Legendary Swedish outfit Frak for the 20th installment of Libertine Records Traditions series. Extraordinary, classy, and timeless music from recovered 80s tapes. From freaky Acid to New Wave, Electro and Industrial, high-quality standards for a future underground classic release! More

As we continue on our journey here at Futurepast, we are pleased to welcome a trio that, for many years, we felt shared our vision, Frak! From Sweden, Frak have been founding an original hardware-based sound since the 80's, first via their own label Borft before collaborating with other labels over three whole decades.

On their "Formless Obstruction" EP, Frak have provided a window into the sinister twists and turns of their work. On the A-side, you see creeping Detroit stylings of "Scientific Bella" set against "Wrong Owl" with it's EBM underpinnings and industrial inflections.

On the flip, "Concentrated Feed" bubbles next to the razor sharp "Capacity Faun", both are filled with characteristic machine quirks and experimentalism. More

Höga Nord rekords proudly presents Frak! Frak was formed in the southern coastal town of Karlskrona by Jan ”Zwarre” Svensson, Björn Isgren and Johan Sturesson in 1987. Zwarre is also founder of the legendary experimental electro label “Börft” which through the years has gained both national and international recognintion. From the beginning, Frak stood for an alternative to the hair metal hegemony of their hometown Karlskrona where they, in the early days got chased from venues by the locals. “The rednecks hated us” Isgren told Resident Advisor in an interview made some years ago. However, unlike Poison, Fraks sound is still appealing and “Ternary Fission EP”, as well as all their earlier releases has all the elements necessary for a sophisticated electronic act: dark and suggestive electro and techno! If you need musical compositions for the stranded atomic submarine U-137, test flights of the Swedish fighter jet JAS 39-Gripen, the Soviet space programme, the first manned mission to Mars or the transition to the bunker society, Frak is a strong and valid option! TRACK LISTING: A1. Corridor, A2. Stetoskop, B1. Micro Fisson, B2. Arcitect More

FRAK are back on track with this dreamy album with deep dark hypnotic slow rhythmic tracks. This is experimental analog and haunting dancemusic at slow BPMs which gives you a glimpse of swedish smalltown dystopia in all its glory. The A1 track might give the impression that this is a romantic record and the A side in general will make big city people feel the urge to move to small towns again, but on the B-side it just gets darker and weirder (the smalltown kinda reveals its ugly underbelly) and it all ends with a track that would make the taped nipples fake fetishists in techno city shiver. I could say you need a mask to play this out, but lets not take it that far. For old fans of FRAK this record both delivers (A-side) and challenges (B-side). Me, I want doubles. -Joakim Cosmo More

The heavy industrial crunch and rubbery synths of FRAK’s trademark sounds come to Hypercolour with the four track ‘Berga Magic’ EP. The Swedish techno trio have been active since the late 1980s, issuing cassette tapes (and later, vinyl) filled with blueprint techno and electronica on their own Börft Records label. Following in the footsteps of Severed Heads, D.A.F. and Devo, FRAK have truly embraced performance art and experimental minimalism over the years, never compromising, always innovating. The ‘Berga Magic’ EP comes brimming with raw analogue explorations and delightfully incongruous noise. More

A long time ago, at a festival far, far away, the members of the legendary Borft trio Frak were just going to bed in their tent when something caught their attention. Now, this was well before Frak's rise to international fame - in fact, this moment was Swedish music history in the making, because what they heard was someone playing a Frak tune. That someone turned out to be Kontra-Musik's own Ulf Eriksson and once their paths had crossed, there was no turning back. Frak has since released five highly sought after records on Kontra-Musik and Kontra-Musik White Label. When it was time for a 10-year anniversary gathering in Ulf Eriksson's private garden, Frak of course turned up together with other Kontra artists like TM404 and Rivet. For those present - we few, we happy few - this turned out to be one of the most magical summer nights in living memory. The Swedish word for porch is altan, and so, to honour this wonderful experience of the whole Kontra-Musik family coming together, Frak decided to name their brand new album Altan Gathering. Another great friend of Kontra, Henrik Jonsson aka Porn Sword Tobacco, made the album cover and we wouldn't have it any other way. His aesthetic choice of tin foil is on point: Listening to Frak is a lot like biting into a fresh falafel wrap without first removing the aluminium foil holding the delicious mess together; it's mouth-wateringly warm and moist but at the same time intensely harsh and tough to chew. This might seem like a far fetched analogy but if you've ever went partying in Kontra-Musik's home town Malmo you'll know the feeling. And if you've never been to Malmo, well do stop by someday. It seems, when the stars align, the gatherings here can be the stuff both legends and albums are made of. More

Frak are Björn Isgren, Johan Sturesson and Jan Svensson, a trio of synthesizer lovers from Sweden. The band was formed when Svensson and Isgren’s older sisters were best friends and they introduced their little brothers to each other. Inspired by Severed Heads, DAF, Human League, Devo, Skinny Puppy, the boys began collecting analog equipment and started Studio Styrka. While the band were still in their early teens they released the first FRAK cassette album in 1987 on their own record label Börft. Almost 30 years later, FRAK continue to release their bizarre brand of Scandinavian techno with their debut release on Dark Entries. “Sudden Haircut” was recorded in 2015, a ten-minute brooding, heavy hitting acid attack full of 808 drum claps aimed at the dance floor. The three remaining songs come from a studio tape the band found in their archives named 'FRAK "After The Silence" 2001-2010' “Synthgök” and “Synthfrilla” were recorded in 2010 and originally released on the ‘Börft’ EP by Sex Tag Mania in 2012. Utilizing a 808, 303, 101 and MS-10, both are supreme cuts of electro leaning acid techno that perfectly fit the sweatiest moments of any club land experience. The deliciously rugged final track “First Glimt I Ögat” is a vintage unreleased Frak song from 2001 recorded one month before the track “Second Coming” (later released as B1 on ‘Börft’ EP). All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Designer Eloise Leigh has created a playful DIY jacket based on a mysterious black and white photo of the band in their classic tin foil masks. Each copy comes with a black and white postcard featuring a distorted back stage photo of FRAK in their teens. More

The Queen is dead! Long live the Queen! After nine releases on their KVK series of the Karlovak label, KVK1000 will be the tenth and final release on the KVK imprint (god save her soul). In it's place arises the new KRLVK series. While the concept series KVK exclusively featured releases from the label-lords themselves, the new KRLVK series will sport work from other artists with releases from Radio Slave, Ben Sims, and the Chicago house legend DJ Jes already lined up. First up on KRLVK is Ben Sims who delivers a burning EP of disco infused house and techno bombs. More

Following on from DJ Stingray's 2013 Weaponized EP (TSAR001), Swedish vererans Frak Step up for TSAR002, delivering a record of analogue black acid magic. More

This 12" contains some true oddities. Frak is not known for doing remixes but here is one of the few that exists. A nice acid remix of Dave ID - Soul reprise. Also they did a special track to finish off the 2013 tours and here's the splendid studio version of ... phase.


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Second release on Midlight, by the notorious FRAK, is in sight. One mighty tune on each side, both nearly 10 minutes. This mysterious group from Sweden has a history rooted in the late 80's releasing cassettes, later many tripped out releases and lauded livesets. This fresh 12'' gives proof, once more, of their intriguingly stripped sound. First limited pressing comes with a limited inlay. Get ready for a fix! More

Raw pulsating and sinister nordic monotone electronix recorded in 1993 by Frak released on Borft as cassette, and now 20 years later finally on vinyl thanks to iDEAL records from Sweden. Analogue to Analogue.

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Rivet is back on Kontra-Musik with a classy funk affair that will be luring us ever deeper into dancefloor delirium. It is a matured Rivet we meet on Bear Bile EP. The complexity of sound and composition of his latest EP, Driftwood continues here. Sometimes we hear Rivet complain that his production and release rate is to slow. When listening to his resent music you definitely understand why. Rivets music contains all the classic elements, but decomposed, manipulated and built together again in his own updated, very distinguished way.


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Rivet puts a lot of effort in his sounds and his production. This is not another copycat. First out on the EP Amid the Roar is Metrist, a sexy march that blends the stiffness 80-ties disco with techno from the future. On the b-side Marcel Fengler takes his turn on Metris. He keeps the string of the original, chops up the bass and creates a dancefloor monster with a big anthem alert stamp on it. Amid the Roar ends with what might be the strongest track on the ep. This EP will make us dance, of course ,as always, with a bit of a Kontra-Musik twist. More

Kondens is collaboration between Swedish electronic music veterans Andreas Tilliander aka Mokira and Stefan Thor aka Folie. The sound is a hybrid of techy dubstep with a twist and banging dub-influenced techno. Pure peak time bliss without losing the love for dub and tape delays. The vinyl debut, First Cut EP, was a success. The Second Coming in now here including a breathtakingly beautiful Substance remix. More

The much-anticipated album from Jonsson/Alter, the new project from Henrik Jonsson (Porn Sword Tobacco/Gunnar Jonsson) & Joel Alter (Joel Alter/Jor-el), has finally arrived. If the very well received preceding EPs, Olidan (km019) and En Livfull Skildring (km020), are future classics, the album Mod, sets a new standard of what a dance music album could be. With personality and grace Jonsson/Alter blend soul, atmosphere and space with heavenly monotone funk. Or as the artists put it: “This album just landed in our laps like the sand falls inside an hourglass, every note is a breath of air and each kick pumps like a woken heart.” Tension is the key word to this album. The raw funk of bass lines and drum programming always grinds against the smooth and beautiful, almost sacral and poetic parts of the music. You can feel the work of two producers, two styles, two ideas, meeting and blending to create something new - a sound of their own. This can cle arly be heard on Acapellan. A sharp acid bass line meets smooth church-bell pads and Pet Sound choirs move freely in and out of the piece. Djup House p
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The much-anticipated album from Jonsson/Alter, the new project from Henrik Jonsson (Porn Sword Tobacco/Gunnar Jonsson) & Joel Alter (Joel Alter/Jor-el), has finally arrived. If the very well received preceding EPs, Olidan (km019) and En Livfull Skildring (km020), are future classics, the album Mod, sets a new standard of what a dance music album could be. With personality and grace Jonsson/Alter blend soul, atmosphere and space with heavenly monotone funk. Or as the artists put it: “This album just landed in our laps like the sand falls inside an hourglass, every note is a breath of air and each kick pumps like a woken heart.” Tension is the key word to this album. The raw funk of bass lines and drum programming always grinds against the smooth and beautiful, almost sacral and poetic parts of the music. You can feel the work of two producers, two styles, two ideas, meeting and blending to create something new - a sound of their own. This can cle arly be heard on Acapellan. A sharp acid bass line meets smooth church-bell pads and Pet Sound choirs move freely in and out of the piece. Djup House p
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There has been a lot of talk about a Nordic house sound lately. Here two guys thatit hit it right on the head! Jonsson/Alter aka Jonsson (Porn Sword Tobacco/Gunnar Jonsson)and Alter (Joel Alter/Jor-el) checking out some abandoned synthesizers Alter found in the streets. A jam session started that has not yet ended. Kontra Musik again manages to pick out some gems. Recommended!

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Part II – 'Axis Audio'. Mokira once told Kontra-Musik that three analog tape echoes are needed to produce one Mokira track. When listening to the track Axis Audio you can hear why. Metallic bursts of sound hits like waves on an Irish shore in autumn. Kept together by a solid bassline and a fragile melody Axis Audio is an excursion in beautiful sounds. On the b-side, Echospace (Deepcord, Modern Love) makes you dance. It is distorted, it is minimal, it is raw and last but last not least, it is oh so funky. This track will move dance floors. Be so sure.

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Part III – 'Manipulation Musik'. Manipulation Musik is the darkest and most cinematic piece on this collection of EPs. Delicate manipulated melodies and melancholic strings moves in and out of a crackling and distorted soundscape, telling an experimental sound tale with a sad ending. On b-side Redshape (Present, Delsin) makes a remix solely using sounds from the original. Redshape described his tape dub version like this: “think disco dub, plonk & pain”. Not much to add to that – it kind of says it all. Enjoy!

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Kontra Music comes up with two mind-blowing techno pieces from Marcel Dettmann. Constructed out of parts, samples and inspiration from Swedish experimental dub/drone act Mokira (Type, Raster Noton & Mille Plateaux), Dettmann delivers two brand new cuts. On the A-side, Factory Report 1, Dettmann takes you on a deep and industrial dub ride. Kicks roll like thunder. Dub chords and processed sounds move gently in and out of this elegant composition. Without disturbing the monotony, Dettmann skillfully creates music generating strong feelings of movement and travel. The B-side is more aggressive. The kick on Factory Report 2 is harder and so is the momentum. Sharp, industrial and reverb-soaked sounds twist the droning soundscape, moving the receiver forward and deeper into this cinematic music piece. A limited series of three Mokira 10-inch records and a digital album will follow this release. Mokira is Swedish producer Andreas Tilliander known for hi s retro futuristic analogue recordings. The vinyl will contain remixes from no less than Redshape, Silent Servant and Echospace. Great new Kontra Music project!

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