Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.
In December 2020, Belgian DJ and producer Cri Du Coeur made a splash with the debut of a record label mostly serving as a vehicle for his own music. Less than a year later, Arkham Audio has released its first various artists compilation. Arkham Friends Part 1 & 2 released on September 3rd in digital format.
Notable figures in the global techno undercurrent feature on the two-part compilation. Arkham Friends Part 1 includes tracks by Dustin Zahn, Denise Rabe and Luis Flores, whereas Drumcell, Florian Meindl and the label boss himself appear on Part 2. The music therein largely speaks to the label’s funky take on techno without betraying the genre’s emphasis on sonic experimentation.
Arkham Origins
Long before Arkham Audio was a glimmer in his eye, Cri Du Coeur (whose only listed name is Jerome D.) was first exposed to techno at U.K. promoter Universe‘s Tribal Gathering in 1993. Initially performing under the moniker G-Rom, he went on to organize Belgian raves such as Area 51 and Defcon.
Jerome D. inaugurated the Cri Du Coeur alias by releasing three 2020 EPs on his newly minted label. Prior to Arkham Friends Part 1 & 2, Arkham Audio also gave a home to 2021 releases by Electric Rescue and T99.
Arkham Friends Part 1 and Arkham Friends Part 2 are each available for purchase in digital format via Juno Download.