VLEK DATA
Vlek is Brussels’ patois for Junk. Cheap goods. For things that just fall apart as soon as you hold’ em. The name is testament to our willingness in creating just the opposite.
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VLEKD09 - WANDA GROUP - CLEANERS
→ AVAILABLE ON BANDCAMP (Free Download).
We’ve decided to start a new series of digital releases to better represent the insanely creative people we’re surrounded with: It’s called “VLEKD”. Yeah, like Digital.
All the releases featured in the series will be free or at a ‘fan-set price’ with no minimum. The first one is a FREE WANDA GROUP FULL LENGTH (22:44): CLEANERS.
WANDA GROUP was formerly known as DEM HUNGER, who also featured on our very first and acclaimed “AMAI” 7” (alongside CUPP CAVE).
This 8-track album announces a WANDA GROUP vinyl release on VLEK this autumn.
→ DOWNLOAD
Cupp Cave signs for two releases on RAMP.
It’s with real pleasure that we can now announce officially that Belgian’s “Best kept secret”, Cupp Cave (aka Ssaliva) settled a deal with UK’s RAMP recordings for a couple of releases.
Why rejoicing about one of our artists signing to another label you might ask? Well, it’s always been one of our goals at Vlek: bringing artists from Belgium to “evolve in artistic circles beyond our borders”. The time has now come for Cupp Cave, and there’s a feeling of collective pride to it. A pride we shall share with fellow belgian labels Surf Kill and Thin Consolation/Unrezt.
Learn more here.
VLEK SHOWCASES / UK / FEB 2012
GLASGOW - 10/02/2012
LONDON - 11/02/2012
To celebrate this first year of service, here’s a free SAGAT remix of “Night Landing”, by Ssaliva, out on VLEK06 - “RZA”.
Merry X-Mas! Our 2011 Catalogue Bundle is up.
We have compiled all our 2011 output in this 25-tracks Bundle, for just 12,99€.
It features Squeaky Lobster’s Will-O’-The-Wisp, Cupp Cave’s Dice Pool, Ssaliva’s “RZA” and all of the AMAI compilation Splits (DZA, Lapti, DEM HUNGER, Herrmutt Lobby, Richard Colvaen).
Ssaliva Mix for Dublab
Ssaliva LRZPM by Vlekrecords on Mixcloud
Ssaliva / Cupp Cave made a mix for the almighty DUBLAB’s proton fund raiser this autumn (donate here). One of the tracks off VLEK06-SSALIVA-“RZA” is featured, as well as an extensive panel of Ssaliva’s like-minded artists.
Ssaliva has an EP out with us in January. More info here.
Playlist Here ↓
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SAGAT
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“Sagat’s debut Vlek 12-inch is the label’s first foray into techno, and it’s a fairly competent effort. “Few Mysteries…” and “Speaking of Which” owe a debt to the slow-burn pulse of Mark Ernestus; the industrial static of the latter, in particular, is a serviceable Basic Channel impression.
“Spelt Backwards” is altogether less coy about its dance floor credentials, but it too rides a rather reserved groove, pacified by a synth that squirms and squelches over an otherwise insistent bassline. It’s left to “ESC” to assume the responsibility of peak time banger by way of its cavernous, Grand Canyon-sized kicks, though—funnily enough—the skeletal xylophone riff tempers that aspiration as well. Yes, it may be one of the most straightforward releases Vlek have put out, but it’s also one of their most enjoyable to date.” (Ray Philips, RA)
Read the review on Resident Advisor.
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VLEK07
Sagat
Few Mysteries Solved in A Year Of Contact
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Sagat is available for live shows. He hails from Brussels, Belgium.
Squeaky Lobster
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Hailing from the Belgian capital of Brussels, Squeaky Lobster is known to his mother as Laurent and used to play bass in rock and jazz bands. Nowadays however you’re more likely to find him pushing buttons on stage ensuring the system in turn pumps out his heady concoctions of chest-pummelling bass and skittering beats. Mind you having said that he can still be found playing bass in the band South of No North, who have released an album on Belgian label Humpty Dumpty.
Squeaky Lobster keeps things close to home having released all his material on another Belgian label, Vlek records, also based in Brussels. It is in fact on Vlek that Squeaky Lobster took flight (huhu, flying lobster) first with a split 7” alongside Russian producer Lapti – AMAI #2/4 – and in 2011 with a solo 10” release titled Will-O-The-Wisp EP.
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VLEK04
SQUEAKY LOBSTER
will-o’-the-wisp EP
VLEK02/M
SQUEAKY LOBSTER&LAPTI
amai#2/4
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Squeaky Lobster is available for live shows. He hails from Brussels, Belgium.↓
ILLUSTRATE
Your articles, blog posts and whatnot with this pack.
SSALIVA
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Step forward Francois Boulanger, a young man who one day discovered SoundForge and never looked back since, transforming himself into various musical entities in the process. First there was Kingfisherg which soon enough led to Cupp Cave, an alias that originally brought him to the attention of a hungry worldwide scene thanks to its chunky, hip hop inspired rhythms.
Seemingly not one to stand still for very long, Francois decided to continue his musical mutations further with yet another alias, Ssaliva. Releasing primarily on Belgian labels Vlek Recordings and Surf Kill as well as L.A’s Leaving Records, Ssaliva’s musical world is in a way far removed from Cupp Cave’s. Beatless and atmospheric would be two obvious adjectives to use when talking about Ssaliva’s music, an ethereal sonic world inhabited by ideas made real and which take their full potential when experienced live. It’s as experimental as anything he has done under other names, yet to simply label it as such would be underselling its potential.
Read a review on XLR8R’s Editors Pick.
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LR011
SSALIVA
thought has wings (Leaving Rec.)
VLEK06
SSALIVA
“RZA”
10” - Download
(release Jan.2012)
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Ssaliva is available for live shows. He hails from Liège, Belgium.
Ssaliva plays live with a KORG R3, a SP 555 and a SP 303.
A/V show available.
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Your articles, blog posts and whatnot with this pack.
(words by Laurent Fintoni)
Cupp Cave
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Unleashing the sort of disjointed hip hop one might first associate with weed-smoking, sun-soaking L.A residents on the Garbage Pail Beats album - released by unrezt - Cupp Cave showed there was still life in that beautiful middle ground between hip hop and electronic music, where glitches and record clicks enjoy a nice drink with 8-bit melodies and face-melting snares. He further defined his vision of hip hop as part of Bretzel Zoo with releases on the Dutch label Eat Concrete that took things even further down the rabbit hole. Soon after, Cupp Cave’s music took a different turn, increasing in bpm and ditching the hip hop influences for rave memorabilia. His Dice Pool EP for Belgian label Vlek Recordings set a new tone, one that looked firmly at the dancefloor while still leaving plenty of space for imagination and inward, headphone-induced journeys.
The future is – as they say – being written. What’s for sure is that right now Francois Boulanger is not standing still and moving forward inviting you to join his journey and discover a musical world that’s varied - at times enchanting, at times menacing - yet always full of potential.
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VLEK03
CUPP CAVE
dice pool EP
VLEK01/A
CUPP CAVE&DEM HUNGER
amai#1/4
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BOOK
Cupp Cave is available for live shows. He hails from Liège, Belgium.
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ILLUSTRATE
Your articles, blog posts and whatnot with this pack.
(words by Laurent Fintoni)
