postcard 04: hypnotic techno - part II

In our continued exploration of the diverse soundscape of techno, we turn our focus to labels Hypnus, Kvalia, Northern Electronics, Monday Off, and Semantica Records. 

Hypnus Records, from the deep woods of Sweden, is where techno meets the occult and mystic and new albums arise every full moon. Its releases are characterized by innumerable textures and hypnotic rhythms that take on an astral, meditative quality. The label features artists Luigi Tozzi, Feral, Birds ov Paradise, and many more to put on and sink into the oceanic depths. 

Hypnus’ The Memoir series is not to be missed!

Kvalia emerged from Stockholm in 2019 as a limited-run vinyl-only label although more recently has released a few hybrid vinyl / digital albums. The dark, driving, transcendental releases evoke the dark winters and long nights of the far northern latitudes. The vinyl mastering is superb and these releases are a treat to the ears. The label’s focused discography features Mary Yuzovskaya, Blazej Malinowski, DJ Nobu, Psyk and Anthony Linell, standout artists you’ll find here on this postcard and elsewhere in our collection.  

Swedish DJ and Mother of Kvalia Records, Linny Hex’s Special Mix for Oslated

Rounding out the Swedish trifecta is Northern Electronics, a bastion of Scandinavian ambient music and techno. It stands out for its stark, raw soundscapes that capture the region’s striking and harsh beauty and solitude. With artists like Anthony Linell and Varg (label co-founders), Evigt Mörker, and Polar Inertia, the label crafts a sound that is both cutting-edge and deeply introspective, a chilly journey through the wilderness of sound.

An excerpt from Anthony Linell’s beautiful ambient synthesis cassette release, Live in Tehran

Monday Off is vinyl wizard Mary Yuzoskaya’s vinyl-only record label, originally from Brooklyn and now transplanted to Berlin. Featuring psychedelic strains of techno, these releases also feature a broad cast of artists and lovely VA compilations, all unified by their submarine imagery and sonic textures, like bathing in a floating sensory deprivation chamber.  

Mary Yuzovskaya’s phenomenal HATE podcast mix – if you can see her spin live, it’s otherworldly

Svreca’s Semantica Records from Madrid rounds out the list with its array of eclectic and experimental releases. Ranging from ambient to noise-tinged, driving techno, these releases have a vast gravitational pull that bring you in and keep you transfixed. The sonic aesthetic offers an entire immersive experience and continues to push the boundaries of the style ever-forward. Label highlights include works by Svreca himself, as well as Oscar Mulero, Claudio PRC, VRIL, Acronym and more… the discography is vast, with limited-run vinyl, cassette, and CD releases.

Don’t miss this melancholic ambient techno cassette release from Ukranian producer Na Nich: