Casio Royale

Casio Royale is Dave Schmidt's tongue-in-cheek masterpiece. A complete album recorded exclusively with an armada of vintage Casio home keyboards from the early eighties. The Casiotone 403, SK 1, SK 60, MT 400v and MT 70 are instruments that once sat under Christmas trees and turned the children's rooms of the world into small cosmic space stations. Sula Bassana knows what slumbers within these small plastic cases.

What results is far removed from nostalgic kitsch. The pastel tonal colors of the Casios become the building blocks of an intricate, cosmic sound universe. Somewhere between Krautrock, ambient and the soundtrack to an agent adventure film that was never made. Acting as a secret agent in the background is the Yamaha VSS-200, a sampler from the same era that lends the soundscape an additional, slightly destabilizing layer. Appearing as guests are the Roland VP 330, the SBF-325, and the Korg SDD-1000, all accomplices in a sonic conspiracy for which an entire arsenal of effect pedals serves as a cover.

Casio Royale is humorous, idiosyncratic and handmade electronic and it is a handshake as the first release under the new label management of Sulatron Records, it marks the beginning of a new era. Dave Schmidt alias Sula Bassana, who founded the label and filled it with life over decades and Sissi von Stuck, who is now taking the leadership at Sulatron. What a beautiful way to kick things off.

The album is being released on vinyl as a co-release with the British label Feral Child. Limited to 400 copies worldwide, with only 200 of those for the European market. A handful of copies can also be purchased from Echodelick Records in the USA. Those who secure a copy will be holding a piece of label history in their hands.

Composed, recorded, produced and mixed by Sula Bassana. Mastered by the legendary Eroc.

LP on 140-gram black vinyl made in Europe and limited to 400 copies worldwide!

Sula Bassana plays
Casiotone 403, Casio SK 1, Casio SK 60, Casio MT 400v, Casio MT 70, Yamaha VSS-200, fx

Guests:
Roland VP 330, SBF-325 and Korg SDD-1000