Record Label
**Mort Aux Vaches** is a critically-acclaimed sublabel of [[label:Staalplaat]], launched circa 1994 as a joint venture with a Dutch national broadcasting corporation, [[label:VPRO]], and featuring a series of live recordings commissioned by [[label:VPRO Radio 5]] for a now-discontinued daily culture program, "*De Avonden*" (The Evenings), and more recently, "*Zeldzaam.Dwars*." Most of the sessions were recorded during the VPRO broadcast; however, Mort Aux Vaches also featured some pre-recorded concerts and shows. The label released CD albums in limited editions of 500-1000 copies in custom trifold packaging (with a copper split-nail holding the disc in the center), often made of unusual materials: foam, plastic, copper foil, PVC vinyl, sandpaper; some editions were hand-numbered. The only exception was [[artist:Ryoji Ikeda]]'s *[r=224613]* clear vinyl 12" reissue in 2002. The same year, Staalplaat also released the [sole 2xCD edition](https://discogs.com/release/48302) in the series, a [[label:Raster-Noton]] "showcase" featuring three different live shows from [[artist:Carsten Nicolai]], [[artist:Olaf Bender]] and [[artist:Frank Bretschneider]]. Between 1994 and 2011, Mort Aux Vaches produced over 60 albums by prominent and distinguished experimental, ambient, and noise artists, including [[artist:Merzbow]] (Japan), [[artist:Muslimgauze]] (UK), [:zoviet*france:](https://discogs.com/artist/581) (UK), [[artist:John Duncan]] (USA/Japan), [[artist:Stilluppsteypa]] (Iceland), [[artist:Ultra Milkmaids]] (France), [[artist:Aube]] (Japan), [[artist:CoH]] (Sweden), [[artist:Oren Ambarchi]] (Australia), [[artist:Kevin Drumm]] (US), and [[artist:Tim Hecker]] (US/Canada), gaining a solid reputation and cult following; having a Mort Aux Vaches release became a career milestone and an unofficial "award" for underground musicians. [[artist:Dan Burke]]'s project [[artist:Illusion Of Safety]] is the only artist that appeared in the Mort Aux Vaches series twice, with albums released in [1996](https://discogs.com/release/236267) and ['99](https://discogs.com/release/554011). One of the early editions, [[artist:Scanner]]'s '96 *[r=236325]* CD, was canceled at the demand of the artist due to an unauthorized hidden bonus track. [[label:Staalplaat]] had to destroy most of the original pressing, to the label's great dismay. In 2005, [[artist:Goodiepal]]'s *[m=880145]* stirred controversy after the artist self-released several "official bootlegs" of the album concurrently with [[label:Staalplaat]]'s CD, all with varying contents. The release carried contradicting liner notes in English and Danish, crediting the material to different live shows (neither was accurate). Subsequently, [[artist:Kristian Vester]] expropriated 'Mort Aux Vaches' brand for a long-running series of releases, lectures and events known as '*[Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra](https://www.discogs.com/search/?q=Mort+Aux+Vaches+Ekstra+Extra&type=release)*' (MAVEE), completely unrelated to [[label:Staalplaat]]. Some artists that had VPRO radio commissions never appeared on [[label:Staalplaat]] and released the sessions on their own, like [[artist:Sol Invictus]] with '98 *[r=313243]* CD on [[label:Tursa]] label in the UK or [[artist:Frankie Sparo]] with *[r=433211]* CD EP, recorded at VPRO 'De Avonden' in January 2001 and released by Canadian label [[label:Constellation]]. The sublabel's name "***Mort Aux Vaches***" (translates as 'Death to Cows' in English) is a common French insult to police and uniform officers, originating in the 1870s. During the Franco-Prussian War, German troops had guard posts with "*WACHE*" (meaning 'GUARDS') signs on occupied territories. Disgruntled French people began shouting "mort aux vaches" to offend the enemy, switching the German word 'wache' for a French homonym 'vaches' (cows), i.e., "death to **cows**" instead of "**guards**." It's an equivalent to similar derogatory phrases in other languages: "**[i]Death to Pigs**" or **[i]A.C.A.B** (**[i]All Cops Are Bastards**) in English, "**[i]CHWDP / HWDP**" (***Chuj w dupę policji***, or "Fuck police in the ass") in Polish, and **[i]С.Л.О.Н.** (**[i]Смерть Легавым От Ножа**, meaning "Death to cops by the knife") in Russian. Since 2020, most Mort Aux Vaches editions have been reissued in digital format via Bandcamp.