave scenes as a case in point). Hungary currently is not in the best state both politically and economically.
Published December, 2011
[gallery] Better late than never, some pictures from our Easterndaze curated night at the Moonride Festival in Košice. Photos by Zdenek Spotz.
Published November, 2011
Czech project Sky to Speak consists of Matej Kotoucek, in charge of the music, and Ondrej Synacek, who takes care of the visuals. They create their almost sentimental sound from sampling old and obscure videotapes and artists’ records and visuals.
Published November, 2011
Another of our monthly new music series of mixes/podcasts this time also inspired by our September journey to the Balkans. Featuring techno, bass, dub step, garage, ambient or noise, this is a sonic travel through diverse rhythmic territories.
Published November, 2011
The Hungarian project Gazsi Rap Show sing about loneliness?? (Egyedül vagyok mint az ujjam) on the backdrop of industrial beats and lofi rapping.
Published August, 2011
[gallery] Following her debut EP Parttalan, the Budapestian lofi-queen Piresian Beach releases her debut LP Fuck Your Mind. You can get it from the download link below, or on her Bandcamp.
Published July, 2011
When we first heard Piresian Beach in the autumn of 2010, we were amazed by her fuzzed-out lo-fi sound incorporating elements of surf-rock, punk and rock'n'roll into her trademark seductive compositions. What began as a surprising discovery has also stricken a chord with the sensitivities of Hungarian youngsters using the microblogging platform tumblr.
Published June, 2011
listeninglectures: P.C.
Published March, 2011
[gallery] Hungary is going through a bit of a bedlam what with the controversial new media law and government that behaves as it suffered from amnesia. Recently, there have been clampdowns on clubs and music events as the “promoters of evil drug culture”.
Published February, 2011
Hungary seems to be in thrall of all things dreamy, lo-fi and fuzz (just check out Piresian Beach and her work, she’s also on our compilation). Another case in point is the Hungarian dreamy lo-fi fuzz project Models Can’t Fuck is inspired “by the "impotence” of the Hungarian music scene (hence the name), both mainstream and underground, and the general public’s out of date thinking about contemporary music and their indifference towards new exciting acts and young bands,“ says its heart and brain Árpi Szarvas.
Published January, 2011
One man music project (Transylvania Noise Lamp aka Acidbusman) from Hungary. Using only very short loops and effects via a virtual sampler this music is made on a Dj Crazy Boris software and a laptop.
Published December, 2010
Our project will culminate with the compilation which is gonna be out vv soon on the Polish label Audiotong featuring some of our favourite tracks by musicians we met on our East European journey. In the meantime, get lost in Slovak artist Jarmila Mitrikova’s psychedelic cover.
Published December, 2010
There’s two ways how to deal with pre-Xmas late November depression. We don’t mean to boost the pharmaceutical industry, so no tips for cute little pills here, just some musical medicaments.
Published November, 2010