A blissed out ten track journey through abstract downtempo, lofi jazz, and futuristic electronica. All instruments are performed by Modica himself, embellished by guest musicians from the new Berlin jazz scene; JJ Whitfield, Ralph Heidel and Viktor Wolf.
Through his labels Gomma Records (now sleeping), Toy Tonics and Kryptox, Mathias Modica (also known as Munk or Kapote) has been continually devoted to showcasing the many vivid new music landscapes of Berlin. He’s been at the forefront of discovering and breaking through many bourgeoning talents and styles of music, producing with the likes of James Murphy and Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem, Peaches, Asia Argento, The Rammellzee and WhoMadeWho.
Pre order and stream debut single Blumen Der Vernunft
https://kryptox-music.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-rohstoff
Originally a jazz piano student and the son of a classical composer, Mathias interrupted his studies exactly 20 years ago to launch the aforementioned Gomma Records and his first artist moniker, Munk. Gomma became a leading label of the 2000’s indie disco wave alongside DFA Records and Output Recordings, and was crowned as “Germany’s freshest and most interesting record labels” by i-D Magazine. In fact, Gomma was more than a record label connecting DJ culture with bands and real musicians, it released graphic magazines, clothing, and ran underground art exhibitions around the world.
Modica stopped Gomma in 2015 to start Toy Tonics, a go-to label for international artists experimenting with house, neo-soul, future disco and broken beat (COEO, Joel Holmes, Kosmo Kint and Cody Currie are among the artists that Modica discovered for Toy Tonics). In 2018 he started Kryptox as a home for highlighting exciting fusions of jazz, psychedelica and electronica, establishing itself as a melting pot of live musicians from across the world who reside in Germany. After Kryptox has delivered albums by Niklas Wandt, Ralph Heidel, and the Kraut Jazz Futurism compilations volume 1 & 2 (which have all received high critical praise) Mathias finally delivers his own album, the debut under his own name and he’s sounding fresher than ever.
Sonic Rohstoff’s ten slow instrumental pieces in which Modica plays the Rhodes, synthesisers, bass, drums and percussion are based on beats made from real drums, field recordings, and deconstructed samples. Loose drum patterns lead the way, mixed with carefully crafted, sensitive atmospheres setting the perfect mood for Modica’s warm and melancholic chord progressions and melodies played on the several keyboards in his Berlin Kreuzberg basement studio. He draws inspiration from 1970s jazz funk, 1990’s trip-hop and electronica (in particular James Lavelle’s defining label Mo’ Wax) as well as movie composers like Alessandro Alessandroni & Nino Rota. Plus not forgetting the fascinating world of 1980’s Japanese fusion jazz. Sonic Rohstoff is deep and meaningful music made by an artist that people may call a renaissance man. A person with more than a diverse span of inspirations, talents, and inherent music knowledge with versatile cultural ambitions. In fact the sound of Mathias Modica’s debut album is too special for words. Listen, and let the music do the talking.
https://kryptox-music.bandcamp.com/
https://toytonics.bandcamp.com/