We are a record label. We like music. Been doing this since 1999.
Check out our other sites and whatnot for the full monty. Enjoy!

http://www.roboticempire.com/store

Incubate was the annual celebration of cutting-edge culture in Tilburg, the Netherlands. It is a festival exhibiting a diverse view on indie culture as a whole, including music, contemporary dance, film and visual arts. It brought more than 200 cutting edge artists in an intimate context to an international audience. Black metal next to free jazz. Refreshing art next to inspiring debate. All we have left are some recordings :-)

Sounds from White Denim, record label releasing interesting music since 2003

VK concerts is a recognized Flemish music club in Brussels and has built up an impressive record since 1989. The last few years we have mainly put our focus on the following music styles: garage rock (extending to punk), reggae/dub and ragga, hip hop, electronica, metal and experimental music.  In all these genres, we try to offer a first medium-sized scene in Belgium to new international and local talent.  By networking in niches within the alternative music circuit we make an effort to reveal new musical trends to our audiences.

If we were to sum up our program in one term, we would call it "cutting edge": refreshing, exciting and filled with raw energy.

It was in 2011 that Dutch pair Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets quickly broke through in the electronic music scene. Since then they have become known for their widescreen approach to making and playing club-ready grooves. From deep to disco, tech to soul, they join the dots between the past and the present with their own sense of storytelling and do so in clubs around the world, as well as in their studio. House might be the root of the Dam Swindle sound, but it takes nourishment from a much wider world of music. 

Still now, their breakthrough tunes such as ‘The Wrap Around’ and ‘The Break Up’ receive countless plays on dancefloors all over the world and the duo has made timeless music such as their 2023 disco-house bomb ‘ That’s right’ and 90’s throwback banger ‘Allright – just a tribute’ that became one of the hits of the 2024 festival summer. Dam Swindle has built a trademark sound, while still evolving and maturing their craft in various musical niches. Their landmark 2018 album High Life shows a broad musicality from the duo and this is even more so on their highly anticipated 2025 long player ‘Open’.  ‘Open’ features countless collaborations with high-profile artists such as Dutch pianist Joep Beving and New York-based Ethiopian vocalist Haile Supreme, and sees the duo flex their sound from ambient electronica to synthwave, hiphouse and more. 

Since 2013, the pair has also established their record label Heist Recordings as one of the key independent labels for underground dance music, while also releasing music on other underground mainstays such as Aus Music and Classic Music Company. Heist is more than just a label, though - it is a breeding ground for talents old and new; somewhere talent is nurtured and allowed to develop. Label showcases and special projects such as the yearly Roundup EP; where all artists from the past 12 months remix each other after a random selection process, furthers the family vibe and helps Heist stand out from crowd. Artists such as Cinthie, DJ Sneak, Crackazat, Tesfa Williams, Makèz, Pépé Bradock, Matthew Herbert, Ge-Ology, Byron the Aquarius and many more have all contributed, proving that it is a place for unrestrained creatives to be free with their own sonic visions. The label looks as good as it sounds, too, thanks to visual artist Bas Koopmans's standout artwork designs. 
 
Proof of Dam Swindle's widescreen approach to production is their long and talented list of collaborators, which includes the likes of acclaimed musician Tom Misch, US talent Seven Davis Jr., instrumental collective Jungle by Night, plus Marc de Clive-Lowe, Jitwam and Lorenz Rhode. Next to their own originals, a broad spectrum of artists have asked Dam Swindle for some of their special remix magic: on labels like Strut and Soundway they have reworked the legendary Pat Thomas, aka the ‘Golden voice of Africa,' and gave his single ‘Yamona’ a contemporary electronic edge, as well as The Mauskovic Dance Band’s track ‘Space Drum Machine’ and plenty more artists like Kerri Chandler, Mayer Hawthorne and Tom Misch. As their talent for bridging genres from all over the world continues to attract global attention, high-profile projects keep rolling in from all points on the musical globe. 

Dam Swindle are famously avid collectors of both old and new records, and it shows in their DJ sets, which keep you on your toes as they move freely through the broad world of house music with skillfully blended moods of soulful techno, acid, breaks, disco and more, all to create those special moments that crowds never forget. It is for that reason that their name has become a real stamp of authority and invention in the dance music world. Whatever they do, then, this pair do with irresistible charm.

Wouter Daenen is following