Releases

Here´s the title track from our next release NAVA by @freybenedikt & @tohinc

Order here:
https://riolabel.bandcamp.com/album/benedikt-frey-tim-toh-nava

Distribution:
https://www.one-eye-witness.com/release/1634121441/Benedikt-Frey-and-Tim-Toh-NAVA

www.riolabel.com

Music Video

Benedikt Frey & Tim Toh - Neu (ft. Lisa Toh & Niklas Wandt)

https://soundcloud.com/freybenedikt
https://soundcloud.com/esp-institute
🛒 https://freybenedikt.bandcamp.com/album/fastlane
🔊 https://youtu.be/nVzU6dgMxek

Close your eyes and merge into Benedikt Frey’s 'Fastlane'. Imagine sitting in the driver’s seat of a an automobile, one with exceptional horsepower and torque, as you stare out the windshield at the red light, warping in fata-morgana a mile down the road. It’s a straight-away, a black top with two lanes, and against your better judgment you decide to floor the gas. No hesitation in your muscle, your ankle or the ball of your foot, which you now realize is some kind of universal pivot, the first point of contact fusing your body with the will of machine. In this moment you’re in awe that you, a human, an animal, grew from pond scum into something so advanced as to engineer this thing, a mechanical beast capable of overwhelming power and exhilaration. But you also feel a seductive dread, an outside force diverting you from caution toward a dangling carrot of curiosity, asking yourself, ‘How far can I take this thing?’ The dread, now a constant, is numbed, equalized by an adverse intoxicating gratification. You feel both sensations in real time, however, rather than take responsibility for yourself, friends, family and innocent bystanders, you cement your foot to the floor and lean your head back. Noise around you fades to mute. Smell the benzene-scented air, feel the wind on your face, the menacing vibration of the vessel you control beneath you and every grain of asphalt under its tires. This mile has now lasted an eternity and you’ve left your body for some objective view, as if watching climax of a film. Past the point of no return, you embrace abandon and lean into fate. The film becomes slow motion, a crawling pace so mesmerizing you convince yourself of an option to eject yourself from this madness, but as you finally let go of your last morsel of fear, you run the red light head-on into the nucleus of a fantastic glistening sculpture of torn metal, glass, oil, broken dreams and heartache. 'Fastlane' may be just drum machines and synthesizers if you’re timid, but listen harder and know the catastrophic reality of existence, a wreckage so gruesome we dare not rubberneck, but afterall it is our nature to stare.

PREMIERE: Benedikt Frey - Crank [ESP Institute]

Benedikt Frey DJ set @ DT CAMP 2023

Track List:

1. VAN LUKAS ORCHESTRA - THE GIRL DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE
2. STANYA - FADING
3. JESUS COULDN'T DRUM - CRACK THE WHIP
4. JOHNSON ENGINEERING CO. - BLOCK MANIA
5. BLACK LIGHT DISTRICT - SUNDIAL
6. 18E OKTOBER - SISTA VERSEN PA DEN SISTA SANGEN
7. ABORTED AT LINE 6 - MAMMUT
8. RICHARD TERMINI PROJECT  - BYTE IT
9. DATA-BANK-A - IS GOD A MONSTER?
10. DZ LECTRIC & ANTHON SHIELD - THE FLESH ORDER
11. EL AVIADOR DRO Y SUS OBREROS ESPECIALIZADOS - 
12. DESTINO CONTRA DIOS
13. WICKED WITCH - UNDER YOUR SPELL
14. POLADROÏD - DANSE MACABRE
15. BOUND BY ENDOGAMY - (LETTRE À) TUTOR
16. ENSAMBLE  - INDUSTRIA DE ODIO
17. VO ESE - RIKE'S BIRTHDAY
18. TWICE A MAN - SORROW
19. MASSIVE STEREO SELLOUT - HOPE
20. KALASHNIKOV - ULTRAVIOLENCIA
21. PORTION CONTROL - DEMO (B5)

BIO
Violet Poison is the proto-EBM/Industrial side-project of Italian producer and dj, Francesco Baudazzi, previously known as Obtane, the techno project he shut down in 2012. 

Violet Poison is inspired by oldschool EBM and synth/wave music from the 80's. Baudazzi also runs different projects under various aliases, some focused on 80's thriller/horror soundtracks and some on US-oriented Italo-disco/freestyle. Baudazzi also is the label head for Veleno Viola that is also a podcast mix series

@violet-poison
---------------------------------------------

Listen to Mechanical Breakdown on KEXP, hosted by Sharlese, every Saturday AM (Friday night) from 1-3 AM PST // 10 AM - 12 PM CET || www.kexp.org/shows/mechanical-breakdown/

Violet Poison Guest Mix for Mechanical Breakdown on KEXP

Benedikt Frey makes his debut on Rhythmic Culture Records with ‘Hoover’. The German producer–known for his previous work on labels such as ESP Institute, Hivern Discs and his own R.i.O. imprint–delivers a 4-track EP that is a journey through the breakbeat spectrum with a distinct focus on sonic experimentation. From the hypnotic dynamic in ‘Blue Lights’ complimented by the vocals of DALO, to the intriguing dance floor rhythms in ‘Henry’ and ‘Deadlines’ and downtempo mesmerising track ‘Trees’, ‘Hoover’ puts another side of Frey’s work in the limelight.

Hoover

Deadlines

Benedikt Frey - Deadlines

R.i.O. welcomes Brainwave Research Center, a NYC-based duo consisting of house/techno producer Chase Smith and documentary filmmaker Christa Majoras. In early 2023 they freed their debut album “figure 1” via their own label BRC. Two more albums followed. All documenting their love for experimental yet charming music of all kinds.

Their influences span a vast spectrum, from Steve Reich, Laurie Spiegel, and Edgar Froese to Martin Rev, John Carpenter, early Kraftwerk, or the ambient techno of Pete Namlook’s Fax +49-69/45046 label. Yet, Brainwave Research Center forges a sound distinctly their own, seamlessly blending analog synthesis with electro-acoustic experimentation.

On “Psychic Antenna”, the duo takes a gentle rawer approach. The tracks range from the manic verbal Die-Tödliche-Doris-like loops of "I Find Myself" to the meditative cosmic trance of "Open Your Mouth." "Orange Drop" and "Transmitter Park" toy with the dancefloor, channeling slow-motion acid trance and krautrock echoes.

The release is rounded out by three remixes: R.i.O.’s own Benedikt Frey delivers a deep, trippy groover full of inner musicality, while close companion DALO crafts a dark, echo-drenched pop rework, and Berlin’s Nathan Dawidowicz injects psyched nu-disco rhythms, expanding “Psychic Antenna” into seven notions of intense neural oscillations.

ML



Bandcamp

Brainwave Research Center - Open Your Mouth

Swimming pool in the imaginative world of AI.

Selected by https://soundcloud.com/underwaterrocket

Histoires de Piscine 145 by Underwater Rocket aka Justas Mineral

Sweet but never shallow—@scnx loops playful bass into warm, tongue-in-cheek grooves. A softcore breeze drifting over the bright side of the lake, at the LRT Opus Stage.
Slide in. Float on.

🌀 Full Programme: www.yaga.lt
🌀 Tickets: yaga.lt/tickets
🌀 www.instagram.com/yagathering
🌀 www.facebook.com/YagaGathering

YAGA'25 LRT Opus Stage | Tafari

Live from Berlin: final hour from the studio with AALIA!

AALIA [27.05.25]

30th of April was the release party of our debut vinyl known as 'Elementa Obscura 001' for this special ocassion we invited 'Ladislav Zensor' aka 'Exhausted Modern' where he truly delivered a masterclass of heady fusion of breaks, dreamy pads, and razor-sharp polyrhythms that held the room in a hypnotic grip. With the venue packed wall to wall, it was clear this was more than just a release party.

Here you have the whole recording of this special live.

Massive props to Krewe (Dani & Sara 🖤) for the warm hosting, to Ladislav, to RNXRX, to Cyberdom and to the entire LAUT staff, and of course, to every dancer who made the night unforgettable. Espectro Oculto is just getting started and if this was the opening chapter, we’re in for something special.

Espectro Oculto Crew.

Espectro Oculto Mix #001 | Exhausted Modern [Live]

Hot summer rain hits the cracked pavement in uneven rhythms. A neon sign flickers above a café that never seems to close, its warm white light reflected in the wet ground like a fever dream. The air smells of summer and the world hums with an easy tone, as if the city itself is holding its breath. A light flooded film noir-ish scene, that needs a soundtrack like „POOL JAMS“, the new album of INIT, the Berlin based duo, that already caused quite a stir with their albums for Hivern Discs and Optimo Music. This time, they bring their latest creations out on R.i.O. - a label, with whom they are deeply associated. Their fourth longplayer is a playful one. One that brings trip hopping feelings. That has r’n’b grace, without catering regular trademarks of the genre. Dub, trance, drone, is all there too. Yet, nothing is present in pure definition. Rather suggested, interwoven, or newly twisted in a songwriting style, that haunts and
seduces. On top the voice of Nadia D'Alò dances, steps and hums tempting to the grooves she created with her partner in crime Benedikt Frey. Together they fashioned a record, that, as INIT puts it, is „some kind of old photo from an old dry empty pool that got faded by sunlight “. A dreamy, sunny piece of song art, made for endless smoky LA freeway drives, and other adventures that seek for infinite riddance. You can dream it. You can trance it. You can’t escape it, as soon as it rotates in your dream device for sound and vision.

Text ML

INIT - Pinata

Tolerance

Listen to the album on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/4RxQZKckGdev1kzBQtqLYK


Gilded Cruelty

“CYCLE” is the latest album by South German producer Max Tebbert, founder of the independent label RAUWERK. Entirely self-produced — from composition to mix and master — this record is a true reflection of Tebbert’s uncompromising artistic vision.

Crafted through a hybrid production approach, CYCLE merges the warmth and unpredictability of analog hardware, modular systems, and classic synthesizers with modern production techniques. The result is a deeply hypnotic journey marked by driving beats, textured soundscapes, and a distinct signature style that bridges the raw and the refined.

Each track unfolds like a chapter, reflecting the cyclical nature of sound, emotion, and experience. With CYCLE, Tebbert continues to push boundaries, inviting listeners into a sonic space that is both meditative and relentlessly forward-moving.

Mix/Master by Max Tebbert
Artwork by Max Tebbert

Buy on Bandcamp

Max Tebbert - CYCLE 9

Out Now! Digital + Vinyl
https://riolabel.bandcamp.com/

Imagine

Keys - Imagine

+ @riolabel @initinit

Benedikt Frey is many. Or just one? He is a composer. An arranger. A DJ. A ghost producer. A fan. He plays in bands like INIT, or Dolphins or KEYS +++ produced the last two albums for Chris Imler. Downbeat in experimental dub zones. The goat for Edits and remixes. When house was his nation, he used to listen to pen names like Suedmilch or Venedikt Reyf. He still likes the music formed under their umbrella, but today his tomorrow is not echoed in yesterday. His sound signature moved on. Into the open. He founded labels like R.i.O. or Serious Trouble. 

He lives in Berlin. Physically. In mind Benedikt Frey is at many places. Traveling far thru his home studio that is a flat a studio a flat an instrument a record collection a flat a studio. Everywhere gear, vinyl, tapes, instruments, rooms for spontaneous sonic notions, these moments, when a sudden strike of stimulation falls. He is inspired a lot. For music to dance. Music for films. Music for live shows. Music for dancing glows. Techno, house, downbeat, ambient, jungle, electronics outside the norms. Those transportive ones. Jamming with others. Jamming with his mind. In Berlin Wedding, North of the town, where the lights dimmed low, neighbors share the flow, and a small river runs slow.  As a DJ he plays here, there, everywhere. Big clubs, small shacks, festivals, gatherings. From fast to 90 BPM - as he feels. 

For himself. For the crowd. In the spur. He still remembers his club kid days. Going to dance with friends. Down there in Offenbach. Doing the Robert Johnson. Collective emotions for a better tomorrow. These he still seeks. In his music. His shows. His collaborations. You can book him for a party. For enlightenment. For ecstasy or introspective perspectives. Dancing slow, whilst pirouetting a high-pitched show. 

Since more than a decade. His own music is out there, too. Bringing his spirits in sound. On his own labels. On international imprints like ESP Institute, Hivern Discs, Craigie Knowes, or Emotional Response. Solo works. Driving ones. Slow drills. Teased during his DJ dates around the planet. 

The music plays day and night. Inspiration comes. From a simple kick drum. A movie sequence. A bird on the sill. A picture, totally still. Can’t kick that feeling when it hits. Benedikt Frey. In dreams. In streams. In music. Emotions. Situations. At night. In those flashy lights, when it bites.

24.5. b2b with NVST, Kauz Zürich
10.05. Säälchen, Berlin
26.04. Zentralwäscherei, Zürich
25.04. b2b Philipp Otterbach, Arkaoda, Berlin
04.04. Sameheads, Berlin
13.03. Säule, Berlin
22.02. Kegelbahn, Luzern
21.02. Fribourg, CH

---- BYE24

17.12. Kiosk Radio,  Bxl
15.12. Curly Teeth b2b w. NVST, Bxl
30.11. Panorama Bar, Berlin
16.11. La Culottee, Paris
19.10. LAF, Pforzhyme
05.10. Sameheads, Berlin
28.09. Buka, Milan
21.09. Chemiefabrik, Zürich
14.09. Ausland, Berlin
16.08. Salon Des Amateurs, Düsseldorf
21.07. Am Bach Festival, Lucerne
05.07. Kappa Futur Festival, Turin
14.06. Masters, Zagreb
18.05. Outracena, Lisbon
27.04. Arkaoda, Berlin
24.02. Macadam, Nantes
26.01. Sameheads, Berlin

WhyPeopleWar Fundraiser for Ukraine: https://whypeopledance.bandcamp.com/

The Why people dance question was asked for the first time in Lithuania back in 2013 but it gained a worldwide echo in its 8 years of existence. Run by @pauliuskamblevicius with the help of @experimentsserial and a network of collaborators, the online electronic music platform and label keeps its heart open for new friends and treasure finds but its filter tight and deep underground. Tune into WPD channels on Soundcloud, YouTube and Bandcamp.

PREMIERE: Benedikt Frey - Crank [ESP Institute]

whypeopledance

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Joost Van Arnem

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