Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends avant-rock, experimental music, pop, global music, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released over 400 albums and 300 singles, working with artists from all over the world (from Western Europe and the US to the Balkans and North & Central Africa, from South America to the Middle East and Japan).
Crammed Discs is run by Marc Hollander (A&R) with Hanna Gorjaczkowska (artist development, marketing, distribution & art direction) and Vincent Kenis (producer, director of the Congotronics Series).
Crammed has been described as "one of the most boldly eclectic independent labels around" (Pitchfork), as "innovative and groundbreaking" and "visionary", a.o. for steadily avoiding to confine its roster "to one, potentially homogeneous category" and encouraging artists with plural identities to create new forms of music. Marc Hollander and Crammed Discs received the WOMEX award in 2004 at the World Music Expo international music trade fair, for being "one of the seminal players on the world music field". However, the label has always systematically worked with electronic music, indie pop and rock artists, and "doesn't see itself as a world music label: it just happens to enjoy working with artists from around the world, some of whom sing in languages other than English" (as stated in the label's manifesto).
In 2011, Crammed Discs celebrated its 30th anniversary by setting up the Congotronics vs Rockers project, a "superband" including ten Congolese and ten indie rock musicians (including members of Konono No1, Deerhoof, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Kasai Allstars, Skeletons, Juana Molina and Vincent Kenis), who collaborated to create a common repertoire and performed at 15 major festivals and venues in ten countries.
For the last couple of decades, the label has been working with a series of transnational artists, whose post-genre aesthetics coincides with the directions pursued by Crammed since its inception. From 2008 to 2015, the following artists have joined the Crammed Discs roster: Chicago band Allá, indie pop act Lonely Drifter Karen (from Vienna and Barcelona), London-based Moroccan electronic artist U-cef, Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili, musician/composer/producer Mocky, Belgian band Hoquets, Belgo-Congolese rapper Baloji, Belgian-Colombian band La Chiva Gantiva, French-American artist Maïa Vidal, US bands Skeletons & Megafaun, South African/Dutch band SKIP&DIE, Belgian band Amatorski, Lebanese singer Yasmine Hamdan, Argentinian artist Juana Molina and Ghanaian/Swiss band OY.
The label's signings since 2016 are Parisian electronic music collective Acid Arab, Portuguese singer & musician Lula Pena, young French-Welsh band Fauna Twin, French experimental pop band Aquaserge, Matias Aguayo & The Desdemonas, the new rock band founded by the German-Chilean electronic music producer, Berlin-based Spanish experimental musician Don The Tiger, French-Chilean band Nova Materia, Lagos/London project Ekiti Sound, Ugandan/British band Nihiloxica, Californian musician Scott Gilmore, producer Pascal Gabriel and his new Stubbleman project, German/Peruvian electronic music duo Los Pulpitos, and Palestinian techno duo Zenobia.
Sub-labels Because of the diversity of the label's output since its early days in the 1980s, its founders chose to create several sub-labels. This policy was discarded during the latter part of the 1990s, because Crammed felt that genre-blending had finally become acceptable.
Made To Measure A composers' series specializing in instrumental and ambient music, soundtracks and works commissioned for films, ballets etc. Notable artists are: Hector Zazou, Arto Lindsay, John Lurie, Yasuaki Shimizu, Minimal Compact, Daniel Schell & Karo, and Fred Frith. 36 volumes were released between 1984 and 1995.
SSR Launched in 1988, this electronic music label was A&R'd by DJ Morpheus (a.k.a. Samy Birnbach) and Marc Hollander. 47 albums and numerous singles were released, ranging from early new beat to downtempo, techno, house and hip hop, by artists such as Snooze, Juryman, Carl Craig, Tek 9, DJ Morpheus, Kevin Saunderson and Telex. SSR is short for Sampleur & Sans Reproche.
Language This 'avant dance' sub-label was A&R'd by Tony Thorpe (a.k.a. The Moody Boyz). 10 albums and 22 singles/EPs were released between 1995 and 1999, by artists including Buckfunk 3000 (Si Begg) and Circadian Rhythms (a band led by ex-This Heat member Charles Bullen).
Ziriguiboom Launched in 1998 in collaboration with Brazilian A&R/Producer Béco Dranoff, Ziriguiboom's aim was to present original and as-yet-unexposed aspects of Brazilian music to international audiences. It quickly became one of the global hubs for the new wave of Brazilian music, and has brought Crammed its biggest commercial success to date with Bebel Gilberto's debut album Tanto Tempo (which sold one million units worldwide). Ziriguiboom also signed and released albums by artists such as Celso Fonseca, Cibelle, Zuco 103, Trio Mocotó, Bossacucanova, DJ Dolores, Apollo Nove and the late Suba.
Crammed also had several specialized and one-artist sub-labels: Cramworld (for contemporary and archival world music releases) Selector (specialized in drum and bass) Cramboy (for Tuxedomoon's releases) Furax (released Belgian comedians Les Snuls) The Congotronics Series Currently the only subsiding Crammed Discs imprints are Congotronics and Made To Measure. Congotrononics is not a sub-label per se, but a collection of releases by Congolese bands who play their own respective styles of electrified traditional music (such as Konono No1 and Kasai Allstars). The series is curated and produced by Vincent Kenis. As for the Made To Measure composers' series, it is being discreetly revived since 2013 (after having remained inactive for 18 years), as 6 new volumes have recently come out.
A new imprint was launched in 2025: CrammedLab, devoted to emerging acts, experimental projects, as well as archival releases. True to its parent company’s ethos, CrammedLab will be exploring various musical directions. CrammedLab is managed by Marc Hollander and Sofia Rasquin.
Discography (albums)
1980 Aksak Maboul: Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits, with Chris Cutler and Fred Frith (LP 1980, CD reissue in 1995, vinyl reissue in 2018)
1981 Aksak Maboul: Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine (originally out in 1977, released on Crammed in 1981, CD reissue in 2003, vinyl reissue in 2015) Minimal Compact: Minimal Compact (mini-album, 1981, reissued on CD as part of One+One By One) Band Apart: Band Apart (mini-album) Family Fodder: Greatest Hits
1982 The Honeymoon Killers: Les Tueurs de la Lune de Miel Des Airs: Lunga Notte (mini-album) Hermine: The World On My Plates Benjamin Lew/Steven Brown: Douzième Journée: le Verbe, la Parure, l'Amour
1983 Minimal Compact: One By One (1983, reissued on CD as part of One+One By One) Band Apart: Marseille Zazou Bikaye+CY1: Noir Et Blanc
1984 Made To Measure Vol.1, feat. Aksak Maboul, Benjamin Lew, Minimal Compact, Tuxedomoon Blaine Reininger/Mikel Rouse: Colorado Suite Minimal Compact: Deadly Weapons Karl Biscuit: Regrets Eternels (1984, re-released in 2003 as part of Secret Love - Compiled Electropop Works)
1985 Zazou Bikaye: Mr Manager Peter Principle: Sedimental Journey Tuxedomoon: Holy Wars Minimal Compact: Raging Souls Tuxedomoon: Half Mute (originally out on Ralph Records in 1980, reissued on Crammed in 1985) Hector Zazou: Géographies Karl Biscuit: Fatal Reverie (1985, re-released in 2003 as part of Secret Love - Compiled Electropop Works) Nadjma: Rapture In Baghdad, feat. Adrian Sherwood
1986 Surfin Dave and The Absent Legends: In Search of a Decent Haircut Various Artists: Fuck Your Dreams, This Is Heaven, feat. members of Tuxedomoon & Minimal Compact playing covers of 1960s/1970s songs Colin Newman: Commercial Suicide Tuxedomoon: Desire (originally out on Ralph Records in 1981, re-issued on Crammed in 1986) Benjamin Lew/Steven Brown: A propos d'un paysage Tuxedomoon: Ship of Fools Mikel Rouse: A Walk In The Woods John Lurie: Stranger Than Paradise (original soundtrack from the Jim Jarmusch film) Mahmoud Ahmed: Ere Mela Mela (originally released 1975-76, released on Crammed Discs in 1986, and re-issued as part of the Ethiopiques series in 2000) Hector Zazou: Reivax au Bongo
1987 Minimal Compact: The Figure One Cuts Tuxedomoon: You Minimal Compact: Lowlands Flight Sussan Deyhim & Richard Horowitz: Desert Equations Yasuaki Shimizu: Music For Commercials John Lurie: Down By Law (original soundtrack from the Jim Jarmusch film) Daniel Schell & Karo: If Windows They Have Karen Finley: The Truth Is Hard To Swallow Tuxedomoon: Suite en Sous-Sol/Time To Lose/Short Stories (originally out in 1982 and 1983, re-issued on Crammed in 1987)
1988 Bel Canto: White Out Conditions Colin Newman: It Seems Sonoko: La Débutante Benjamin Lew: Nebka Tuxedomoon: Pinheads on the Move
1989 Minimal Compact: Live Zazou Bikaye: Guilty Dominic Sonic: Cold Tears Peter Principle: Tone Poems Samy Birnbach/Benjamin Lew: When God Was Famous Various Artists: Sampleur et Sans Reproche (SSR compilation) Bleep (a.k.a. Geir Jenssen a.k.a. Biosphere): The North Pole By Submarine
1990 Bel Canto: Birds Of Passage Hector Zazou: Géologies Steven Brown/Delphine Seyrig: De doute et de grâce Peter Scherer & Arto Lindsay: Pretty Ugly Zelwer: La fiancée aux yeux de bois Foreign Affair: East On Fire Fred Frith: The Top Of His Head Gabor G.Kristof: Le cri du lézard Steve Shehan: Arrows Daniel Schell & Karo: Le Secret de Bwlch Tuxedomoon: Divine, soundtrack for a Maurice Béjart ballet (1982, reissued on Crammed in 1990)
1991 Dominique Dalcan: Entre l'étoile et le carré Classic Swede Swede: Toleki Bango (Miles Ahead) Taraf de Haïdouks: Musique des Tziganes de Roumanie Ramuntcho Matta: Domino One Bobvan: Loonychip Classics Michel Moers: Fishing Le Kiss Seigen Ono: Nekonotopia Nekonomania Zap Mama: Zap Mama (retitled Adventures In Afropea for the US release, 1991) Hector Zazou: Sahara Blue feat. John Cale, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Sylvian...
1992 Bel Canto: Shimmering Warm and Bright David Cunningham: Water Various Artists: Roots Of Rumba Rock 1 (1953-54) (1992, reissued with vol.2 as a double CD in 2006) The Gruesome Twosome (Samy Birnbach & Bertrand Burgalat): Candy For Strangers Les Snuls: Les Snuls, bien entendu
1993 Sainkho (Saynkho Namchylak): Out of Tuva Bobvan: Water Dragon Various Artists: Roots Of OK Jazz (1993, reissued in 2006) Brion Gysin: Self-Portrait Jumping Tuxedomoon: Solve et Coagula Benjamin Lew: Le Parfum du Raki Lone Kent: Granite & Sand Avalon: Earth Water Air Fire
1994 Ramuntcho Matta: 2 l'Amour Various Artists: Freezone 1: The Phenomenology Of Ambient (2CD) Zap Mama: Sabsylma Dominique Dalcan: Cannibale Taraf de Haïdouks: Honourable Brigands, Magic Horses & Evil Eye Solar Quest: Orgship Various Artists: Around The Day in 80 Worlds, compiled by DJ Morpheus a.k.a. Samy Birnbach Purna Das Baul & Bauls Of Bengal Various Artists: Jungle Vibes Various Artists: Renegade Selector
1995 4hero Parallel Universe John Lurie National Orchestra: Men With Sticks Harold Budd & Hector Zazou: Glyph Various Artists: Freezone 2: Variations On A Chill, compiled by DJ Morpheus a.k.a. Samy Birnbach (2 CD) Various Artists: Miscellaneous (Language compilation) Various Artists: Jungle Vibes 2 (Selector compilation) Various Artists: Roots Of Rumba Rock 2 (1954-55) (1995, reissued with vol.1 as a double CD in 2006) Bio Muse: Wrong Zelwer: Les dieux sont fâchés/The Gods Are Angry Aural Expansion: Surreal Sheep
1996 Tek 9: It's Not What You Think It Is !!?! Snooze: The Man In The Shadow Various Artists: Freezone 3: Horizontal Dancing, 23 exclusives by Herbert, Kruder&Dorfmeister, Carl Craig...(2CD) Various Artists: Miscellaneous, The 2nd Edition (Language compilation) Endemic Void Equations Hugo: La Formule