Galakthorrö should probably be known to everyone who is into (Post-) Industrial culture. Run by Haus Arafna / November Növelet, they have been doing high quality releases pretty much since day one. Artists include Hermann Kopp, Maska Genetik, Herz Jühning, Te/DIS, Tanz ohne Musik etc.
I think Galakthorrö also has a great role as a kind of gateway band. Not sure if this is more of a "German" phenomenon, but most people name Haus Arafna as the project that lead them to "real" PE, Industrial Noise etc. (not that early Haus Arafna was too far from that). Maybe it would be safe to say that Haus Arafna fills a spot between more "consumable" Industrial and more rugged and harsh material that nobody else really does?
Also, another point is simply that of undisputable quality. Labels like Aufnahme + Wiedergabe have been releasing solid wave / synthpop material, but it seems that November Növelet "Magic" or more "structured" works of the Galakthorrö catalogue are simply unreachable. Also, it would be interesting to note that even filth purists often still have a weak spot for softer Galakthorrö material.
Apart from the works by the label owners themselves, there is tons to discover. One can't argue with the coldness of Maska Genetik "Strada" or the great compositional skills of Herz Jühning. Also, the Hermann Kopp CDs on Galakthorrö are his best works for me, maybe only matched by the "Nekromantik" soundtrack. It seems like quality control and stringency have resulted in a discography that is not only (mostly) free of fallouts but also distinct from pretty much any other one.
Any thoughts on relevance (maybe over-hypedness, heh), best works etc?
