Upstart label Radikon founded by Jonas Saalbach & Guzy stakes its claim with ‘Reto’, a stunning debut compilation showcasing the full range of an exciting young project hailing from Berlin. Featuring 7 tracks by the outfits’ mainstay artists like Yubik, Dahu, Tony Casanova, co-founder Jonas Saalbach, Foreign Guest, Budakid and co-founder Guzy, ‘Reto’ is a deliberate collection defining the label’s subtle atmosphere and percussive theme.
Steyoyoke stalwart Dahu’s ‘Primordial’ is just that: Primal and deep, this percussive roller invokes feelings from the dawn of time. Shimmering resonances and bells intertwine in a primeval crescendo while a sub- heavy kick drives the track home. Effortlessly uplifting, ‘Primordial’ is a stunning addition to Dahu’s discography.
With all the hallmarks of a stunning debut release, Reto showcases the subtle atmosphere and percussive drive signature to the label’s genuine sound. The compilation marks the beginning of an exciting journey for Radikon and its artists. You can listen to the full premiere of Dahu’s track exclusively on When We Dip while reading the cool interview we had with Dahu. Enjoy !
WWD: Thanks for sitting with us today Dahu, hope you’re well!
Thanks for having me!
WWD: We’re very excited to share the full premiere of ‘Primordial’ today. Can you share with us where your head was at as you were putting the track together?
That’s a good question. I was in a bit of a rut this summer, making a lot of gloomy, sinister music that I wasn’t really feeling. I wanted to try something different and get out of my comfort zone. Primordial started as a super spontaneous loop. The main elements were pretty much completed in just one or two days – although it still took about a month on and off to finish. I would say it was a very educational track for me and kind of marked the end of a period where I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I didn’t have an idea what I was going to make when I started arranging it, I feel like it’s really a natural amalgamation of what was going on in my head at the time. For me personally, there’s a lot of positivity connected to it.
WWD: And tell us a bit about Radikon. What was your motivation behind being part of this new label?
I’ve known Jonas and David forever, they are two of my best friends – though I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily a reason for me to participate in a project. It’s really the mindset we share. Taking time with things, focusing on the details, valuing quality over quantity – these are concepts I feel like we all believe in. Being a part of this project was something I didn’t have to think about. I’ve known the people involved for a long time, and I know this is a unique group of people capable of creating an outstanding label.
WWD: You’re a good friend with Jonas Saalbach. How did that friendship start?
Actually, let me use this pedestal to give Jonas a shoutout: Truly one of the most inspiring, hardworking individuals I’ve met, and super chill dude to be around. He heard my track ‘How Do They Know’ several years ago and invited me to a show he was playing. I don’t believe in fate, but I find it kind of poetic we met through our music. That’s true of a lot of the people involved at Radikon. Though we are all good friends now, most of us owe it to music that we met in the first place and I think there’s a big appreciation in our group for that.
WWD: Can you give us your key advice for fuelling the connection between artists when you’re part of the start of a new family label?
Can’t say too much about this, we just got started! I think it’s really about chemistry. Everyone needs to be on the same page aesthetically. I don’t mean everyone needs to be making the same music – but there needs to be a mutual sense of respect for the music everyone is contributing. If you feel like you can learn something from everyone involved in the project, that’s a really good place to start.
WWD: What can we expect in this final stretch of 2018 from you?
I’ve been busy! Last week, my 6th EP ‘Ancient Order’ was released on Steyoyoke. I’ve got a remix coming for Matthias Schuell on Ritter Butzke Studio before the year is out, and I’m working on an original EP set for release in January 2019. I’m also moving studio in a few weeks and I think a new space always brings a welcome change of pace, so I’m looking to use that for new material.
WWD: Can you share with us some information about your current studio set up?
Sure! I work with APS coaxial monitors and an APS subwoofer. I really love the sound in my room at the moment – since I’ve been using the subwoofer I feel like I’ve gotten much closer to club sound in the studio setting. Previously I always felt that slight sense of disconnection. I could ever only tell if a track was a banger when I played it in the club for the first time. The subwoofer was a great way to remedy that. My favourite sound generator is the Vermona Perfourmer. It’s super straight forward, just four oscillators and four filters, no effects unit or fancy sequencing and it’s easily the most powerful sound I’ve heard come out of an analog synthesizer. It takes a while to get used to, since it’s fully analog and you can’t save your work other than recording it, but for me it was a game changer. I also use a Vermona DRM-1 for drums and a Beatstep Pro for sequencing. A special mention software-wise would be BazzISM2, a super simple tool that makes it very easy to engineer massive kicks. Other notable mentions in software: Soundtoys, Reaktor, Max for Live, Corpus.
WWD: What else are you listening to these days? Favorite artists to sneak in to a set? What’s on your recently played that would surprise us?
I’m a huge Ben Hoo fanboy. I really respect him for cultivating a very unique style that he develops bit by bit with every track he produces. Everything sounds super defined, every track has a central concept it’s built around. He uses sounds you wouldn’t expect, but molds them perfectly to fit the mood of the track. Just really, really intelligent music, and an artist I can enjoy both professionally for his skill and privately for his imagination. I also play a lot of Siopis, Reset Robot and Krink.
WWD: Apart from music, what makes you happiest?
Computer games make me happier than I would like to admit.
WWD: Thanks for chatting with us, we hope you the best for 2019 !
Thanks, the same to you!
Release date : November 23rd, 2018. Buy Here