Dee Dee’s Picks share 1986 release from Swiss Minimal Wave producer Mario Scherrer

Music

Dee Dee’s Picks have announced the release of Squares and Crossings, a collection of music by Swiss producer Mario Scherrer.

First released in 1986 on Calypso Now, the music was originally conceived as part of a project called The Guild, a collection of compositions written by Swiss music critics.

As the only one who took up the invitation, Mario was the sole contributor for the project which hones in on an era of Swiss musical history and blends a melting pot of influences from minimal wave, drone and ambient to musique concrète and punk.

A press release reads: “During the 1980s, the Züri brännt riots were violent protests against exorbitant cultural subsidies enforced by the city, which had also dismantled cultural programs for Zurich’s youth. Platzspitz park was since known for its gorgeous gardens and Baroque architecture until it started to become a gathering point for heroin users, subsequently being referred to as Needle Park.”

“Authorities permitted illegal drug use and sales at the park to try to solve the issue, but the lack of regulations meant that drug dealers and users arrived from all over Europe and crime and overdoses became rampant. Zurich became reduced to a mess of violence and anger, mud and used needles. From this atmosphere rose the genesis of the music within this album.”

Dee Dee’s Picks is an Amsterdam-based label who seek to promote Swiss music and culture from days gone by. Artwork by illustrator and graphic designer Linda Meli.

Squares and Crossings will be released on Dee Dee’s Picks.