Crate Digging is a monthly roundup of top-tier tunes you might have missed from across the electronic music spectrum. From obscurities uncovered during trips down Bandcamp rabbit holes to the latest releases from legendary artists, Crate Digging is here to keep your collection up to date.

1. Vromm – Red Tuna [R&S Records]

Vromm‘s debut on the legendary R&S Records sees the London-based producer embrace the label’s eclectic, boundary-pushing ethos with a melting pot of future jazz, leftfield electronica, and chunky breakbeat influences. In “Red Tuna,” speaker-busting beats and bass rumble alongside funky synth progressions and cavernous effects to create a modern classic.

2. Trulz & Robin – Key-2 [Electronic Be]

Rereleased ahead of a brand new, full-length LP coming later in the year from Trulz & Robin, “Key-2” still sounds as fresh as it did back in 2001. Timeless, deep breakbeat lushness with a dash of dub techno grit.

3. Philip D Kick Featuring Om Unit – Replicant [Astrophonica]

Taken from the third and final EP in the trilogy of releases by Om Unit under his Philip D Kick moniker, “Replicant” injects some of the roots-meets-acid-house sensibilities of his Acid Dub Studies series into the chaotic, frenetic footwork/jungle aesthetic characteristic of his work under this alias. The result is an up-tempo, scattergun rhythm that is complemented by hypnotic, swirling acid sequences and eerie chord progressions.

4. Nabil Hayat – Night [FORM1]

Australian artist Nabil Hayat lands on his own FORM1 imprint with a subtle, groovy Detroit techno-inspired cut in the form of “Night.” Hayat slowly builds up layers of tightly programmed 909 grooves, booming sub bass stabs, and dusty pads to create a dense, swirling soundscape.

5. Holden Federico – Emergence [SK_eleven]

With one foot in the ’90s and another in the future, “Inner Order” updates the funk and grit of techno’s formative era for modern dance floors. Making the most out of as few elements as possible, Holden Federico keeps the focus firmly on the dance floor while paying respect to techno’s musical roots with tight, precise drums and rapid-fire synth progressions.

6. Syz – Headspin [Banoffee Pies Records]

Syz continues to play with the conventions of genre, this time mixing elements of dubstep, UK funky, and deep techno on “Headspin.” Chunky, synthetic drums that consistently switch up their rhythm keep the track playful and unpredictable while rough, wobbly bass stabs add some gritty attitude.

7. Speedy & Steve – Dabbler Nine [Mote-Evolver]

Two legends of the game join forces to release on an equally legendary label. “Dabbler Nine” is the result of a live jam between Steve Rachmad and Speedy J, edited down to a devastating five-minute thumper led by its warbling, alarm-like lead synth and tense, crunchy drums.

8. Sam Goku – Silver Rushing Streams [Permanent Vacation]

Sam Goku demonstrates his knack for blending natural and synthetic sounds on “Silver Rushing Streams,” balancing organic percussive rhythms with twinkling ambient sequences and thunderous drum breaks.

9. Photek – Phaze 1 (Gremlinz & Jesta Remix) [Odysee Recordings]

A hefty slab of contemporary jungle, Gremlinz and Jesta‘s remix of this Photek classic updates it for modern times while retaining the original’s forward-thinking approach to sound design and drum programming. “Phaze 1” had a reputation back in the day for its deadly breaks and huge sub bass hits — a reputation it’s set to earn all over again with this remix.

10. Orlando Voorn – Between The Surface [Rhythm Cult]

Rolling along effortlessly with its sparkling Detroit chords, loose jazz drums and buoyant walking bass line, “Between The Surface” is brimming with the inventiveness and soul characteristic of all of Orlando Voorn‘s productions. It’s dance floor-ready techno loaded with soul.

Talent scout Raj Chaudhuri sued the label last year on the grounds that it discriminated against him. Spokespeople for the label said there is “no truth” to the claims, and called them “spurious.”

A London tribunal has now ruled that the case cannot proceed, given that Chaudhuri was a freelancer and not an employee. Vandepapeliere stated that he was “delighted” by the ruling. “This last two years has been absolute hell for me and my partner Sabines, my family, and the artists on our record label,” he said in a statement.

In his claim, Chaudhuri said he attempted to “diversify the label and the artists it worked with,” but found his efforts frustrated or criticized. He alleges that artists he championed were dismissed as “terrible” and “crap.” Chaudhuri also claims that Vandepapeliere dismissed music from ethnic minority artists as “meaningless” and that Vandepapeliere described the history of techno as “very white.”

“Renaat Vandepapeliere is certainly not racist and everyone at R&S Records embraces equality,” said Vandepapeliere’s wife, Sabine Maes.

In their ruling, authorities said that Chaudhuri’s case was not covered by the Equality Act. He was “free to choose how and where to do the work [scouting talent], or not do it at all,” wrote Judge Victoria Wright.

This dispute has been going on for nearly two years. In 2020, U.K.-based producer and DJ Forest White cut ties with the label over their handling of the case.

According to RA, the 40-page U.K. employment tribunal claim details Chaudhuri’s business relationship with R&S from May 2019 to September 2020. It recounts that Chaudhuri signed artists from Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan and Portugal in the beginning of his A&R role while Vandepapeliere had been taking an extended leave.

When Vandepapeliere resumed his duties, however, Chaudhuri said he found himself at odds with the label boss other times he tried to sign music from Black and female artists. The BBC reports that Vandepapeliere called the submissions “terrible” and “crap” in text messages.

As Black Lives Matter protests stemming from the May 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis reignited conversations about race and dance music, Chaudhuri claims that he tried to explain to Vandepapeliere that techno and house “came from black culture.” Vandepapeliere allegedly replied, “Wauw – step too far for me. Techno is very white, go to the history of electronic music.”

Soon afterwards, antisemitic posts by R&S Records signee Hermetics (real name Santiago Niño Rodriguez) from 2015 and 2016 resurfaced on social media. One was an image of Adolf Hitler accompanied by the text “YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED,” and the others were YouTube videos denying the Holocaust and promoting conspiracy theories of a Jewish new world order.

Chaudhuri alleges that he encouraged Vandepapeliere to “completely cut off ties with [Rodriguez].” Vandepapeliere allegedly wrote back, “Really remove his track… No way. Inform the kid of danger – yes.” In a separate email chain with the subject line “Got a question,” Vandepapeliere allegedly wrote “What about India… SLAVERY is there full on,” and “Africa – black murdering each other.”

The final straw came when Eddington Again shared screen shots of emails with Vandepapeliere following an argument that stemmed from a royalty dispute. In their communications, Vandepapeliere had responded to criticism of the label’s dealings with Black artists by writing, “I sign music I can find – I don’t sign color mate.” In a later email, he referred to a prospective R&S Records signee as a “full pure breed black artist.”

Chaudhuri claims that after the screen shots went viral, he encouraged Vandepapeliere to step down from his role via text message. Vandepapeliere told Chaudhuri that he had “crossed the line” and that “R&S goes my way.” The following day, Vandepapeliere terminated their business relationship effective immediately, writing, “I cannot work longer without a strong team standing for the company.”

Two months before that, Chaudhuri had entered into a written agreement with Vandepapeliere that locked in his role with the label for another year with monthly pay of £1,000 plus a share of profits from records he signed. When Chaudhuri asked Vandepapeliere to sign a legally binding contract, he allegedly replied, “you got my mail” and argued that he was “a man of his word.” Chaudhuri claims that he then asked Vandepapeliere to pay the remaining £10,000 owed under the terms of their agreement. R&S Records, meanwhile, alleges that Chaudhuri attempted to extort the label by threatening to write an open letter tarnishing its reputation.

“Mr. Chaudhuri has been reported to the police which we believe will fall under extortion and blackmail under the Theft Act 1968,” reads a statement sent to RA by R&S Records. “On the 29th September, he emailed Mr. Renaat Vandepapeliere saying that he would ‘destroy’ him publicly unless he was paid £10,000 for potential future work that never happened.”

“Mr. Chaudhuri was a freelancer who became disgruntled and was fired due to reasons that would fall under gross misconduct if he had been an employee,” it goes on. “Mr. Chaudhuri has submitted a tribunal case which in its own right proves nothing. We believe Mr Chaudhuri has done this in order to attack Mr. Renaat Vandepapeliere in an attempt to sway him away from other legal proceedings and cause the malicious damage that he threatened unless Mr. Renaat Vandepapeliere gave into his monetary demands.”

Vandepapeliere founded R&S Records alongside his life partner, Sabine Maes, in Ghent, Belgium in 1983. Over the course of its lifetime, the label has tightly interwoven itself into the fabric of electronic music. Key releases by Joey Beltram, Aphex Twin and Ken Ishii were early signees, and more recently the label has given a home to music by the likes of Nicolas Jaar, Blawan and Juan Atkins.

Raj Chaudhuri has declined Selector‘s request for comment. A spokesperson on behalf of R&S Records has not responded to our request for comment at the time of writing.

The letter, which was published by Iconic Underground Magazine, began with Vandepapeliere reemphasizing his support for the Black Lives Matter movement and stating that R&S does not condone racist behavior. He went on to revisit an email to Eddington Again in which he referred to a prospective artist as a “full pure breed black artist,” maintaining that because English is his second language a harmless Dutch idiom was lost in translation (although Resident Advisor notes that native Dutch speakers have disputed this claim).

“Whilst not looking to diminish this incident in any way I would like to reiterate, as I said at the time, that English is not my first language and that my choice of metaphor did not translate well from the original Dutch,” Vandepapeliere wrote. “I regret that and take full responsibility for any upset caused.”

“I would only like to add that the sentiment, when heard in the original context is positive, complimentary and in no way negative,” he went on. “I did not say these things with hate in my heart nor was it my intention for those words to be discriminatory in any way.”

Vandepapeliere went on the offense in the next part of the letter. “Other accusations have been also been levelled at myself and R&S Records by a former company consultant who has taken to social media to make a number of serious and unsubstantiated claims, which have subsequently been picked up by other media outlets,” he wrote.

The consultant in question is presumably Raj Chaudhuri, who stepped down from his role as A&R for R&S Records following the incident. In a statement, he aired skepticism that Vandepapeliere could correct his perceived problematic behaviors, including his positions on racial equality, diversity, and charity initiatives.

“Our arrangements with that consultant have since been terminated  following his threat to issue an open letter to the media accusing us of discriminatory behavior if we did not pay him outstanding fees he claimed were due to him,” wrote Vandepapeliere. “We considered this behavior tantamount to blackmail and even though we paid the outstanding balance of the fees he was due he still went to the media with serious allegations against us.”

Vandepapeliere went on to write that he is pursuing legal counsel to deal with the “serious and unsubstantiated claims.”

Vandepapeliere founded R&S Records alongside his partner, Sabine Mays, in 1984. The label has given a home to definitive releases by the likes of Aphex Twin and Joey Beltram, cementing its legacy in electronic music’s more experimental side.

Spokespeople on behalf of Chaudhuri and R&S Records did not immediately respond to Selector‘s request for comment on clarification in regards to the alleged royalty dispute.

Eddington Again had apparently tried to cut ties with R&S since 2019 over late royalty statements with incorrect splits. In an email exchange over the matter, he said he also took issue with the label’s perceived silence on matters of racial injustice amid the Black Lives Matter protests stemming from George Floyd‘s death (although Vandepapeliere voiced support for the movement on his own Facebook page). Apparent screen shots suggest that Vandepapeliere remarked that he doesn’t “sign color” and called a prospective signee a “full pure breed black artist” in his replies, among other comments deemed problematic by his electronic music peers.

 

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@s_lawrencetrust

A post shared by @ forestdrivewest on Oct 20, 2020 at 12:18pm PDT

In a statement shared via Instagram, Forest Drive West (real name Joe Baker) echoed the sentiments shared by Chaudhuri last week. “I’m disappointed to announce that due to the actions of Renaat Vandepapeliere I will no longer work with R&S,” he wrote.

Baker recounted that Chaudhuri had been his point of entry into R&S Records, and that he had enjoyed his experience working with Chaudhuri and Label Manager Andy Whittaker. He chose to discontinue his relationship with the label nonetheless.

“I was shocked when I saw the language that Renaat used when talking to Eddington Again and was unconvinced by the released statement from R&S,” his statement went on. “When Raj announced his departure, and after speaking with him, it was clear to me that there would be no actions to address Renaat’s positions on Black Lives Matter and diversity on his label.”

Baker debuted on R&S Records in August 2020 with the four-track Terminus EP. The effort added to a recording career which saw the techno and jungle producer release on such labels as Livity Sound, Hidden Hawaii and Rupture London, according to Resident Advisor.

Baker has shared that he will donate all royalties from the Terminus EP to at-risk youth initiative Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

In a statement shared across social media channels, Chaudhuri – who also performs as Raji Rags – expressed skepticism that Vandepapeliere fully recognized the error of his ways. “After over 12 months within R&S working as A&R, it has become apparent that there is no way to change Renaat,” he wrote. “Renaat’s positions on everything from the roots of techno, to Black Lives Matter, to charity initiatives, to diversity, to basic decency when speaking about/with artists, are completely opposite to where I stand.”

 

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I am no longer working with @randsrecords. Here’s why…

A post shared by Raj Chaudhuri (@rajirags) on Oct 14, 2020 at 5:40am PDT

Chaudhuri went on to explain that he discontinued his business relationship with R&S as soon as Vandepapeliere’s exchange with Eddington Again went public. “It was when this happened that myself and R&S parted ways,” he wrote. “I have only spoken about the issue now as I needed to take legal advice surrounding my departure.”

Among other things, Vandepapeliere remarked that he doesn’t “sign color” and referred to a prospective signee as a “full pure breed black artist” in his communications with Eddington Again. The “Sweet” singer/songwriter also took issue with the label’s silence on matters of racial equality as Black Lives Matter protests erupted in the wake of George Floyd‘s death.

During his yearlong tenure with R&S Records, Chaudhuri worked to increase diversity of signees by inking deals with the likes of More Time Records – a collective that includes artists from Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan. He wrote that he was also working on a series of 12-inch records including music by predominantly Black, female artists slated to debut in 2021.

In the end, though, Chaudhuri saw it best to cut ties with R&S Records. “I cannot work with Renaat when I know his views on race and gender are not as progressive as some of the music that has been released on his label,” he closed out.

In a statement obtained by Resident Advisor, Eddington Again said that he had pushed to cut ties with Apollo a year and a half ago following a dispute between Vandepapeliere and the A&R that introduced them. “That was the first time I realized that I needed to part ways with the label,” he said. “Since then, there have been several times I’ve felt disrespected and disregarded by Renaat and Andy Whittaker at R&S.”

In addition to late royalty statements for what he said were incorrect splits, Eddington Again said he took issue with the label’s dealings with Black artists and silence amid worldwide 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. He aired the concerns with Vandepapeliere over email, and in a September 24th string of communications the label boss defended R&S Records’ business practices. Vandepapeliere used language that sparked outcry when the “Sweet” singer/songwriter shared screen shots of the exchange on social media.

 

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Today in my ongoing dispute with the owner of @randsrecords about getting my contract terminated this was @renaatvandepapeliere response to not posting anything about the movement for black lives and his reason for not having any women and only two black artist out of more than 20 on the label ?

A post shared by Eddington Again (@eddington.again) on Sep 24, 2020 at 4:06pm PDT

In addition to comments like “I sign music I can find – I don’t sign color mate,” Vandepapeliere referred to a musician he planned to sign as a “full pure breed black artist.” He also dismissed Eddington Again’s concerns of being stuck in the label. “As an artist you should make music and develop each day and find a label good for you,” he wrote. “Nothing wrong about it.”

After details of the exchange went viral and elicited backlash from members of the electronic music community, Vandepapeliere agreed to return release Eddington Again’s recordings on the condition that he stop accusing R&S Records of racism. “If we are willing to return your recordings to you, it is only right that we receive some goodwill from you too,” reads a September 25th email shared by the artist. “Accordingly, we would expect you to refrain from continuing to make such allegations and also remove the existing offensive posts.”

The posts remain up – but by September 29th, R&S Records proceeded to remove Damiani3 from digital service providers anyways. On the same day, Eddington Again uploaded the EP to Bandcamp.

Vandepapeliere shared a statement of apology the following day. He wrote that the label was committed to providing a platform for artists of all races, genders and sexualities, attributing his choice of words to the language barrier between him and Eddington Again.

“In the heat of my personal email exchange with Eddington Again I answered from a place of passion and emotion. This was impulsively motivated by the love that I have for both R&S Records and a newly signed artist that I’m most impressed with,” reads a passage. “In Dutch, the questionable metaphor at hand is used to express a passion for innate talent, true artistry. However, the haste with which I reacted caused me not to consider its different resonance in English – also I failed to see it’s destructive connotations, a decision that I now cannot meet with anything else than deep regret.”

Vandepapeliere also promised to educate himself on matters of systemic racism. “As an independent record label, R&S Records has always been a platform for people of all orientations and backgrounds – subsequently, our label is nowhere without efforts to accommodate this diversity from a place of heartfelt care and concern,” his statement went on.

Race and Dance Music

Following the May 25th death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Black Lives Matter protests erupted in every U.S. state and numerous countries around the world. The events renewed focus on conversations on race and dance music – and some brands found themselves on the wrong side of the narrative.

In June, the organizers of Awakenings Online Weekender were criticized for failing to book Black artists to play the digital event. That same month, Native Instruments voiced their support of the Black Lives Matter movement – but the post backfired when former BIPOC employees shared accounts of how they were ignored when raising concerns about how a 2017 promotion tokenized a Black artist. The software and gear manufacturer announced new measures for “improving diversity and inclusion” in July.

Despite R&S and Apollo Records’ perceived silence amid the Black Lives Matter protest, Vandepapeliere himself expressed support for the movement as it unfolded in the spring. On May 30th, he uploaded an image macro as the banner image for his own Facebook page that suggested solidarity with Black protestors. He has not shared specific plans to address the issues raised in regards to his label’s business practices since the late September controversy.

Eddington Again has followed up Damiani3 with two 2020 EPs: Damiani6 in May and Mad Sweet in August.

“Dark Skies” by Tension turned out to be one of many compelling tracks on RV Trax, Vol. 5. Now that the compilation is out in full via R&S Records, “My:Emi” by Hala Bahma has also garnered its fair share of attention.

It’s well deserved. A serenely simple melody soars over wonky percussion in such a way that it lingers in your mind long after the track ends. Curiously, the arrangement needs not deviate far from its motif to take the listener on a journey.

Hala Bahma Demystified

“My:Emi” appears to be the debut release of Hala Bahma. The duo consists of Sardinia, Italy producers Alessio Mereu and WTTM A.K.A. Matteo Frau.

Mereu (pictured right) is a tenured fixture of electronic music. His career extends at least as far back as 2007, and he’s released on labels like Cocoon Recordings and Mindshake.

By comparison, Frau (pictured left) appears to have come into his own more recently – although he’s proving prolific. The same day that RV Trax, Vol. 5 came out, a live version of his ambient single, “Halasu pt. 2,” appeared on No Way Records‘ Haunting Memories Vol. 2 compilation.

Stream or download RV Trax, Vol. 5 across platforms by way of R&S Records here.

R&S Records will continue their decades-long exploration of the experimental and sublime with a cut from German producer Tension. Titled “Pure Black Skies,” it will appear on the label’s RV Trax, Vol. 5 compilation due out May 22nd, 2020.

“Pure Black Skies” sees Tension deviate from his psychedelic style of minimal techno. Distinctive hallmarks of his sound remain nonetheless, like lush atmospheres and tasteful lo-fi noise. Arriving at a point where ambient meets downtempo breakbeat, the single makes for a fitting addition to R&S Records’ celebrated catalogue.

Building Tension

Tension, who lists his real name only as “Will,” first put out music on labels like Kaputt Music, 91 Records and Nulectric Records in the mid aughts. 2016 marked the release of his self-titled debut album, a 14-song endeavor that arrived by way of Below Surface‘s techno imprint, Be Sure.

In recent years, Tension has released minimal techno-leaning efforts like Ignition and the Tribes EP. The former release came out on Take More Music Records in October of 2019, and the latter released on aspect:ratio this March.

Pre-order R&S Records’ RV Trax, Vol. 5 compilation via Bandcamp.

According to Resident Advisor, Flügel and Wuttke derived inspiration from the likes of Aphex Twin, Model 500 and Biosphere to yield the ten-track effort. Due to an attribution error, however, it found its way to few distributors and thusly received limited circulation. It remained n high demand among a handful of in-the-know fans, leading to Apollo’s move to rerelease it.

Accompanying the album will be a recreation of its original artwork as well as two bonus tracks. One is from the original CD release, and another, titled “Testing,” will be included in the digital-only release.

Find the tracklist for The Primitive Painter below.

1. “Hope”
2. “Disfigured Phantasy”
3. “Levitation”
4. “Psycho Kinesis”
5. “Cathedral”
6. “Invisible Landscapes”
8. “A Pagan Place”
9. “Orgon Akkumulator”
10. “Stoned Soul Picnic”
11. “Testing”