Rhythm & Sound

One of several musical projects by the German duo of Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, Rhythm & Sound highlights the strong connection between the electronic music styles emerging in Berlin and Detroit in the ‘80s and ‘90s with the dub-reggae sounds of Jamaica in the ‘70s. After founding the label and act they called Basic Channel in 1993, the pair began a deeper dive into dub in 1996 under the name Rhythm & Sound. On their 2003 album Rhythm & Sound w/the Artists, they collaborated with reggae vocalists such as Paul St. Hilaire, Jennifer Lara and Cornel Campbell to create bass-heavy tracks that replaced minimal techno’s typical icy chill with human warmth and sonic richness. The last full-length releases by Rhythm & Sound before the duo shifted their attention to other pursuits, 2005’s See Mi Yah and the following year’s remix companion album offered more futuristic dub glories with help from Jamaican greats like Willi Williams and Sugar Minott.