Label Feature: Meakusma
Click here to listen to the Carhartt WIP Radio Show featuring Meakusma.
“We have always found it difficult to describe or define a Meakusma sound,” say the label and festival’s founders. “What we release very much reflects what we are into at that given moment. Any music lover knows that tastes continuously develop and so do ours.”
Established in 2004 by Christophe Houyon and Michael Kreitz, Meakusma began as a series of events across Brussels and Eupen, the capital of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. Four years later, Meaksuma evolved into a record label with the release of the three-part, 12 inch and DVD compilation project titled Rüts, developed in collaboration with the Scottish imprint Ampoule.
Since Meakusma’s inception as a label, it has continued to release a selection of records which defy genre and categorization, encompassing club, experimental, improvised, and pop. Its varied roster features records by international artists such as the US improv duo Georgia, Lithuanian vocalist Ugnė Uma, Italian-born artist Madteo, and Frankfurt DJ, producer, and film editor Viola Klein, as well as the Düsseldorf-based producer Harmonious Thelonious.
In 2016, Houyon and Kreitz launched Meakusma Festival, aiming to spotlight “the unclassifiable, through music, installations and lectures." This year, the festival celebrates Meakusma’s 20th anniversary, with a lineup including the legendary artist, musician, composer, and sound designer Trevor Mathison; singer and oud player Kamilya Jubran; and the genre-bending Josey Rebelle; with label showcases from the likes of 5 Gate Temple, Hands In The Dark, and Dispari.
For this episode of Carhartt WIP Radio, Houyon and Kreitz created a mix which explores the label’s back catalogs, through abstract sounds by Roger 23, minimal techno from Detroit’s Terrence Dixon, and new wave from Al Chem. Accompanying the mix is an interview with the founders, who discuss the value and abundance of modern music, their radio initiative Studio Néau, and how running a music festival can affect friendships in unforeseen ways.
Can you tell us about the origins of Meakusma as a label in 2008?
Meakusma: We were always interested in starting a label. When we booked Thomas (AKA Pub) and his Ampoule crew for some events in Brussels and Eupen, he convinced us to take the plunge. We had started organizing Meakusma events in 2004, so we were already receiving demos from people. Then in 2008, we released the 3-part Rüts 12 inch series and DVD, in collaboration with Thomas.
Another big influence on Meakusma as a label comes from producer Roger 23, who we had previously booked for our events and who later became a friend. He advised us to only release the music that we would buy ourselves.
And in 2008, we booked Torsten Pröfrock (AKA T++) for an event in Brussels – his personality and stance on music deeply influenced us, and continues to do so to this day. "Der Wille zur Differenz," (“the will to be different”) is something he said and that really stuck with us.
Meakusma’s rich catalog includes EPs, albums, and compilations featuring a diverse range of music from artists all over the world. What criteria does Meakusma use when selecting an artist for a release?
Meakusma: We have to like the record. We have always found it difficult to describe or define a Meakusma sound. What we release very much reflects what we are into at that given moment. Any music lover knows that tastes continuously develop and so do ours.
How involved are you with the development of the artists you work with?
Meakusma: Often, but not always, we help make the definite track selection. Some demos come to us fully-formed, album-wise, while some artists welcome help in the 'compiling' of an album. We know what we like, but we also enjoy being confronted with different perspectives. Meakusma strives for this open and collaborative spirit. It works for us.
What process do you follow for new releases and how do you see this evolving in the future?
Meakusma: When the Meakusma label began, we would usually approach people for possible releases, but over time, with the label and festival gaining more exposure, we now receive suggestions and demos all the time. But the criteria remain the same. We have to like what is being offered to us, regardless of things like commercial interests.
We are now considering releasing some live performances by people who have played at Meakusma Festival. In 2020, we released a live album of Charlemagne Palestine playing the organ in a church in Eupen. Doing this kind of release more often is a definite option, but we will see what the future brings.
How important are the non-musical components of your releases, like the packaging and album art?
Meakusma: Cover art is nice, but the sound quality of an album and the pressing quality of a vinyl record are more important to us. We are happy with our covers, but we also believe it is nice that the music we release conjures up new and original ideas, and images in the mind of the listener.
What's your view on the value of music today? Does the abundance of music change our perception of it?
Meakusma: We do not think the perception of music is necessarily changed by today's abundance of music. Perhaps the longevity of music is, but then again, who knows which people are still listening to our older releases? In the end, the act of buying a record is quite personal. Value is a tricky thing to talk about. What is value? When people do not listen to a record anymore, does that mean it loses value? We find it difficult to talk about general tendencies in all of this. As we said before, music and the way we deal with it is in the end, quite a personal thing.
We receive many demos for the label, the festival, and other events we organize. That for us is quite a specific abundance that very much influences the way we listen to music these days.
Besides all the work you do, how do you stay updated with new music releases?
Meakusma: There are the aforementioned demos, and we still check out a lot of record stores to listen and buy records ourselves. We also receive promo releases.
To play the devil’s advocate, do you think there is still a need for labels as institutions in today’s music market?
Meakusma: Regarding labels as institutions, we are not sure how they should be defined, but we still believe in the act of curation, so yes, we still believe in the record label – and not only because we run one ourselves.
What do you find most challenging about the work you do?
Meakusma: Running Meakusma Festival is a lot of work, but we do regret not always being able to keep track of the people who have released through our label, or who have performed at the festival or one of our other events. Things and times change, but often, it feels like friendships get lost.
How did you go about selecting the tracks for your Carhartt WIP Radio show?
Meakusma: We both made a selection of tracks from our catalog that we still very much like, and then we tried to make them gel together into an interesting mix.
In your hometown of Eupen, you also run Studio Néau, a local radio station in the countryside of Belgium that’s close to the German border. Can you tell us more about this project and its aims?
Meakusma: The idea of Studio Néau was born as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The local Eupen government was looking for new cultural ideas in our region, so we came up with the concept of a community radio station. Studio Néau offers radio shows created by people in the Meakusma musical sphere, as well as local music enthusiasts. There are also quite a lot of shows that deal with social topics, next to a program of workshops.
Which three albums do you never get tired of listening to?
Michael:
Terrence Dixon – Train of Thoughts
General Strike – Danger in Paradise
The Necks – Sex
Christophe:
Rhythm & Sound – Rhythm & Sound
Alèmu Aga – The Harp Of King David
YL Hooi* – Untitled
Who are you listening to these days?
Michael: Polido, 2 Katara, Manuel Zurria & Molly Nilsson
Christophe:
Terre Thaemlitz – Tranquilizer
Josey Rebelle – Mixtape
Tim Koh & Sun An – Salt And Sugar Look The Same
Wave Temples – Taboo II
Are there other forms of art that influence you in the same way that music does?
Meakusma: Like many people, we are also into film, books, comic books, installations, and design. Craftsmanship in the traditional sense, we also really enjoy.
What is something you’ve learned through music that has helped you in life?
Meakusma: Any good record inspires us to look further than the record. You discover things around it, so the album or 12 inch pushes you on. It is a feeling of excitement, of non-stop discovery. We try to have this kind of attitude to things in our daily lives as well, outside of music.
Meakusma Festival returns at the end of August for its 20th anniversary. What are some live shows that you are highly anticipating?
Meakusma: We booked 140 acts and we stand behind all of them, so this is an impossible question for us to answer. We are looking forward to the festival and hope the audience will have a good time, and will be able to discover some things along the way.
Meakusma discography
