A non tik tok version coming or is this all there is to it?

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

Amelia EP

Amelia

Amazingblaze - Amelia (Original Mix)

Buy here: found.ee/airod-amnesia

Release: 28th February 2025

EXHALE Records proudly welcomes AIROD for his first full EP on the label, delivering an electrifying three-track release that captures the essence of his raw, high-voltage sound. With the Amnesia EP, AIROD cements his status as a relentless force in the techno universe, blending industrial grit, pounding beats and immersive storytelling.

The title track 'Amnesia' immediately sets the tone with an unrelenting groove and hypnotic ethereal layers that build tension to near-breaking point. Pulsating with seismic bass and razor-sharp percussion, it's a peak-time weapon engineered to ignite the dancefloor with its trancy melody that leaves no one standing still. The single 'No Lover' gets straight to the point, starting with haunting female vocals and an eerie melody combined with a driving, full-throttle rhythm. Its menacing atmosphere, paired with pounding kicks and relentless progression, evokes the energy of a dark, intense warehouse at full tilt — "I'm afraid he's not enough", the voice keeps repeating. Closing the release with its epic choirs, 'Revival' offers a cathartic finale with its cinematic builds and euphoric drops. Merging catchy melodic elements with AIROD’s signature high-energy aesthetic, the track drives forward with a commanding urgency, delivering the perfect balance of aggression and emotion.

From the underground depths of Paris to the global techno stage, AIROD has become a mainstay at EXHALE events, and with the 'Amnesia EP' he takes his partnership with Amelie Lens' label to its next explosive chapter. This raw, epic, high-energy EP is a big statement in modern Techno, made for those who live for the intensity of the night.

AIROD - No Lover

You Can't Control Me

In My Mind

Mystical Energy EP

Brazilian Pulse

Alignment - Brazilian Pulse (Original Mix)

The Deepest Truth

Alignment - The Deepest Truth (Original Mix)

One of the many attributes which add to the ongoing success of ARTCORE Records is the exceptional talents of the label’s roster. Since Indira Paganotto launched her boundary pushing imprint in 2022, a host of DJs/producers from different backgrounds have lined up aside each other at ARTCORE shows around the globe whilst also representing via myriad singles, EPs and VA releases. Whilst they may hail from a contrast of cultures, all of those that feature share the same intense drive and burning passion as Paganotto herself.
 
Indira is cuing up the second ARTCORE DUO release of 2025. Remaining true to the fresh format of featuring two separate artists on one EP, Indira has re-enlisted the services of two label favourites for its next dual release. Welcoming back Belgium’s Marhu, whose wonderfully eclectic debut ‘Bhajan’ EP landed last September, as well as Italy’s Valentinø, who returns following his ‘Space Travel’ contribution on ARTCORE OffSonar VA Vol.2.
 
Valentinø’s ‘Time To Change The Moment’, opens the release with a cinematic vocal monologue, it rumbles with an ominous urgency made all the more tense by its array of moody melodics, volatile drums rolls and piercing synth components which merge to form a surging beat that gallops relentlessly to until its close.
 
‘Vida Loka’ from Belgian producer Marhu, delivers blistering energy from the outset, its momentum swinging back and forth jolting between a fantastically peculiar lead melody and the more assertive percussive components which underpin it. Outlandish in its execution, the surreal mix of overtones on offer are then bound together by the tracks duelling vocals.
 
Valentinø’s ‘Hiss’ is next to emerge and does so somewhat grandiosely. Rising amidst a gaseous haze of hissing effects, the core of the rhythm combines descending and ascending synth notes that chime aside an eccentric whistling chorus, revving bassline and a sultry vocal arrangement.
 
‘Feeling Golden’ tears through a sequence of sound textures before arriving at the chorus - a delightful duet of contrasting vocal tones. Following this climactic rush of hardstyle influences. Marhu employs a dynamic series of fleeting rave stabs, surging pad effects, and a distortion of chiming harmonics before closing out a killer new release.

01 Valentinø - Time To Change The Moment (Extended Mix) [ARTCORE Records]

Buy here: found.ee/exhale-va006

Release: 28th March 2025

Serving as a launchpad for exceptional emerging talent, EXHALE brings together rising artists with heavyweight international names, each bringing their uniqueness whilst collectively sharing a vision of boundary-pushing, future-facing electronic music. Now on its sixth iteration EXHALE’s landmark compilation series is a beautifully executed case in point for everything the imprint stands for.

Featuring fifteen tracks, VA006 is a blistering tour de force of razor-sharp talent and cutting-edge techno. Argentine producer SAILØ’s ‘Nobody’ kicks us oﬀ in fine style with icy vox over typically pummeling rhythms, followed by French artist and Reborn Events co-founder Uphoria who takes us to rave euphoria with the aptly titled ‘Rave Dance Drink’. Fresh talent is delivered in spades from 19 year old Dutch hard techno producer STORM, who serves up thunderous bass, haunting
synths and electrifying drops on ‘Hypnotise’, followed by Polish-born DJ and producer Noemi Black, whose track ‘Lost In Sound’ combines transcendent rave energy with obliterating bass. One of the most popular newcomers in recent years, and for good reason, German producer AKKI gives us behemoth peak-time techno shot through with chill-inducing choirs and a stirring string section on ‘Lost In Time’.

Rotterdam’s IOSIO steps up for track six with his uniquely bouncy sound: full of groove and pump, ‘Echoes Of Heaven’ is a bouncy sonic delight. 2HOT2PLAY team up with Poland-based artist Linds for a meaty spot of trance-infused techno on the infectious ‘Type Of Beat’, followed by emerging Italian producer Flour, whose signature brand of trancey hard techno goes full throttle on ‘Galattica’. It’s merciless beats, ravey acid and clear instruction to ‘dance all night’ on Brazilian artist Molothav’s lethal ‘Acid All Night Long’, followed by Até & Salin’s irresistibly energetic call to arms ‘Mess’, where cheeky vox and metallic synth stabs pounce over driving rhythms. 

Heading up the final third is Neapolitan producer Lowerzone with ‘I’ll Take You Higher’, with driving rave stabs from the oﬀ, transporting listeners to the heart of the rave. Two UK artists are next up – coming in strong with his own signature brand of hi-octane beats against a deliciously stark soundscape is returning Liverpool artist Alex Farell with ‘Move Your Body’, while Scotland’s GALLØ brings balance to proceedings with the atmospheric cut ‘Mantra’. Oiz Records label boss Onelas makes his debut with the pulsating ‘Summer Walker’, and closing out VA006 is multi-hyphenate duo Amstra & Sosya with the transcendent peak time chugger ‘Take Me Down’.

@sailo_ofc
@uphoriaa
@storm-musicc
@noemi-black
@akki_de
@iosio
@2hot2play
@linds_muzik
@user-160732178
@molothav
@atemusik
@salininwonderland
@lowerzonetechno
@alexfarrelldj
@michael7321
@onelas-music
@amstraofficial
@francesca-monaco1313
@exhaleofc

AIROD - No Lover

Exhale

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