KOMPONENTI 2020

Year 2020 began at last. At last because we have spent the last two years in preparation for the things to come this year & further. While we look forward to maintain a steady release flow on the label with the next 5 releases all ready & planned – this is not the subject of matter here.

In the next 365 days we are looking forward to finalise & officially launch two new platforms – KOMPONENTI Artists & Radio KOMPONENTI.

With KOMPONENTI Artists we will give you access to the DJs out there that we believe to shape the future of Techno & Beyond. We will give promoters & clubs the opportunity to contact & book for a gig a carefully selected list of acts including names that are not part of the label’s own roster. 

Radio KOMPONENTI is our most adventurous step in sound. We would like to create both a rich in music genres radio program and a selection of podcasts by different DJs & trend setters that will mark their position & understanding of the things to come in music in general. 

We begin this journey on 15th of February in the form of a KOMPONENTI Showcase at Micro. There we will present the first two names in KOMPONENTI Artists – J-Lost & Linear Output. Of course it is out of question that Stephan Panev will provide the support.

Come, dance & always remember to hydrate & follow the noise.

Sincerely,

The KOMPONENTI Massive.

SPK015 :: J-Lost – Worship Your Goddess

Year 3033 sounds like the KOMPONENTI release number 15.

Shaping the future might be a hard task for the majority of the human material out there but when it comes to Techno – we have already established our name for it.

What better way to begin the new year with the introduction of our next artist – J-Lost.

Cutting her teeth & collecting noise for the last 10 years with a strong background in Drum & Bass, Industrial & Hard-Techno – she has become one of the respected Techno ambassadors on our local scene.

The time has finally come to embrace her own input on the matter.

The release opens up with “Worship Your Goddess” – a properly titled piece of industrial galore here that comes with an important twist for the third act of the show. Rolling kicks, lots of distorted defying everything noises all brought together by one of the few vocal lines we have on our label at all.

Introducing someone as important as J-Lost has provoked our leader – Stephan Panev both on an emotional level as well as a challenge in Techno. A challenge to never disappoint his biggest supporter since day one to sculpture another one of those 10 minute long dancefloor slashers he has always been well known (check out SPK008 & SPK006 for further reference). One thing is for sure – the DJ inside you already wants to play this number to the unsuspecting but well warmed up raver.

The release concludes with “Wanker” – the first production that J-Lost decides to export in order to be able to play it in a mix. We ended up playing it in our headquarters and we instantly knew – here’s one of those unapologetic life wrecking records that we would always look to release as a closing piece in every other KOMPONENTI release (DJ tip: shall go well with something by Advschche or Death Membrane). J-Lost takes her time to unravel the plot here in such a “take it or leave it” way that brings us back to the years she spent in sound before even considering Ableton Live as a communication device. If you want to keep faith in humanity – don’t listen to this.

Written & Produced by J-Lost / Julie Milkova
Track 2 remixed by: Stephan Panev
Mastering: KOMPONENTI

Cover photo: Zlatimir Arakliev
Cover model: Trayana Koleva

Tracklist:

01 :: J-Lost – Worship Your Goddess
02 :: J-Lost – Wanker (Stephan Panev Remix)
03 :: J-Lost – Wanker

Release Date: 03-02-20. Get your copy here.

KOMPONENTI Podcast 004 :: Linear Output

The fourth instalment of the KOMPONENTI podcast comes by Linear Output. One third of the [ б ] бетон crew, he is now one of the KOMPONENTI artists. As a part of our family the guy brings forward this mix first. An unapologetic & quite emotional ride through his thoughts & feelings – you will need some heart to stay through out the whole 70 minutes here.

SPK014 :: Hunnley – Soul Hunting

We are more than proud to welcome the debut release by Hunnley.

Stephan Panev has taken part of numerous collaborations for the last 15 years with this one being the most special of them all. Conceived together with his long time friend Denislav Velev (better known as Garo).

After more than 5 years of sharing the space behind the decks while performing some of the most memorable back 2 back sessions on our local scene, the duo took a step further in 2013 by launching the Hunnley project – an outlet that will bring together their different views on club music not just by performing together but also recording music as one.

Today, another 5 years are behind them and finally we have something to add to our selections. “Soul Hunting” is a rather diverse combination of three tracks from three completely different backgrounds.

“Three Days After” is your dancefloor weapon here. Appropriately named on the time of reaction Stephan usually takes after a long weekend. A low down & shifty DJ tool that will satisfy even the most dedicated KOMPONENTI followers. Recorded right in the middle of the empty dancefloor of Studio EW on a Monday night and played at the packed club the following Friday.

“Soul Hunting” is one of those tracks with history that will never be well known. Back in 2012 This Ain’t Music (Label / Find it on Bandcamp) was about to release a remix album based on Stephan Panev’s lowest selling LP to date – “Self” (released under his Define One project). What better way to introduce the Hunnley project but with a remix part of a whole album. Now years later that remix album is still not released but this cut has managed to get from “that” hard drive to our selections as DJs. Hence why the time has come to share it with you.

“M-Day 1-2” is still the working title of the project containing the track. We feel a great responsibility when it comes to the power of naming techno records but still this one has managed to slip in for a reason. It encapsulates the space Stephan & Denislav used to share back in 2016 – a small room / studio / afterparty spot with a flatmate legend called Rocky Pondev on the other side of the wall . Exported as a demo on the second day – released today – three years later as it was – as it will forever be.

What’s not to like?

Tracklist:

01 :: Hunnley – Three Days After
02 :: Hunnley – Soul Hunting
03 :: Hunnley – M-Day 1-2

Release Date: 18-02-19. Get your copy here.

KOMPONENTI Podcast 003 :: Stephan Panev

This is the third instalment of the KOMPONENTI Podcast. Please don’t do the easy –  end up thinking it’s another Mecca Mebelle – the Jam Roberts led show still awaits our current artist to go behind the decks there though the latest guest there is Bosha – the Prince of Svoge.

Speaking of troublemakers – this brings us to the artist behind the 70 minutes of sound euphoria we witness here – Stephan Panev.

Of course we would turn to our leader for episode three – the man behind the three lines, the sound & the vision that makes us proud to be called “the single true forward thinking Techno label on the Balkans” – KOMPONENTI.

Stephan Panev manages to present his trademark eclectic approach to Techno. The mix will take you places when it comes to dance music just in under 45 minutes. The rest is – to put it simply – an experimental final act.

This time around we have to thank Emiliya Vasileva for being the sole dancer while the mix was recorded on a Friday noon at home – the cut we provide here delivers the last 70 minutes of almost two hours long mix. Stephan Panev’s photo is by Snob while last here she has never been a least – Victoria Tomova – thank you for sharing your naked hand on the mix cover.

MECCA MEBELLE :: 001 :: Mixed by Jam Roberts

This is the first episode of MECCA MEBELLE – a podcast hosted by Jam Roberts that will bring you the noise we believe in delivered by the artists we trust.

The music here is barely mixed by Jam Roberts who takes two of our own KOMPONENTI artists as prisoners on a late Sunday Afternoon and makes them play whatever he pleases since the truly important thing here is the stuff our host has to say on the important topics that concern everyone one of us (people) like his friends & the noise we will be made to give more respect to.

PS: Support our broken artists who ended up making just a one mix here – at least it was right after #Blawantimes. Next time we try ty and deliver a guest artist that is an actual living and breathing a DJ with tendency to make trouble.

Stay untuned.

 

SPK013 :: Qaseo – Aberrant Rancour

The time has come for the thirteenth KOMPONENTI release. “Aberrant Rancour” is a relentless pack of three electro daggers coming from our homeboy Qaseo.

The title track comes in heavy and keeps the attitude until further notice. It might confuse the club a bit but with a beat like this you can go through anything in life really.

As you already know – we like to develop our sound while always paying respect to the Tool Techno we started with back in 2013. This time around the track is called “Steakhead” and it will never disappoint you in the booth.

“The Night” finishes off the release in a subtle mood until the hi-hats have a word with the dancefloor. This one has already managed to surprise a few afterhour sessions around here.

Tracklist:

01 :: Qaseo – Aberrant Rancour
02 :: Qaseo – Steakhead
03 :: Qaseo – The Night

Release Date: 18-02-19. Get your copy here.

Derek Plaslaiko is Stephan Panev’s first guest at Studio EW.

Stephan Panev has always been involved in a wide variety of music projects while never shying away of experimenting with different genres of music, event concepts & notably with a large number of people coming from different areas of the music world. One of the best examples for that is his complete involvement in the Elegantly Wasted – a local collective of artists & dance specialists responsible for the notorious Studio EW. The best way to describe the rest is to hear it in his own words:

I’ve been following the steady rise of Studio EW for quite some time now thank’s to Garo’s residence at the spot. I’ve always made sure to catch him when he is playing here in Sofia and that was the reason behind why I have been visiting a lot.

Two years ago due to a mutual need we began working together. I’ve spent that time trying to improve all aspects I can help with while listening to the music the rest of the crew likes & support. Now two years later the time has come for my first guest artist.

The first time I heard Derek Plaslaiko was in 1999. Ever since he has become a synonym for DJ – someone always capable to play the right sound needed for the party to become a proper dance off.

Get ready for the event – a quick 8 hours long dance program available here:

The future brings us another Amek gathering

Dark times ahead. Amek Collective will lead us into the future with a very potent group of five acts on 8th of September. The night will begin at 21:00 – early enough to encapsulate the demanding sound of Sim Hutchins, Cyberian, Evitceles, LATE & Nelegat.

Sim Hutchins comes from Essex and is expected to bring his own brand of weird techno or EDM as his SoundCloud hashtags tell us. Followed by one of the local leaders of sound – Cyberian, who has recently released a thought provoking LP on Amek Collective. Then – Evitceles – someone who can be considered as a newcomer with a habit of quick running forward & further. LATE will enrich the night with his broken & bit-crushed beats which act as the backbone of the layers that can be heard in his body of work.

There is a well documented fact about KOMPONENTI – if some of your music ends up on our label there’s a high chance of you being the one responsible to close the event as is the case with Nelegat – a dedicated student of sound & trusty merchant of noise.

You have been warned & don’t forget to hydrate & follow the noise: