Mort Aux Vaches is a critically-acclaimed sublabel of 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 Frank Bretschneider.
Between 1994 and 2011, Mort Aux Vaches produced over 60 albums by prominent and distinguished experimental, ambient, and noise artists, including Illusion Of Safety is the only artist that appeared in the Mort Aux Vaches series twice, with albums released in 1996 and '99.
One of the early editions, 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: "Death to Pigs" or A.C.A.B (All Cops Are Bastards) in English, "CHWDP / HWDP" (Chuj w dupę policji, or "Fuck police in the ass") in Polish, and С.Л.О.Н. (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.
