Dekmantel is a Dutch label, events company, festival and DJ collective that’s been providing the good vibes since 2009. Co-founded by Thomas Martojo and Casper Tielrooij, Dekmantel is now one of Amsterdam’s ‘most respected sources of forward-thinking house and techno’ music. The label has an abundance of peak time heaters, including Palms Trax’s ‘To Paradise’, Fatima Yamaha’s ‘Araya’ and Jex Opolis’ ‘Earth Boy’. Other artists to release on Dekmantel include: Tom Trago, Randomer, Space Dimension Controller, Young Marco, Juju & Jordash, Joey Anderson, Bufiman, Peaking Lights, Robert Hood, upsammy and many more.
Review: Dutch producer Tunik takes a sinister turn with his latest release, "Nosferatu," on the revered Dekmantel label. This four-track EP draws inspiration from the classic horror film of the same name, offering up a blend of techno, industrial, and ambient influences that create a chilling and atmospheric listening experience. The opening track, "Death in the Afternoon," sets the tone perfectly. Ominous synth drones and distorted percussion build a sense of dread, while unsettling samples weave a narrative of lurking danger. This is not your typical dancefloor techno; it's a journey into the shadows. "Theatres des Vampires" ups the tempo slightly, but retains the dark atmosphere. Throbbing basslines and rhythmic clanging create a sense of industrial menace, while eerie soundscapes evoke the feeling of being hunted through a desolate landscape. The midway point brings a brief reprieve with "Through the Walls of Auxerre." Distorted yet melancholic piano chords and sparse percussion offer a moment of respite, though the tension never fully dissipates. The EP culminates with "Blood Flower." Eerie whispers and sustained synth notes create a sense of unease, while distant clanging percussion adds a layer of industrial dread. The track fades out slowly, leaving the listener with a lingering sense of unease. A dark and unsettling journey that perfectly captures the atmosphere of the classic horror film.
Review: Dekmantel welcomes Theo Kottis with an EP of vibrant, melodically-charged house, techno, and electro, boasting a distinct '90s edge. Lighthouse signals a shift in focus for the London-based Scottish producer, reflecting a matured sound honed through a self-imposed creative reset. The title track, embraced by DJs like Ben UFO and Palms Trax, exemplifies Kottis' prowess in seamlessly blending club music's finest elements into a cohesive and potent whole. From the driving Reese bassline to the sharp 4/4 drums and Motor City pads, it's a techno hybrid of the highest caliber. The EP continues with "Warp", "Take Control" and "Distance", each showcasing Kottis' knack for crafting impactful club tracks infused with iconic '90s sounds.
Review: Tunik makes a bold statement with A New Dawn on Dekmantel, showcasing his distinctive strain of jacking drum machine electro-techno. Emerging in 2020 with notable releases on My Own Jupiter and Furthur Electronix, this Barcelona-based, Argentina-born artist spreads his wings once more. Its five tracks effortlessly melds influences from 80s synth-pop, early 00s electro noir, and sleek modern techno, resulting in harmonically rich tunes that evoke both emotions and dancefloor intrigue. From the melancholic chimes of "New Dawn Fades" to the electro lament of "The Aeon" and the punchy rave energy of "Electro 01," Tunik's finely honed studio prowess, and Dekmantel's ever current curatorial, continues to shine.
Review: Almost a decade after the release of his last solo album, Marcel Dettmann delivers this follow-up. Unlike many of his peers, there is no concept at the heart of Programming, rather it's a reflection of a continuous period spent in the studio. This explains why it shifts in style, with its author never staying in one place for too long. "Suffice to Predict" is a dense, bass-heavy roller, while on "Renewal Theory" spiky Detroit rhythms prevail. These dance floor tracks sit between the ambient swirls of "Coral" and "Transport". Elsewhere, Dettmann explores Motor City influences, with the lithe electro of "Pxls" and the Juan Atkins-sounding brittle groove of "Water". The mood darkens on the droning, repetitive "Batteries Not Included" and "Selective Dissolution" but as the expansive title track demonstrates, Marcel Dettmann's music takes in many perspectives.
Review: While he may not have released all the much music since debuting in 2017 - just two EPs for Second Circle and one apiece on Safe Trip and Animals Crossing - Chris Kuhlen has more than proved to be a producer with talent and a developing trademark sound. Grooveboxxx, his debut album, sees him once more blur the boundaries between warehouse-ready retro-futurism, twisted dancefloor psychedelia, tropical synth sounds and plenty of gritty, off-kilter sleaziness. Highlights appear thick and fast throughout, from the oddly swung, unearthly bleep & bass revivalism of 'La DS' and the organ bass-sporting breakbeat house hedonism of 'Meet Me At The Mecca', to the breathless, stab-happy rave rush of 'Marathon (Rap Version)', late '80s deep house colour of 'Secretly Silly' and the trance-inducing techno psychedelia of the formidably foreboding 'The Temple'.
Review: Following the release of his recent album The Snake That Eats Itself, Berlin-based Aquarian debuts on Dekmantel 's UFO imprint with the second edition in the Mutations series titled Delicious Intent, showcasing more club-focused solo material for the first time in a few years that's rather indicative of the Canadian DJ/producer's 'genre collapsing' DJ sets. Whther it's the elevating rave singal of the opening title track, the off-kilter hardcore deconstruction of "If U Wanna" or the evocative Reese drama of "PPPRISM" - you'll be reaching for the lasers throughout your listen to Mutation II: Delicious Intent.
Review: As DJs, BSS contributed to the Dekmantel podcast last year. Already a staple of labels like Hivern and Honey Soundsystem, now they bring their production skills to the Dekmantel imprint. Suikerplein is a sprawling, expansive four-tracker that takes in a range of influences, but at its core boasts an atmospheric aesthetic. "Westerpark" resounds to staccato breaks and gloomy synth lines, while on "Domela", BSS opt for a low-slung electro workout, driven by glitchy percussive slivers. "Spaarndammerplantsoen" is more atmospheric, sounding like the soundtrack to a dystopian sci-fi movie. Rounding off the release is "Box", where they re-focus on electro, with a low-slung groove powered by a menacing bass and powerful steely drums.
Review: Dutch party brand Dekmantel celebrates a good innings for 2021, continuing its label operations despite the setbacks of the pandemic and looking forward to a more optimistic 2022 where they can return with their flagship festival in Amsterdam, as well as the Dekmantel Selectors series in Croatia. Best Of 2021 features several catalogue highlights such as Louise Freeman's old school Italo disco goodie "Mirage", the evocative broken beats of Alberta Balsam's "Cascade", in addition to local artist Upsammy's hypnotic polyrhythms heard on "Spat", Phillip Jondo delivering a typically oddball groove on 'Whowhuwho' (feat DJ Plead) and deep house favourite Frits Wentink serving up something a bit different than usual (with Erik Madigan Heck) on the classical ambient journey "What Joy To Breathe".
Review: Said to be inspired by science-fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin - Alberta Balsam presents her debut album Higher Dreams for Dekmantel. A narrative-based listening session also designed for the dancefloor, the LP tells the story of a quest for survival and a planet ravaged by ecological collapse and environmental apocalypse. With that said, this is by far a draconian listen of gothic doom and swathes of cheap reverb - but a colourful and melodic session of pumping synth-music and electro references taking both Drexciya and Delia Derbyshire. Get your kicks from "Atuan Tombs", "Metanoia" and "Cascade" next to Alberta Balsam's own vocals in the title track and some hardcroe Detroit flair in "Suspended In The Manifold". A deep and beautiful debut that should be enjoyed and explored in its entirety.
Review: Dekmantel introduces the solo sounds of Phillip Jondo - one half of the Gardland duo (Lullabies For Insomniacs), Spa Recordings label boss, and Salon des Amateurs resident DJ. Having given Dekmantel a podcast back in 2017 - and contributed to Lena Wilikens Selectors 005 compilation, - Jondo secures a full debut opus with the Little Princess EP. Full of weirdo drum patterns, subtle rave influences and plenty of new age motifs, the EP also features collaborations with one Maxwell Sterling (Ecstatic and AD 93) and Boomkat and Livity Sound associate, DJ Plead. Full of blooming spirals of hypercolour and positive synth to broken beats, jungle rhythms, grime melodies and falling 808s - there's a fair dose of tribal, south London deconstructed dance, and new school electronica too.
Review: Primo Dutch streetwear store Patta and choice selectors Dekmantel hook up once more for their 2021 collection, bringing the world of positive chance the opportunity to delve through a new range of wardrobes, prints, catch phrases and accessories. On the music side of things, this year's collection commissions the likes of Nous'klaer recording artist Nadia Struiwigh with a blustery epic "PIEEC" that finds its place in association with Mary Lake's familiar synth trope "Back From Crete". DJ Corridor fills in the middle section with a lo-fi jungle explosion of warehouse IDM, electro and leftfield house next to Alberta Balsam's very synthy and tonal "Pyramids". Cinnaman makes an appearance with a lo-fi rhythm section plus touches of acid in "Duck", while the artist Jasmin turns it up with experimental and broken beat driven "Purl Stitch Knitting". Introducing Nathan Kofi with an extra expressive synth tip, Unknown To The Unknown affiliate Naone goes low, industrial and electro on "Beamd".
Review: A few years back, Jacco Gardner and Nic Mauskovic joined forces to release a handful of rather good EPs inspired by -in their words - "a psychedelic journey into the tropics". Muscle Memory, the pair's first full-length as Bruxas, continues this approach, combining Mauscovic's love of infectious global rhythms and spaced-out dub disco effects with Gardner's alternately warming and out-there synth sounds. It's undoubtedly a winning formula, with highlights including the cheery synth-tropicala of 'Bodywarmer', the Italo-goes-tropical happiness of 'Cogelo, Rapido', the slow-motion eccentricity of 'Minitrip' and the accurately titled Afro-syth/space disco fusion of 'Crazy Spacey'.
Review: With leaps and bounds the meteoric rise of Dutch producer Upsammy sees no end. Following the release of her Zoom LP that Dekmantel put out last year, she follows it up with a fresh selection of clicks and cuts teeming with her now trademark modular glockenspiel sound, bringing back memories of Schiller's classic trance anthem (and Tiesto's remix!). From the outset "Worm" takes charge as this EP's most direct number with its reinforced kick drum, whereas something like "Spat" revels in the syncopation of its groove, glitchy percussion and atonal musicality - next to some sweet minimal piano. Find something softer and more dreamlike in "Metallic" while "Flutter" takes the scenic route through a heavy field of harpsichord expressionism and broken beat rhythms.
Review: By and large known for his work at Will & Ink and Bonny Donny to other labels like Royal Oak, Heist and Wolf Music, Frits Wentink brings to Dekmantel a very personal concept album that takes in the inspiration of American visual artist Erik Madigan Heck to the whispered guest vocals of Hollywood actress Tilda Swinton. A largely ambient, choral and classical experience graced by poetic passages of the forlorn, a bridge into techno is crossed by the radical and deconstructed grooves of tracks like "A Fracture In The Vapor" next to Frits Wentink's 'Garden' mix of "Safe Passages". Find walls of noise in BvDub's remix next to the hype DnB sounds of "Delusion Of Safety" in an album that Dekmantel calls a soundtrack in which many people will find solace in those they remember. Find extra digital only remixes from Matthew Herbert and The Soft Pink too!
Review: While 2020 has not been plain sailing for much-loved Dutch label Dekmantel, the imprint has continued to release some superb music - as this sampler style round-up of their best moments of the last 12 months proves. It begins with a rare (and inspired) outing from Jan Schulte's more dancefloor-focused Bufiman project ('Sara Sara') and ends with the gently unfurling ambient brilliance of Laura Agnusdei's 'Fuga'; in between, you'll find such sumptuous treats as Upsammy's sparkling, warm and dizzyingly up-tempo 'Extra Warm', the toasty, quietly colourful brilliance of Space Dimension Controller's 'Planete contraire', the thrillingly-percussive heaviness of Mauskovich Dance Band's 'Extra Ventura' and the clandestine creepiness of Max Abysmal's 'Quod Libet'.
Review: An artist to rise up through the ranks of Rotterdam's Pinkman label (with a split sojourn on Brokntoys too) Identified Patient's returns to Dekmantel UFO with Nerve Deposit. Finding a new home on the Dekmanel sub-label that's pushing an experimental, futuristic and harder edged techno, electro and electronica sound, Nerve Depsoit finds it self steeped in something breakbeat, deeper and hardcore. Touching on chop & screwed drum & bass in tracks like "Secretary" alongside heavier industrial electro in "Territory Doubt" to the EBM and gothic sounds in "Visualize It", Identified Patient verges into dubstep with "Low Kust" while turning up the sleazy and rave aesthetics in "Lust Mountain".
Review: A less is more approach from the post-mixdown mind of the venerable Jan Schulte, aka Wolf Muller, operating here under his Bufiman alias! Schulte first debuted the project via Versatile Records back in 2015 and with this three-track maxi he delivers a stripped back, bonus mixdown of the Albumsi LP Dekmantel released earlier this year. Described as a release for world peace and dance music for frogs, this follow up is largely inspired by a sleeping Dutch classic called Jive Rhythm Trax, with Bufiman turning in some downbeat, slo-mo rave vibes in "Under Control Now' - serious warehouse heat - to the solidly warped tropical tones and percussive drum machine mainframes of "Apo-Calypso". Find the EP's ultimate rhythm number in "Hoolock Rock". Bufiman goes Drumsi.
Review: Since Upsammy emerged in mysterious fashion for Die Orakel in 2018 the producer has established herself as a fresh entity breaking new ground in abstract and experimental dance music. With a split release on Whities and a debut album for Nous'klaer Audio adding to the hype surrounding Upsammy's music too, this Zoom LP adds yet another shade of sound to her growing discography, in this case for Dekmantel something metallic, bit-graded, and tropicana. With bleep culture, jungle and future sub-pop influences meeting higher tempo percussion and Afro-centric rhythms, these inspirations are woven together furthermore by dub, some nerdy synthesis, broken beats and syncopation. Zoom in, Sammyup!
Review: Hello Wisconsin! Say Dekmantel who at the moment pour their interests into the electric folk, pop and synthwave of American husband and wife duo Peaking Lights. With their indie sound familiar to labels like Mexican Summer, City Slang and Not Not Fun, this E S C A P E album follows up the Sea of Sand maxi-EP released by Dekmantel in 2018. A stand out studio work, this 2020 release sees the duo go dubby in "Dreams", industrial and synthwave in "Innerterrestrial" to beatdown, psychedelic NY breaks in "Silver Clouds". Indra Dunis' sultry, breathy and playful vocals are a force in Peaking Lights' music, spare the odd instrumental tracks like "The Caves" and "Enchanted Sea", with a world of psychedelic inspirations, experimental dub, ambient and dance grooves caught up in eastern-themed motifs of E S C A P E. Be Free!
Review: For a second time Dekmantel team up with The Netherlands Sound and Vision Institute RE:VIVE to bring together and commision a suite of artists to help showcase 30 years of Dutch experimental filmmaking. Sampling, splicing, manipulating and reinterpreting soundtracks from the Academy Award winning Nico Crama and amateur Dutch filmmaker, Otto Laan, soundscapes come in the form of retroactive experimental techno (Identified Patient) to the undulating cavern rhythms of Max Abysmal's "Quod Libet " There's Lamellan's bizarro cut ups and foley sound in "De Stuiter", leaving Laura Agnusdei to lead the EP with a journeysome drone, synth and whistle piece in excess of 10-minutes. New age cinema.
Review: With the Dekmantel machine growing by the week the label has come to a point over the last 10 years where it's happy to stand up and represent the otherside of dance music, bands. That now includes The Mauskovic Dance Band, a five piece group outta Amsterdam sending some tropical cosmo flavours for the silly summer season. The album delivers a lo-fi and almighty analogue sound of disco and psychedelica next to the bells and whistles of percussion music, 60s dub ethics and a chic 70s cosmiq.
Review: Following on from last year's Cryonauts album, Jack Hamill aka Space Dimension Controller returns to Dekmantel to deliver his second EP for the Dutch collective. The title track revolves around a low-slung electronic disco groove underpinned by spaced out melodies and cosmic sounds, subtle but still delightfully trippy. On "2 Synths & An 808", Hamill chooses a different route though the outer reaches of electronic music. Inspired by Detroit electro and its 80s, funk-based precursor, he fuses tight drums with a fuzzy, sleazy bass to deliver a slinky but impactful workout that's appeal to Cameo and Aux 88 fans alike.
Review: With the Dekmantel machine growing by the week the label has come to a point over the last 10 years where it's happy to stand up and represent the otherside of dance music, bands. That now includes The Mauskovic Dance Band, a five piece group outta Amsterdam setting new tropical and Latin inspired flavours for our forthcoming hawaaian t-shirt summer season especially brought to you by the best merry makers in the business. It brings with it a diggers vibe of disco and percussion music with slights of '70s cosmique and exotica. Lo-fi, funky and chic.
Review: Wishy-washy surfer lo-fi italo-punk surfaces on Dekmantel via Peaking Lights, a Californian duo pushing sounds whose influences here range as wide as Ladytron and Black Sabbath ("Planet Caravan") to cosmic disco and DIY electronic indie. The pairing are probably more known to fans of the Mexican Summer label than those who enjoy Kangding Ray and Sigha's music - the two who produced Dekmantel's previous release - which goes some distance to express the musical range Dekmantel are covering these days. For their label debut expect two floating, breathy, chilled out sub pop numbers to bliss out your next mix.
Review: Jan Schulte aka Bufiman drops his debut album on Dekmantel, and it's a thing of cosmic beauty. There's the odd ball groove of "Galaxy", on "Sara Sara", he tackles electronic boogie with great flair and "Hoolock Rock" is a superb slice of spaced out disco. However, Schulte's project is not just concerned with revisiting existing styles, and he seems to be just as content when teasing out weird and wonderful new hybrids. These are articulated most impressively on the frazzled acid and steely drums of "Blow Your Mind", the dreamy down tempo drums and tropical sounds of "News From The Treetops" and the sludgy electro funk on "Langsam Aber Slowly".
Review: Its festival operation may have enjoyed its most successful year so far, but Dekmantel remains true to its underground roots on this look back at 2019. There's the off beat disco of Freedom Engine, Mathew Jonson's new project, as well as left of centre curveballs from Lamellen and Epsilove. That said, the Dutch collective also understand what's needed to rock a dance floor. Fittingly, 2019 includes the electronic disco of Jex Opolis "Earth Boy" and Betonkust & Palmbomen II's acrid acid workout "Underground Dance Floor", which both appeared on the label earlier this year- as well as the timeless icy techno classic of Terrace's "Bewitched".
Review: After breaking through in 2013 to a fanfare of applause and reviews thanks to a string of releases on the all encompassing RVNG Intl label, SOS's place within its catalogue presents a foundry of synthy analogue jams. With a penchant for huge vamps and startling crescendos, Dutch powerhouse Dekmantel welcome SOS back to the mainstage, lifting off with the massive "Lost Codes" - a track impersonating what a launch into trans dimensional hyperspace might sound like. Descending further into the cosmos with "Night Alone", it brings with it a small capsule of 80s-sounding New York club and pop influences. Deeper house sentimentalities find their way into the skipping rhythms of "Wild Palms", with "White Echoes" throwing down a gauntlet of acidic bass stabs and pitch-shifting rhodes for a bouncing session of warehouse blues.
Review: Dekmantel up in this bizz with a new release from the freshly emblazoned Neon Chambers, a collaboration between Sigha & Kangding Ray. Both artists come from different but adjacent backgrounds of techno and here they combine with snapping raster effects and IDM philosophies to create and sound and rhythm that's made to fit an industrial, colourful and contemporary club context. Strands of Roly Porter epicness can be felt in "Cascade" that are underpinned by the heavy weight clak of nail gun kicks, with "Helles" and "Apollo" crafting wild rhythms and melodies from vox. Some deconstructed UK vibes in "What It Takes" too that might even turn the head of Soundman Chronicles 'headhoncho' Parris.
Review: Isabelle Maitre aka Epsilove follows her 2017 debut on Dekmantel with this weird and wonderful EP. "Time Is The Longest Distance" is a mid-tempo affair that warbles to the sound of cosmic synths, hushed vocals and slow, dubbed out drums. It makes for a wonderfully woozy piece. On "Sea Snakes", Maitre picks up the pace to deliver a rickety electro track that resounds to stop-start drums and deep acid lines. Dekmantel has also commissioned remixes of this singular artist; Ali Bobo & Shelter turn "Time..." into a teased out groove, while on their version of "Sea Snakes", HAJJ & Lastrack deliver a glitchy, stripped back techno stepper, replete with cosmic keys.
Review: Turin-based duo Stump Valley are no strangers to Dekmantel, having played at their renowned yearly festival in Amsterdam, in addition to the Selectors and Lente Kabinet events. Releasing across a whole spectrum of lauded Dutch labels, their material has been heard on Dopeness Galore and Off Minor Recordings. "Natural Race" features Berlin's Wayne Snow on vocals and is a smooth and sensual expression in late night deepness reminiscent of legends Virgo Four, the neon-lit imaginary score of "Marimbamba Isle De Joie" is something you could imagine Axel Foley cruising around L.A. to, while on the darker side of the spectrum there's the moody and slow burning grit of "Proletarians In Space" or the trippy and hypnotic power of "Ritmo Atomico".
Review: Djax-Re-Up is an invaluable slice of European techno history. Issued on Dekmantel as an accompaniment to the recent documentary about Djax-Up-Beats, it brings together music from the Dutch label's 90s catalogue. Featuring obscure artists like Ismistik - whose early 90s house track "Flow Chart" still sounds fresh - alongside respected producers like Glenn Underground, with the frenetic techno of "101 Dolmations" and "Real Space' and Felix Da Housecat's throbbing "Freakadelica", it serves as a reminder of the huge range of music that the label released. It also shines a light on the hugely fertile Dutch scene of the time, with Planet Gong's fragile ambience and Terrace's jacking techno-house "916 Buena Avenue (Influenza Mix)" also featuring.
Review: After a series of Eps on Pinkman and Brokntoys, Identified Patient aka Job Veerman makes his debut on Dekmantel. Drawing on industrial, ebm and electro influences, it's a tantalising affair that starts with the low-slung rhythm of "The Drip" featuring Sophie Du Palais' seductive tones. On "Let Me Do It", Veerman maintains a similar pace, but delivers a stripped back, menacing groove that resounds to an ominous bass, while "Chantals Chant" sees the Dutch producer draw on the acrid 303 sound of Bunker to decorate his industrial rhythm. On the final track, Veerman delivers the most dance floor arrangement, with "Lucy's Comeback" throbbing along to a bleak ebm drum track.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.