When the bass drops and confetti blows up, you know it's getting brassy
May 23, 2019 8:48 AM   Subscribe

Need some more brass music in your life? Try some Meute (official site), a German techno marching band, combining "hypnotic driving techno and expressive brass band music ... just drums and brass, no computers involved" (YouTube profile). They're between the bombast of Too Many Zooz (YT) (previously, twice) and the grandiose scale of Acid Brass (YT) (mentioned previously). But like Acid Brass, it's all covers of techno tracks, like Laurent Garnier's "The Man with the Red Face" (original track; YTx2). If you want your brass mixed with vocals, accordion and other joyful noises, try some Afrobalkan Dance music from South Africa (YT) courtesy of Bombshelter Beast (official site). More of all this below the break.

For more Muete, check 'em out on YouTube for their full splendor, or browse their tracks on various platforms from their own website, and comparisons linked below (all YouTube, unless otherwise noted). Bonus: official video for Muete - The Man with the Red Face (Laurent Garnier Rework)

Bonus bonuses: this Music in Africa interview with Thomas Burhorn of Muente opens with a nice list of diverse brass ensembles: But then they note that Muete would headline in Jo'burg, with local collective Bombshelter Beast opening with their chaotic collective (musical) action, described in the Mail & Guardian as follows: "this gig is not about individuals, it’s about collective action; a gypsy family of maverick musicians, celebrating big-band dancing tunes." If you're trying to put your finger on their sound(s) (official streaming samples/ music to buy), the band provides this primer:
Old school kwaito and Ghoema rub buttocks with deep house and drum ‘n bass. Dancehall, dub and ska make unlikely advances on Balkan music and hip hop. There are visceral moments of rock and the odd sneaky bit of jazz. The result is interspersed with some badass rapping and kept vibrant by live improvisations. There may even be an operatic interlude.
Bombshelter Beast has more music on their YouTube account.
posted by filthy light thief (13 comments total) 53 users marked this as a favorite
 
Well this is a fantastic post full of stuff I didn't know I needed. Balkan german techno marching ska dub?

It's like someone surgically removed the nervous system of my personal history arc with dance and bass music and cured it in plastic as a display specimen - no, wait - turned it into some kind of freaky sentient dancing homunculus. Look at it go!
posted by loquacious at 9:02 AM on May 23, 2019 [3 favorites]


I have just started listening to Muete so this post is wonderful. It gives me lots of ways to branch out.

If you like your brass bands on Segways, check out Glisssssssssendo.
posted by eye of newt at 9:13 AM on May 23, 2019 [1 favorite]


This is great and exactly what I needed this morning
posted by Dr. Twist at 9:21 AM on May 23, 2019


This thread needs a little Moon Hooch - they make self-described "Cave Music," which is electronic-feeling bass-heavy music made on saxophones (including a gigantic bass one) and live drums. Here's a full live set. Their recordings are great but can't match the energy they put off live.
posted by skullhead at 9:25 AM on May 23, 2019 [1 favorite]


If you like this, check out the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. I used to see them all the time playing on the streets of Chicago, before they up-and-moved to NYC.
posted by crazy_yeti at 12:11 PM on May 23, 2019


Lovelovelove this - their analog minimalism is entrancing, just so. (Careful with that diphthong, though: it’s eu, not ue; if you’re into sounding German: they’re pronounced moytuh. And translate to: mob/pack/gang.)
posted by progosk at 3:02 PM on May 23, 2019 [1 favorite]


In a weird coincidence, today a friend played Meute to test the sound system were were working on setting up for this weekend. I immediately went over to ask him the name of the band because it sounds incredible. It's like all the best parts of saxophone beatboxer Derek Brown mixed with the musicality of Lucky Chops and I am here for it. Thanks for the bevy of links, I'm looking forward to find some to put in my everyday playlist.
posted by ob1quixote at 7:47 PM on May 23, 2019 [2 favorites]


This was the music I never knew I needed. Great arrangement, amazing playing. I want to go back to my teenage marching band and wave this around shouting “look! LOOK!”
posted by q*ben at 7:57 PM on May 23, 2019 [3 favorites]


It's about now that someone should mention filthy light thief's 2011 fpp about Nortec: drum and brass from Tijuana.

example: Tijuana Bass
posted by scruss at 5:27 PM on May 24, 2019


This is a wonderful post, but please note that their name is "Meute" (meaning "pack") as you had it correctly in the beginning, neither "Muete" nor "Muente".
posted by lorenzlm at 4:26 PM on May 25, 2019 [1 favorite]


Oops, sorry. progosk covered that already...
posted by lorenzlm at 4:36 PM on May 25, 2019


Sweet, great sound. Reminds me of early-00's Toronto live-electro The New Deal and Holy Fuck, except with brass and buttery smooth xylophone...
posted by anthill at 4:56 AM on May 28, 2019 [1 favorite]


lorenzlm, thanks for that correction!

And if you want some more heavy, psychedelic funk-jazz madness, I just came across Summon the Fire by The Comet is Coming. Holeey sheeet, it's GOOD! There's more chaos than Too Many Zooz, but less energy, if that makes sense. Start Running is more electric avant-garde jazz mish-mash, and then they get quiet enough to let Kate Tempest guest over a track. Tons more on their Bandcamp page.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:51 PM on June 9, 2019 [1 favorite]


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