16-17
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Alex Buess, Knut Remond, Markus Kneubühler |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Basel , Switzerland |
| Products | Music albums, EPs, live recordings |
16-17 is a musical group originating from Basel, Switzerland, known for their distinctive fusion of punk rock, hardcore punk, jazz, and industrial genres.
Biography
The band was established in 1983 by Alex Buess, Knut Remond, and Markus Kneubühler. Initially, their innovative sound met with varied responses. By 1986, other ensembles such as Painkiller, Last Exit, and The Flying Luttenbachers appeared, all exploring a similar blend of noise, amplified instrumentation, and free jazz improvisation. Between 1983 and 1994, 16-17 conducted extensive tours throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States. Their early releases include the cassette Buffbunker and Hardkore alongside live-recorded LPs 16-17 (Rec Rec) and When All Else Fails... (Vision/Praxis).
In 1994, during sessions for Alboth!'s Liebefeld, where Buess contributed saxophone parts, he connected with producer Kevin Martin. This partnership led to the production of 16-17's debut studio album, Gyatso, with guest appearances by G. C. Green of Godflesh. Martin's objective was to intensify the band's sound using studio techniques, which garnered considerable international media attention.
Post-Gyatso, the lineup evolved with Damian Bennett (Deathless, khost, Techno Animal) stepping in on bass for Kneubühler and Michael Wertmüller (Full Blast) replacing Remond on drums. This formation toured Europe to faithfully reproduce the album's sonic character live, notably performing at the 1995 Taktlos Festival. In 1999, they issued the EP Human Distortion via Alec Empire's Digital Hardcore Label (DHR) as well as Mechanophobia on Berlin's Praxis label. Later that year, under the name 16-17 Soundsystem, they toured with drummer Daniel Buess. The group ultimately disbanded in 2000.
Following a period of limited availability, Savageland Records re-released a CD box set titled When All Else Fails... a.k.a. Early Recordings in 2005 and the album Gyatso in 2008; both editions were remastered by Weasel Walter and featured new liner notes by Jason Pettigrew. In 2020, Austrian label Trost Records unveiled Phantom Limb, comprising previously unreleased recordings from 1995 with guest contributions from Eugene S. Robinson (Oxbow), Kasia Meow, and Bigrogers Graf. The German label Praxis issued a remastered vinyl pressing of Gyatso in 2021.
Discography
- 1984: Buffbunker & Hardkore (cassette, Calypso Now)
- 1986: 16-17 (LP, Rec Rec)
- 1989: When All Else Fails... (LP, Vision)
- 1993: Gyatso (CD, Pathological / Big Cat GB)
- 1993: Contribution to Virgin Ambient compilation Jazz Satellites Vol 1
- 1998: Human Distortion (CD & EP, DHR)
- 1999: Mechanophobia (EP, Praxis)
- 2005: When All Else Fails... a.k.a. 16-17 Early Recordings (CD Box set; remastered first three LPs; Savageland Records)
- 2008: Gyatso (CD; remastered with updated artwork and liner notes)
- 2020: Phantom Limb (LP, Trost)
- 2021: Remastered vinyl edition of Gyatso (12" LP; Praxis, Berlin)