The Constructus Corporation
Encyclopedia
The Constructus Corporation was an electronic / hip hop act from Cape Town
, South Africa, that started in early 2002 and had disbanded by mid-2003, leaving the one-of-a-kind concept album / book The Ziggurat as legacy.
, and his long-time DJ partner Simon "Sibot" Ringrose, with Cape Town's electronic music producers - Felix Laband
and Markus Wormstorm
.
In early 2002, Watkin had summarily disbanded his previous group Max Normal (in which Sibot was a member), just as the band was reaching South African stardom, headlining festivals like Oppikoppi
and charting on 5FM
(citing being creatively stifled as reason). He relocated to Cape Town and began collaborating with DJ Dope of Krushed & Sorted and Felix Laband on the music for a multi-media project he had conceptualized involving a graphic novel with soundtrack and live show. These sessions spawned the Man With No Name track on African Dope's ' Cape Of Good Dope' compilation in 2002, which later gradually mutated into The Constructus Corporation outfit. During the year-long production process a young female vocalist joined the group, listed as Anica The Snuffling (later known as Yolandi Visser from Watkin's current project, Die Antwoord
) on the credits.
After the release of the album, the band self-destructed after a 6 week delay in the album’s release (involving wrong cliche designs being printed, customs confiscating and then losing 3000 cds, and a printing bill over which a dispute with the label’s distributor almost bankrupted African Dope).
(not to be confused with his other outlet Max Normal) with Yolandi Visser, who later had a daughter with Watkin named Sixteen Jones. Sibot and Markus Wormstorm later collaborated on the 3 CD album 'The Real Estate Agents', and Felix Laband went on to be signed by distinguished German independent label Compost Records
.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa, that started in early 2002 and had disbanded by mid-2003, leaving the one-of-a-kind concept album / book The Ziggurat as legacy.
Formation of the band
The early years of The Constructus Corporation (aka Constructus) was an underground supergroup, combining the creative talents of rapper-satirist Watkin Tudor JonesWatkin Tudor Jones
Watkin Tudor Jones , currently known by his stage name Ninja, is a South African rapper, record producer, performance artist and satirist...
, and his long-time DJ partner Simon "Sibot" Ringrose, with Cape Town's electronic music producers - Felix Laband
Felix Laband
Felix Laband is an electronic music artist born in 1977 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.He creates light, emotional, minimalist soundscapes by combining several styles, and samples from classical, jazz and old television recordings overlaid with instrumental performances by himself and other...
and Markus Wormstorm
Markus Wormstorm
Markus Wormstorm, is a South African electronic musician.Smit moved to Cape Town at the age of 19 , where he has risen to be among the city's leading electronic musicians....
.
In early 2002, Watkin had summarily disbanded his previous group Max Normal (in which Sibot was a member), just as the band was reaching South African stardom, headlining festivals like Oppikoppi
Oppikoppi
Oppikoppi is the name of a music festival held in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, near the mining town of Northam. The festival started off focusing mostly on rock music, but gradually added more genres and now plays host to a complete mixed bag of genres...
and charting on 5FM
5FM
5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster...
(citing being creatively stifled as reason). He relocated to Cape Town and began collaborating with DJ Dope of Krushed & Sorted and Felix Laband on the music for a multi-media project he had conceptualized involving a graphic novel with soundtrack and live show. These sessions spawned the Man With No Name track on African Dope's ' Cape Of Good Dope' compilation in 2002, which later gradually mutated into The Constructus Corporation outfit. During the year-long production process a young female vocalist joined the group, listed as Anica The Snuffling (later known as Yolandi Visser from Watkin's current project, Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord is a hip hop group from Cape Town, South Africa, consisting of three members: Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek.-Background:...
) on the credits.
Release of the album
In December 2002 after a mammoth production process including mix and master by Krushed & Sorted, "The Ziggurat" was released. The album was an 88-page pink hard-covered book containing a hand-written hip-hop fantasy story by Watkin, which follows the adventures of two kids on a giant futuristic floating world/shopping mall called The Ziggurat, and detailed etched digital illustrations by Nikhil Singh. The music was a soundtrack CD on which Watkin plays several different characters, and a bonus blank CD at the back of the book with instructions on where to download an entire second album of music and narrations for free, with which to fill the CD. . there was also a series of videos produced by African Dope entitled How To Become A Better Person narrated by Watkin, who was in guise of his Rick Flare character.After the release of the album, the band self-destructed after a 6 week delay in the album’s release (involving wrong cliche designs being printed, customs confiscating and then losing 3000 cds, and a printing bill over which a dispute with the label’s distributor almost bankrupted African Dope).
After The Constructus Corporation
Watkin Tudor Jones since expanded into graphic art, fluffy toy-making and other creative outlets, releasing two more releases/projects such as the Watkin Tudor Jones solo project (also known as Fucknrad, with Sibot) and the multimedia project MaxNormal.TVMaxNormal.TV
MaxNormal.TV was a South African four-piece electronic/hip-hop outfit formed in 2001 which eventually evolved into Die Antwoord.-Early days:...
(not to be confused with his other outlet Max Normal) with Yolandi Visser, who later had a daughter with Watkin named Sixteen Jones. Sibot and Markus Wormstorm later collaborated on the 3 CD album 'The Real Estate Agents', and Felix Laband went on to be signed by distinguished German independent label Compost Records
Compost Records
Compost Records is a German record label established by Michael Reinboth in 1994.Gilles Peterson called Compost "the most consistent and forward thinking record label of continental Europe."-The label:...
.