The German Trikont label is celebrating its 50th anniversary
Trikont is Germany’s oldest independent record label. The Munich company was founded at the height of the student rebellion at the end of 1967, initially as a publisher for radical left wing books including Che Guevera’s Bolivian diaries. In 1971 Trikont added a record label to its operations, documenting outsider music from around the world. Trikont’s motto “our own voice” continues to reflect this ideal today.
With almost 500 releases under its belt the Trikont catalogue covers the widest possible range of roots music styles – from Finnish Tango, Rembetica and African Rap to obscure Americana, Deep Soul, Cajun and Zydeco. John Peel and Jon Savage compiled albums for Trikont, and Greil Marcus, Mick Farren and Rennie Sparks (The Handsome Family) have written sleeve notes. Trikont gave the world Attwenger and LaBrassBanda, the “Flashback”, “Dead and Gone”, “Creative Outlaws” and the “La Paloma” series. Compilations include “England’s Dreaming”, “The Big Pig’s 78s” and “American Yodeling” which re-introduced the The DeZurik Sisters and their eccentric yodelling to the world after 70 years of oblivion. Trikont also produced albums by Embryo, Michael Hurley, Daniel Johnston and Accordions Go Crazy (featuring Clive Bell).
Trikont’s 50th anniversary will be marked by the publication of a biography of the label and its 50 year long history (“Die Trikont-Story: Musik, Krawall und schöne Künste” written by Christoph Meueler & Franz Dobler), the launch of a new website (homepage), a series of re-issues in vinyl and this 3-CD compilation.