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WNDRLST - Fumes

Buy here: found.ee/exhale-va005

Release: 26th July 2024

It’s almost impossible to believe that a label with so much international notoriety is still within its first ten releases. Still, Belgian Techno protagonist Amelie Lens’ EXHALE imprint is set to make even more noise with its ninth release. Following a spate of well-received singles from Amelie and the latest offering from fellow Antwerp native BYØRN, EXHALE prepares itself for an impressive fifth VA, featuring 14 selected cuts from 16 artists in total. A slew of internationally recognised names and rising new-age talent, welcoming back some familiar faces alongside some debutants, including two collaboration tracks.

Led by Amelie Lens’ ‘Underneath The Strobelights’, featuring her trademark vocals she paves the way for EXHALE VA005. Fellow Antwerp local NOVAH debuts on the label, after her notable b2b sets with BYØRN of late, her track ‘Inner Odyssey’ is followed by VENTUR’s ‘Let It Kick’, a track that lives up to its name. Young Irishman Luciid also makes his first appearance with the epic cut ‘Era Of Us’. BYØRN is back with another massive offering in ‘Our Destiny’, followed by SWART, who also returns with ‘Extazy’ a hard hitting pacy vocal peak timer. Teletech resident Alex Farell makes his debut alongside Farrago, in their first collab together on ‘All Systems Go’, with its spoken vocals and pummelling bass, before French producer ARDL at just 21 debuts with ‘Hyperactive’, with his focus on raw sounding techno.

Another duo of back-to-back debuts sees the elusive FLKN drop ‘Rumble’, influenced by 303 sounds, he makes things dark and distorted. UK-based Aaron Hibell with the vampiric ‘1999’, its bouncy fast bass it makes it the grooviest techno track of the VA. Berliner Afem Syko’s known for his unpredictable, vibrant sets offer his track ‘Slingshot’, backed up by returning American powerhouse and Terra Novae label founder Chemtrailz who become loved for his trance-inducing techno hybrid sound, teams up alongside Hani with their track ‘Goddessblood’. Italy’s Rian Wood comes in hot with penultimate cut ‘Anima’, as he expresses his passion for music through hard techno, neo rave and old school influences. Closing off the colossal VA is French talent, La Kajofol who recently released on ARTCORE. She seals the release with the irresistibly signature ‘Black Rhapsody’. Her music brings a unique style of her own which she calls ‘Mystical Techno’, infusing hypnotism into psytrance and techno with her eerie vocals.

Championing the diversity of the modern-day techno paradigm, EXHALE’s latest VA dips its toe into a myriad of genres, with nods to psytrance, breakbeat, hardstyle, classical and even drum & bass across thirteen freakishly heavy dancefloor-primed stompers. It’s everything you’d want from a release that showcases artistry in its simplest form.

Afem Syko - Slingshot

Pre-save here: https://www.beatport.com/release/africa-ep/5017825

Premiere: Lee Ann Roberts - Africa (Acid Asian Remix) [NN020]

Lola Cerise was always destined for a career in music. Growing up in France, a young Cerise would spend her formative years learning the piano before the lure of hard beats and illegal parties introduced her to a culture that would change her life forever. 

Renowned for her ability to seamlessly merge only the toughest of dance codes during her boundary pushing live sets, Lola Cerise’s music embodies her storied personal history comprehensively. It’s this impassioned energy that courses through her DNA that’s fuelled her music making earning her releases on Gomboc Records, Comme des les films, Khazad Records and Record Union as well as appearances on important channels such as, HÖR Berlin and BCCO. 

After performing on numerous line-ups together, Lola Cerise is now set to debut on Indira Paganotto’s formidable ARTCORE Records imprint with ‘I Don’t Speak German’ EP which will land on 15th May. 

Opening track, ‘Stop Stealing My Socks’ begins somewhat outlandishly with Lola Cerise packing a fantastically diverse palette of effects into an otherwise tense soundscape of charging drum fills and spaced-out pads that provide the foundations to this hallucinatory, shapeshifting melody. On ‘Less Cheese In My Raclette’, the wonderfully cartoonish energy continues as fierce breakdowns meet a mix of ‘downer’ synth lines that frivolously dance and skip whilst a whirring siren bass relentless churns beneath fierce, snappy and gnarling percussion. 

It’s clear that Lola Cerise’s has channelled her playful side into her debut ARTCORE EP as she forges on with the peculiar (but still incredibly fitting) track titles. When ‘Is That What You Wanted Mummy’ begins it brings with it an ‘edge of chaos’ suspense as unrestrained measures of high-octane, psy-infused techno rumble ominously whilst the arrival of a manic vocal sample busts opens the door to a cacophony of far out, low-end elements. As the EP tips into the second act, ‘EROTOMANIA’ emerges to a chorus of war-ready chanting whilst a fierce medley of thick kicks, pulsing bass and droning chord notes interrupt proceedings to form the track’s core before even more of the guttural vocal components that opened the track are reintroduced. A metallic, clunking opens ‘Humans Smell Rain Better Than Sharks’ before the track breaks and unfurls into a speedy but creeping composition defined by its spidery synth arrangements, coarse cymbals and ruggedly chopped vocal components. 

Closing out this ingenious off-centre EP is ‘You Look Ugly When You Drink Whiskey’ which urgently sets off using a combination of eccentric overtones, breathless vocal components and effervescent percussive drive that perilously thunders through a dramatic series of energy shifts to see out the release in a vibrant, off the wall style. 

01 Lola Cerise - Stop Stealing My Socks (Extended Mix) [ARTCORE Records]

Romantic Exorcism

ARTCORE OFFSónar 2025 Vol.1 with tracks by Joel Bird, Dance Raider, Uakoz, AD7USTMENT, Valentinø, Interactive Noise & Marhu, R.Korner, Auriga (SP), Synthatic and Samuel Andrášik!

07 R.Korner - That's Religion (Extended Mix) [ARTCORE Records]

06 Akoriz - It's Schranz (Extended Mix) [ARTCORE Records]

05 TASSERY - Focus (Extended Mix) [ARTCORE Records]

Amor À Mort - FREE DOWNLOAD

REZOLUTION

Tobithe

In 2022, Indira Paganotto established ARTCORE with a clear vision in mind. The primary aim behind creating this label was to acknowledge and elevate the unique sound associated with Indira, which, until then, had not found a suitable representation in any existing label. It's widely recognized that this distinctive sound has been gaining rapid popularity and is finally receiving the recognition it rightfully deserves.

However, it's essential to note that ARTCORE will not be confined to a single genre. Instead, the emphasis will be on preserving authenticity and ensuring high-quality musical output. The label will serve as a platform that celebrates artistic expression, relevance, and musical heritage. Also, ARTCORE enables the opportunity for artists to be mentored directly by Indira is at the core of ARTCORE.

06 Akoriz - It's Schranz (Extended Mix) [ARTCORE Records]

ARTCORE RECORDS

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