Reyetto Tapes is an Italian indie anti-conformist label and a multidisciplinary art platform launched by E L I O and Fukinsei. Influenced by punk and dub cultures, they have imagined a place assembling a community of people “Reietto”, the Italian word which means “outcast of society”. The label is oriented in alternative and electronic music and focused on limited pressing tapes and vinyls. The founders speak about the spirit of the label, their main priorities and their work on a distinct visual approach, notably seen in the video clip of the “Love's Theme” Ep signed by Frankeeno. And they have recorded an exclusive podcast including several tracks released on the label.

Could you describe the team and what are your influences?

Right now, the spokesmen of our community are E L I O and Fukinsei, but many others in the background are working, conspiring and planning non-stop. We have a similar and different musical background, surely common by vocation. We were both born in the early 90's, so we've absorbed all the possible rubbish we've encountered since that time. We were both good in school in musical education and uneducation. This makes us adept at purloining what we like and escaping what is already a sonic fake. Undoubtedly valuable references are the English sounds of Sound System Dub as Neil Perch, Jah Shaka, Iration Steppas, Adrian Sherwood… and what has been generated by the contamination with punk and, later, with electronic music. Also, in Italy there are extremely interesting dub and punk scenes such as Holiday INN, Metro Crowd, Almamegretta, Uzeda, which we were inspired by in order to carry out a very interesting radio residency. We asked punk bands as LABRUTA ONE WOMAN BAND, Metro Crowd, Nadin, Sex Pizzul, Trouble vs. Glue to improvise as Djs, doing a set with their own songs and those of others who had inspired the project. To dancefloor-oriented Djs (both of us but also Sindrome), but with ears well dirty of those sounds, we asked them to get out of their "comfort zone" and make electronic Dj sets with a punk approach, pulling out the rottenest records, which they often listened only at home. Each Reyetto did several eristic musical experiments before arriving at Sherwood Forest, where we met. Since then, we have conducted different radio residencies; we find the radio media very convenient for spreading our work, being able to broadcast from the forest most of our shows. We are currently resident on Radio Raheem and on Fritto Fm, but sporadically we cause interference on other frequencies.

Could you describe the DNA of the label?

Everything was born from our need to create a channel that could channel energies that otherwise would be dispersed. Each one of us was unconsciously looking for a way to express ourselves by building a world, an imaginary to be able to place the works in a proper context with a certain thought behind. The freedom to be fluid and hybrid, the boredom that causes us to compromise: that's why we escaped. The DNA of Reyetto Tapes resides in the people who are part of it, in the value of interaction, in the production of any project in which we engage. The ultimate goals are the research and creative process we put into each project. We are interested in working with artists with whom we can find a harmony and common goals. Often, we prefer to choose something "close" that inspires us, to transparency and honesty than the purest passion that often leads you to propose outcast music. Maybe this does not sell much, but reflects our values, where we find ourselves and we have an interest in enhancing.

What are your main priorities today and your other projects?

We are learning to do what we do each time, and it's more and more fun to go on. One aspect that we want to try to feed more and more is the production of multidisciplinary projects. We produced Frankeeno, a non-rapper in the form of a digital avatar and comic book. We presented "Paura della Morte" with a live broadcast from a London bunker streamed on Only Fans. We launched his second album with a video in which Frankeeno's digital avatar walked through the streets of Palermo, crossing the various references in the lyrics. The visual part is absolutely a priority in our works, we have often collaborated with other creatives for our projects such as: Wesh studio, Jacopolega and Pleasure paradox. Cooperating with other collectives is always a priority, nothing can make us develop more in multiple directions like interaction, exchange and collaboration with professionals who have other skills. Our other projects range from A/V performance, art direction, creative writing, alternative archiving projects, museum sound, and publishing projects.

How do you select producers?

It sounds trite to say, but the way we select artists is simply by following what we like. What we like doesn't have a genre, but it definitely has a vision, which is what we are looking for: polymorphic and multidirectional. In most of the projects, we selected what we immediately saw as the future potential of those projects. So, we like to help them find a verbal and aesthetic way that can turn into a thousand subsequent personal paths, for them and for us. In fact, two essential parts characterize every Reyetto Tapes release: storytelling, or helping them tell a story by writing a text that does justice to or manages to bring out internalized discourse, with questions never asked before is the most fun thing you could ever want to do. The second part and probably the highest impact part is the visuals, where you get intimate with two realities that have a different vision to find a meeting point in the middle. These I think create the most beautiful sense of collaboration.

Which artists would you like to sign?

Elio: All my favourite artists are dead.

Fukinsei: As a rave Dj, I would like to produce massive club-oriented sound projects that travel at high speed. Also, I would love to be able to produce bands in between punk and electronic. In fact, among my favourite references I have FuckPunk, Maple Death Records. But I don't deny that, as I deeply love trip hop, I would love to make a project with this vocation and on trap experiments. Being able to do anthropological work on my Sicily would be fascinating.

Which format do you prefer the most?

Vinyl is definitely the format we learned to play with and if we have to address a target audience of deejays with a release, it is definitely the best media. Unfortunately, the costs and timing make it difficult for our small reality to publish everything on vinyl. Other formats such as cassette are a great solution that we used to support our small community of collectors, and we find it the best media for all those impromptu live recordings that we happen to capture. It also harkens back to our punk imagery of information dissemination. We will probably continue to move forward in inventing new formats, and we always want to exploit whatever new avenues present themselves to disseminate.

What makes you proud today?

Fukinsei: We are happy that our vision has been understood by the most unexpected place as the Macro Museum of Contemporary Art, representing underground independent reality in the Roma scene. This shows that doing what we like and how we like it always leads to something positive.

Elio: We are proud to have put ourselves on the line, that is already a great victory, every goal or feedback we reach we try to live it as a gift. We've built solid personal relationships through this project, and it's something precious to be proud of.

Which track does represent the label the most?

Definitely “Paura della Morte”, which means “fear of death”. Because the theme of death is the basis of the birth of Reyetto Tapes. What may seem like an oxymoron is the reality that we were all trying to create a collective project that had to do with printing music. But we had never met people who shared a common taste and vision. Similarly, the Frankeeno project would have withered away if it hadn't found the support of Reyetto Tapes.

STAR WAX PODCAST 76 TRACKLIST

01 - L O S C I “Unrelease rough mix”

02 - Frankeeno “Paura Della Mort”

03 - Abu Ama “ULU”

04 - Gonjasufi “DedNd”

05 - Michael O’Neil “Modern Industry”

06 - E L I O “Sirio”

07 - Clafrica “Floating”

08 - L O S C I “Unrelease rough mix”

09 - E L I O “Kepler”

10 - Bad Tracking “Clanger” (Giant Swan Remix)

11 - Clafrica “Both Teams Play Hard”

12 - L O S C I “Unrelease rough mix”

13 - Metro Crowd “Gas in A Wagon”

14 - Frankeeno “Interludio primo”

15 - Equohm “Torbido”

16 - Abu Ama “Tricx § Rituals”

17 - Caustic Window “Clayhill Dub”

18 - Frankeeno “Lunedì Pomeriggio”

19 - El Mahdy Jr. “Lost Bridge” (Killing Sound Version)

Interview by Sabrina Bouzidi