Dys Functional Electronic Music is out later this week, but you can stream to the entire release now
REPITCH Recordings began life in 2011, the endeavour of three Italian/Berlin transplants, Shapednoise, D.Carbone and Ascion.
From their very first release, a triple track showcase from the three founders, the label carved out a sonic identity from hard edges and awkward structures, occupying the marginal space where dance floor meets experimentalism – a space that has significantly grown in the label’s relatively short lifespan.
But if REPITCH have helped lay down a path beyond techno’s more functional impulses, they’re not interested in covering old ground. Their anniversary compilation Dys Functional Electronic Music – which we’re premiering exclusively – sees them drawing from REPITCH artists and key inspirations, a diverse line-up that takes in Pinch, AnD, Drvg Cvltvre and, of course, the founders step up too. Consider the agenda set for the next five years.
Listen to the release in full via the player, and keep reading for a short Q&A from Shapednoise, D.Carbone and Ascion. Dys Functional Electronic Music is released on 16 March via REPITCH.
How do you feel that the label’s identity has crystallized across the last five years? Did you start out with a pretty fixed idea of the music you wanted to give a platform to?
We’re quite satisfied with the shapes that the label took in these five years, our consumers can always wonder and fantasise about our next releases since we always try to deliver remarkable works. It was important to only involve artists with a strong personality, who can produce a distinctive and personal sound. It was also important for us to curate the aesthetic appearance with a recognizable style with surrealistic artworks that are all curated by Pasquale – this was the main idea.
We like to explore the full spectrum of techno music. Mainly focusing on techno bangers, of course, and at the same time on the extreme structures that the music makers can create. We are not only about the power of something but also about the musicality of a piece and the feelings that it can transmit.
There’s three of you involved with the label, do you find you naturally gravitate towards your own areas of musical interest when it comes to looking for new artists?
Yes, so far, when one of us has a proposal it hasn’t been declined, so it works. We know which areas of interest we must navigate to create and release something that satisfies the three of us. At the same in time, the interesting thing is that each of us comes from a different background and this mixed all together brings something very appealing to the sounds of the label.
The last few years have seen a real diversification of the kinds of music you might hear in a club setting – experimental sounds have become a key part of the landscape. What do you think drove that change? And how do you plan to stay ahead of the pack for the next five years?
The need for new music to dance to – technology is much accessible to everyone, so there are many more producers, tracks, and releases and naturally, good or bad, the experimentation is playing the game. We will continue our way without spending too much time thinking about what is hyped at the moment or what not, we want to please people with music, not just give the temporary beats of the moment. The aim is to release something that they will remember, this is the strength we use to face the time ahead, which honestly we think about but not that much. We like to do things consequentially, not stick to a very long plan.
