Join us 2-5pm today at In Sheep’s Clothing NYC for a listening session dedicated to the great Growing Bin Records.

One of our absolute favorites, Growing Bin Records is a label and online record store run by the “eccentric” music lover and lifelong record digger known around the world simply as Basso. Starting out as a music blog in 2007, the Growing Bin has operated from the very beginning with a distinctly personal touch: “growing bin records is a small record label funded by an online record store. With lots of love and affection we bring you music that is special to our ears. Well actually we’re a one man business, Cheers, Basso!” Based in the musically rich German port city Hamburg, the online shop specializes in European jazz, fusion, krautrock, and elektronik pop music though the selections go much beyond that into curious must-click categories like “cocktails by the pool,” “tiny jungle”, and, our personal favorite, “dancing for mental health.” Visit the shop: https://www.growingbinrecords.com/

Basso explicitly doesn’t sell anything that he wouldn’t buy himself and includes personalized write-ups for each record. Read this one from the “New Arrivals Marching” for a quick intro into the world of Basso: “Pretty much unfindable and deeply relaxed Fusion to watch the clouds pass by. With that sweet bit of melancholy. Mikado vibes all ober the place. One for the summer! Or autumn, winter, spring!”

The label side of Growing Bin launched in 2013 and follows a similarly idiosyncratic approach. Deep archival discoveries are released right alongside new music from artists / friends within Basso’s circle. Clocking in at 43 releases now, the label is self-professed to be “run s l o w l y by Basso,” though that in-and-out-of-time feeling actually gives each release a sort of timeless quality. Much like the above description, the label’s releases are for all seasons and don’t follow a schedule. Some of our personal favorites include Wilson Tanner’s crab ambient 69, Liquid Canoe‘s downtempo electronic funk, Señora‘s 1981 self-titled jazz-funk bomb, and Cass & Gianni Brezzo’s lush balearic ambient Masala Kiss. We’ll be playing these records and more today from 2-5pm at our weekly dedicated listening sessions at In Clothing NYC! Come thru and dive into the world of Basso <3

In anticipation of the listening session, we asked Basso a few quick questions to learn more about the label’s origins, his approach to the curation, and recent favorites.

What is your earliest memory of music?

Dancing at my parents’ parties before I “really had to go to bed now“. I remember that Kajagoogoo’s ‘Too Shy’ was a huge hit there – or maybe it was just my fave. The bigger influence came from Carsten Bohn and members of the Release Music Orchestra as they played the music for the children’s detective series we constantly listened to.

“I am a big fan of Improvisation. Trying to improvise a business is sometimes difficult. I wanted no logo, no merch, no advertising – just pure love for the music.”

Basso

How did the label first get started? Where does the name Growing Bin come from?

The blog came first. I called it the Growing Bin out of a pseudo-intelectual notion, playing with the idea of the expanding universe. Running a label wasn’t really planned. I just wanted to rerelease some music I discovered. The Trance Tapes were the first thing I had on my mind but I was missing the money to have the records pressed. I was still trying to survive as an artist in sculpture and installation and there were just no pennies left. A couple years later when I was taking a break from the art world and working in design, my financial situation was better. When I held that CD with unreleased 90s tracks by the group Merge in my hands I knew I had to act right away. 

Can you describe the ethos/approach behind the label?

I am a big fan of Improvisation. Trying to improvise a business is sometimes difficult. I wanted no logo, no merch, no advertising – just pure love for the music. Even though that doesn’t make the improvisation easier 😉 I guess that’s why people call the label eccentric?

Growing Bin also operates an online shop filled with curious obscurities from around the world. What are some recent favorites that are now available in the shop?

‘Losing A Friend’ by Tobsi Bücklein is a total fave here at the moment. It’s on repeat whilst working on the next batch of new arrivals that’s dropping at the end of this week 😉

What is Hamburg's vinyl scene like? Any special places or characters you frequently visit? 

Since I was 14, I’ve been constantly visiting Hamburg to buy records as it has been Northern Germany’s music capital for decades. When I moved there, the Plattenrille became “my second home”. It’s a well curated shop without bargain bins but with an even bigger warehouse (in which I have found the craziest stuff). I still visit it regularly as there is always incredible music coming in and the new owners are really great guys. 

The RIAA bar is a wonderful place when it comes to music being played from vinyl. Sadly they will have to look for a new home now, but im sure the next venue will be as lovely as the first. 

As a label owner, what are your personal favorite labels?

The first label I actually noticed as a label was Def Jam – instant love. When I was in my teens I discovered Brain and MPS. These kept me busy for a while. I like labels that take risks.

What is coming up next for the label?

After a hiatus of two years there will be a wonderfully deep album called Imena Rek by Gosha Martynov and Natasha Sinyakova – released in this year’s golden  summer.