marcel bontempi julen azpitarte
Witches, spiders, frogs and headless knights. That’s how German musician Marcel Bontempi introduces himself on his blog. Bontempi is a musician and designer who loves music and design and is a member of the well-known band The Montesas. He also plays with hillbilly outfit Dr. Bontempi’s Snake Oil Company. Right now, however, we’re gonnna have a look at his solitary project. He has released seven vinyl singles since 1997. If we take a closer listen to these records, there is a clear improvement in the songs and sleeve design from the 2011 EP Old Mad Witch onwards. For each 7-inch single release he chooses a specific topic based around old songs which he then arranges and records. He then chooses the most suitable imagery to dress them up with. On his 2012 Big Fat Spider Vs. Spiderman record, he explored the topic of spiders. On Bull Frog in 2013 he picked three tunes based on frogs, and on his recent The Headless Horseman And Other Tales from May, 2014, he focuses on headless knights.
What comes first: the whole concept of the record or the song?
I always start with a song. When a song merits a record, I start to work on the concept as a whole. It could be a single or an EP. That’s when I record the other songs, which I later follow with the design. I then write the sleeve notes where I include the fictional names of those who play the other instruments.
And how do you know that the songs you choose will work with your voice and sound?
That’s a good question. In fact, that’s really the only thing I have to ask myself: does the song truly suit me? Can I do it properly? Once I have chosen a song, I really get excited about changing it, you know, turn it on its head a bit and find a new emotional angle to it. Do it faster, slower, add a mambo beat to it, or a 60s’ beat, whatever, the most important thing is that it suits my style of singing. So, there are a lot of possibilities that I have to reject.
Where do you find these songs? Are you an anorak when it comes to collecting records?
I like all old styles, from the beginning of the last century to the end of the 60s. I have a very decent collection of LPs, CDs and singles but I wouldn’t classify myself as a collector. I prefer to see myself as a collector of melodies and harmonies, stuff I can keep in my head. Youtube is a good way to find new material and it doesn’t cost a penny either. There is a lot of dark stuff you can hear on the internet, all you need is to know where to look…
You do the sleeves for your singles and there is a cohesive aesthetic linking them all.
I have always done the design for my own records. Nobody tells me what anything should look like, this or that or the other… I love doing what I do, I mean, nobody knows better than the musician themselves what emotions they want to express with their music and what type of imagery should go with that music.
To finish off, you always include texts on the back sleeve, like on old jazz records. Why?
Sleeve notes are more important than you yourself might realise. They are interesting for the buyer because they give them a chance to gossip and read interesting stuff and halftruths as they listen to the music.
What comes first: the whole concept of the record or the song?
I always start with a song. When a song merits a record, I start to work on the concept as a whole. It could be a single or an EP. That’s when I record the other songs, which I later follow with the design. I then write the sleeve notes where I include the fictional names of those who play the other instruments.
And how do you know that the songs you choose will work with your voice and sound?
That’s a good question. In fact, that’s really the only thing I have to ask myself: does the song truly suit me? Can I do it properly? Once I have chosen a song, I really get excited about changing it, you know, turn it on its head a bit and find a new emotional angle to it. Do it faster, slower, add a mambo beat to it, or a 60s’ beat, whatever, the most important thing is that it suits my style of singing. So, there are a lot of possibilities that I have to reject.
Where do you find these songs? Are you an anorak when it comes to collecting records?
I like all old styles, from the beginning of the last century to the end of the 60s. I have a very decent collection of LPs, CDs and singles but I wouldn’t classify myself as a collector. I prefer to see myself as a collector of melodies and harmonies, stuff I can keep in my head. Youtube is a good way to find new material and it doesn’t cost a penny either. There is a lot of dark stuff you can hear on the internet, all you need is to know where to look…
You do the sleeves for your singles and there is a cohesive aesthetic linking them all.
I have always done the design for my own records. Nobody tells me what anything should look like, this or that or the other… I love doing what I do, I mean, nobody knows better than the musician themselves what emotions they want to express with their music and what type of imagery should go with that music.
To finish off, you always include texts on the back sleeve, like on old jazz records. Why?
Sleeve notes are more important than you yourself might realise. They are interesting for the buyer because they give them a chance to gossip and read interesting stuff and halftruths as they listen to the music.
