Northern Electronics are a Stockholm based Swedish label who have been releasing some of the most exciting techno releases since their inception. Anthony Linell and Jonas Rönnberg have been working over the past twelve months to compile a compelling body of work which focuses on club music and home listening in equal measure. Scandinavian Swords IIII – Atlas Of Visions features some Northern Electronics mainstays, such as Linell, Evigt Mörker, Varg2TM & Korridor, but also showcases new producers to the label, such as Ecco2k. The last compilation in the Scandinavian Swords series was released in 2017. We spoke to label heads Anthony Linnell & Jonas Rönnberg about the latest instalment in the series.
Northern Electronics has a unique sound identity which makes the label instantly recognisable. On SSIIII there are some new names along with the regular contributors to your label. When choosing artists to join Northern Electronics, are you looking for that same sonic identity?
It’s not unique to have a sound, every record label got it. But most of the artists who’s releasing on Northern Electronics grew up with the same kind of musical background as we did. That’s why it makes sense for us to work with someone like Ecco2k or Vallmo, who’s from a completely different scene but shares the same invisible influences. Or Thoom who’s track on Atlas of Visions sounds more Northern Electronics summed up than any techno demo we’ve ever received. The identity is in the DNA, not in which drum machine you use. You don’t join Northern Electronics, there’s nothing to join, we work with people we vibe with.
SSIIII is presented over two volumes. What was the thought process behind the separation of the volumes?
There is no money in pressing records, so there has to be a balance between what’s listenable at home and playable in a club. A cassette release got more space for tries and trials, to test executions in a new way. We also like to present different side components with every release. We want it to feel like a celebratory event, like a small collection being presented every time.
The release broadly moves between club-focused and abstract experimental music. Do the artists on NE have a preference on which style of music they make?
We’d like to think most artists we work with feel that they can do whatever they want. Everyone is capable of handling both club and non-club music. Some days you wear a tracksuit and some days a three-piece suit.
This compilation features a large number of different artists. Is there often a lot of collaboration between artists on NE?
The whole label is a manifestation of collaborations. Providing an artwork cover or a magic flute solo is a collaboration. Everyone who’s ever contributed is in this collaboration. There is no iron grip.
Scandinavian Swords IIII – Atlas Of Visions is available on May 29th via Northern Electronics.