Davy Vandegaer (Futurepast owner) is more than aware of the challenges of running a label, the pitfalls and rewards of managing an imprint. But, it does so with an ear for depth and a fiery desire to release quality. “When I look around me I notice that we live in a time where people think that music “has to fit,” especially in dance music. I see many artists/producers thinking in boxes. Before starting a track, already thinking which (successful) DJ they would like the track to be played by and keeping this style direction in mind, rather than creating the music from their inner soul… My biggest hope is that people will start looking more outside those boxes…to push boundaries of electronic music.”
Starting a record label is no mean feat. In a climate where Spotify and YouTube have taken the place of traditional record shops, where revenue streams are ever tighter and physical sales are dwindling, you either need to really know your stuff or have a predilection for gambling to establish a vinyl imprint.
Davy is the incredibly unassuming moniker of Davy Vandegaer, a Berlin based DJ, musician and Futurepast’s owner. His aim is “to put out interesting, innovating music, and push electronic music forward within this idea” with there being “room for experimentation and more challenging music.”
On looking at the catalog to date you might think the imprint is techno-centric, but Vandegaer says this is not the case. “I have a clear vision of the direction I want to take with the label (sound and moodwise), but then on the other hand I am open to any genre. The label will not just focus on techno (and dance music), there will be room for experimentation and more challenging music. Music on the label will not just aim for making people dance but hopefully some will reach further than that.”
His own creations inaugurated Futurepast. “The first years I was still committing more time towards DJ-ing but lately I spend most of my time in the studio and focusing on the label” reflects Vandegaer. The Long Now brings together four cuts of machine music, four cuts cast in quite different hues and tones. The cold minimalism of “No Memories Planned” gives way to the hearty thump and rumble of “Time Tubes.” Across the four pieces lurks an uneasiness, shadows stretch in the breaks and loom in the lonesome key stabs of “Causal Loop.” That sense of tension follows right to the finale. The title piece strips back beats and bass to leave keys echo and warble in a vast expanse.
The philosophy for sourcing talent is open, sounds that “fits into the vision of the label” with the central focus being on “fresh sounding music.” Manuel Gonzales, better known as M GUN, certainly fits that bill. With a sound that smolders in a dusty lo-fi haze before burning with a techno intensity, the alumnus of Don’t Be Afraid blends ideas and styles with ease. The three tracks that make up “The Nerve” pulse with an understated intensity. Driven by a steady kick, the title piece soars, swoops and swerves as notes trip and twist between set rhythms. Drums once again form a solid bedrock, this time for the ambient dipped “Snap In.” Around the rasp of a saturated snare snake warm analogue silks, aquatic textures and forgotten rave echo to produce a wonderfully immersive work.
The spirit of techno’s golden age courses through the Futurepast. David Morley, like a number of other pivotal figures in the ambient techno movement of the 1990’s, has, thankfully, found his way back to releasing in recent years. The title piece, “Boundary Travels,” is a beautiful example of blissed-out electronics. A soundtrack to a spacewalk, this piece combines sailing strings with refracted textures to create something truly otherworldly. For anyone worried about floating off into pure atmospherics Morley provides a tether, a thick umbilical beat that bends and flexes as this near eight minute odyssey unfolds. That tether is all but lost in the haze and echo of the aptly named “Limbo.” “Crushing Pressure” differs from its siblings. Morley constructs a complex web of percussion, layering shards of snares and fragments of claps atop a looming melody. Intensity grows are new elements are interwoven to produce a piece that tremulously balances between menacing claustrophobia and uplifting immersion.
Vandegaer is more than aware of the challenges of running a label, the pitfalls and rewards of managing an imprint. But, it does so with an ear for depth and a fiery desire to release quality. “When I look around me I notice that we live in a time where people think that music “has to fit,” especially in dance music. I see many artists/producers thinking in boxes. Before starting a track, already thinking which (successful) DJ they would like the track to be played by and keeping this style direction in mind, rather than creating the music from their inner soul… My biggest hope is that people will start looking more outside those boxes…to push boundaries of electronic music.”
Long may it continue.
Visit Futurepast: Facebook | Soundcloud | Bandcamp
