Dekmantel Records relaunches UFO sublabel with releases by Wata Igarashi and Piezo

Dekmantel Records has relaunched its UFO series, marking a new chapter in its exploration and support of experimental electronic music. Originally launched in 2016, UFO has been synonymous with the harder, darker, and avant-garde techno sounds showcased on the UFO I and II stages at Dekmantel Festival.

After a hiatus since 2022, the series now returns with a refreshed identity by designer Jonathan Castro, and a renewed focus on pushing the boundaries of today’s club music. Today, UFO returns with two simultaneous EP releases, setting the tone for the sublabel’s future. Wata Igarashi’s ‘Kaleidoscopic’ offers a four-track journey through the Japanese artist’s crystalline techno realm, blending ethereal arpeggios, shimmering melodies, and minute shades of acid and breaks.

On ‘Ecstatic Nostalgia’, Italian producer Piezo opens a four-track window into techno’s contemporary permutations, weaving UK bass and dub offshoots into a highly kinetic club sound that is equally fast-paced and dreamy, heavy and mischievous.

Platforming both techno’s fundamentals and its yet-to-be-defined offshoots, the UFO sublabel aims to further champion the innovative artists featured at Dekmantel’s global events, while also enriching the broader Dekmantel label. “By dividing things this way, we can introduce some differentiation while continuing to release both techno and house, along with many other genres,” says label manager Olf van Elden. “Both sides of Dekmantel are equally important to us—and they can coexist harmoniously.” 

Looking ahead to 2025, the UFO series is set to expand with releases from artists including Broken English Club and Quelza.

Singles on streaming & preorder links including Bandcamp:https://ffm.to/wata-dkmntl-ufo14 and https://ffm.to/piezo-dkmntl-ufo13

Related