Global Superstar DJ Tolga Fidan is back.
After playing on the world's biggest stages alongside the best DJs. Charted by every living organism on our earth, Tolga Fidan is back with what could be a grammy award winning record. No no, just kidding. It’s me. Tolga. And this is my album's info sheet. I know it’s becoming a bad habit to write my own info sheets but otherwise it ends up sounding like the paragraph above. It portrays you like a galactic avenger that's been changing the rules of the game we call music over and over again. Which is obviously utter crap. What it doesn’t say is how miserable you look while doing it. I have discovered that I talk out loud to myself. Yes i do that. It's borderline sanity. Anyways what we have here is an album which is, if i may say, relatively positive and generally good for home listening. This album was recorded in about 10 weeks in a living room (the sofa being my bed), with restless swollen eyes at dusk and a love/hate relation with my machines, microphone and electric guitar. 3 machines gave up on me during the making of this LP. Lazy bastards. I hope you will like it.
Tolga. More

Global Superstar DJ Tolga Fidan is back.
After playing on the world's biggest stages alongside the best DJs. Charted by every living organism on our earth, Tolga Fidan is back with what could be a grammy award winning record. No no, just kidding. It’s me. Tolga. And this is my album's info sheet. I know it’s becoming a bad habit to write my own info sheets but otherwise it ends up sounding like the paragraph above. It portrays you like a galactic avenger that's been changing the rules of the game we call music over and over again. Which is obviously utter crap. What it doesn’t say is how miserable you look while doing it. I have discovered that I talk out loud to myself. Yes i do that. It's borderline sanity. Anyways what we have here is an album which is, if i may say, relatively positive and generally good for home listening. This album was recorded in about 10 weeks in a living room (the sofa being my bed), with restless swollen eyes at dusk and a love/hate relation with my machines, microphone and electric guitar. 3 machines gave up on me during the making of this LP. Lazy bastards.
I hope you will like it. Tolga. More

Welcome to the employee canteen at the offices of PRIVATE GOLD, would you like to have a seat? Take a load off, you've been working too hard. The kitchen has prepared some very special dishes for you this time around. Executive chef TOLGA FIDAN (best known for his incredible releases on VAKANT) provides the freshest ingredients to make the three entreés we have on the menu. Firstly, DOUBLE EDGE SWORD (Original Mix) does what Tolga does best: tease your psychedelic taste-buds. A meaty, umami flavored 80s electrofunk bassline anchors some wonderful call and response vocals asking you if you want to dance, telling you this song will make you dance whether you like it or not, and reminding you that all that's wanted is to use your imagination. Subtly placed chimes, pianos and synth hits are like a family passed down seasoning blend that makes the dish entirely unique. If the Brothers Johnson took ketamine and thought they turned into your dinner, this is what it would sound like.
Secondly PERLON's SAMMY DEE provides what amounts to a perfect clean remix course to re-whet the appetite and reset the taste-buds. A reductionist exploration of sharp and concise textures, sounds and flavors, it grooves while remaining taut and stretched (ULTRASTRETCHed, if you will). Hints of citrus, acidic berries, chili and the occasional full on root vegetable texture… all together not unlike a funky ass sorbet.
Finally we have label boss JIN CHOI pulling out all the bombastic stops. Pulling the flavor/sound that cut through the original mix (a vocal snippet that has been fully sautéed in weirdness) and putting it center stage, he then amps up the party aspect in his remake, adding some champagne and caviar audio touches that sound to the ears like big ass synth melodies. PRIVATE GOLD cannot stop with the magic and I'm guessing this one will leave everyone sated and happy.
More

“I just woke and it’s pretty cold outside. I haven't opened the window yet, but I somehow know it and I'm listening to these six tracks again and try to make an approximation of why and how I have done this EP. They are pretty different from each other but tell the same story or at least are part of the same one as a matter of fact.
Maybe they were done as an excuse for my overdue album which is scheduled again for this year or maybe just because I was going through some odd times and needed to immerse myself in doing something. In this case music. More the latter I guess. Ok so, the opening track is in a way the end of an era and the last one the opening of a fresher one. And the rest fills in the gaps in between those two moments I guess. I hate conceptual things anyways. I never know or want to know why I do certain things. Concepts define something before it already begins its existence and trying to explain why is pretty useless. So here it is. The recording of a certain period of time in my tiny existence. With collaborations with Jaw (dOP), my brother Atilla, who is also responsible for the artwork, and Jonny Cruz. By the time it's out it'll be a distant memory for me but hope it lasts a bit longer for anyone that listens to it.”
Tracklisting:
A1) Dogs & Bones feat. Jaw
A2) Seduction feat. Atilla Fidan
B) Torega
C) Esprit Perdu feat. Jonny Cruz
D1) Softly
D2) Strip
More

Cadenza herdsman Luciano welcomes another amazing musician to the label´s illustrious gang of house producers. Having released a series of striking records on Berlin´s Vakant, Tolgas music flows seamlessly into Cadenzas vanguard club sound. Recovering the beauty and charm of its off-key moments, Fidan opens up towards more house related sensibilities. The Paris based musician of Turkish origin creates sonic arrangements that are complex yet striking, mazy yet seductive. Opening with "Slipt It", it´s multi-layered grooves crackle like wood burning in a fireplace. The yearning of the string melody develops subtle hit appeal. Tolga pulls us out of this moody autumnal atmosphere with a striking piano hook. Opening up another sonic experience, it enables us to enter a certain level of tranquility; it elicits a deeper level of happiness. Having become part of the absorbing fluxion of this epic record, the pervious grooves of "Rhythm vs Me" set our limps in motion. In the depth of the sonic space, a protruding melody proceeds in endless improvisation. Fusing the madness 70s funk weirdos Funkadelic with the simplicity of contemporary electronics, Tolga explores the intersection of craziness and grace, of weirdness and sweetness. With "Bass Ass", he switches into a more forthright mode of communication. The pulsating bassline puts us into a trance, the sound of the tom drum is so spacious that it is able to hold the whole dancefloor. The ingenious composition puts the freedom of a detached piano in contrast to the permanence of an organ hook line. The digital bonus "Shizzle Hearts and Nizzle B" is about those very special moments when the club experience is over for quite some time and yet the grooves are still present in one´s mind and body. The actual experience being gone for hours or days, the sounds are liberated and they develop a life of their own. In only half an hour Tolga manages to take one on a trip through inconceivable sonic spaces and places. Never failing to surprise us with his originality and resourcefulness, he creates a personal yet universal experience. tracks and 'heads down' techno both represented with aplomb, fans of the imprint can consider Cadenza55 a fitting addition to their collection.
More

Tolga Fidan presents ‘Rezil’, the latest one in the Vakant Limited series! Whoever said ‘we need more cowbell’, will be more than happy to dig this tune. A little unusual in arrangement and sound for Mr. Fidan, ‘Rezil’ goes perfectly with the VALT format. More

Tolga Fidan, in his last tasty impartment on Vakant before his solo debut album due out in October of this year, brings 2 full sides of the most expansive mind and body moving you will find outside of a gypsy circle on Jupiter. If techno has a jazz fusion subgenre, A-side ‘Gaijin’ is it, making Tolga our own personal Chick Corea with a strobe light. With the prerequisite thickness and authority we have come to take for granted from the Vakant camp, “Gaijin” goes to space while sporting an afro and 15 piece avant-garde jazz band. 15 minutes later you remember the trip but have no idea where you’ve landed. B-side ‘Drunk Rotations’ loses a few members of the band due to cosmic radiation. Remaining members cut their parts into smaller morsels while Chick aka Tolga applies the icing by way of piano. Then the stowaway horn section appears. Where did the modular synth fit, and who brought the Theremin? These are questions for the Mystics. Yet in all the detail of ‘Drunk Rotations’ you never lose the jack or your place on the cosmic dance floor. More

Urban nomad Tolga Fidan continues Vakant’s limited series VALT with a much sought-after track which has been around for a while. Fidan, just moved to Berlin a few weeks ago, says ‘So Long Paris’
in such unique style that that we hope he’ll never leave Berlin again. Vakant’s VALT series has been kicked off last year with Onur Özer and keeps on delivering music straight for the dancefloor. More

Pop a Dramamine, slap a patch behind your ear, and grab ahold of the railing, because Tolga Fidan's debut EP "Now I´m Weak" lurches like a dinghy on the high seas. (Might as well throw on a slicker, too, because you're gonna get wet.) You haven't heard a synth swell as seasick as the one on "Abstract Prologues" since Motiivi:Tuntematon's sinking tanker of a track, "1939." But as woozily as this 12" rolls, it never loses its grip on the floor: all three tracks are solidly grounded in the blunt, toe-stubbing funk that's become a trademark of Berlin's Vakant label, home to mega-talents of minimal like Alex Smoke, Mathias Kaden, Onur Özer, and Robag Wruhme. More

12” (full cover + download) - Incl. Remix by OCB from Casa Voyager.

Tracklist
A1) Tightrope
A2) Tightrope (OCB Remix)
B1) Freefall
B2) Spiral

Infotext
Joonam is here. The new project from fellow NY friends Elon Admony & Nima Khalilian is landing its
breaks and techno laden debut EP on Vakant this Summer. On remix duties we welcome OCB from
Casa Voyager.
Fotography by Expreso Nova (Valentín Rodríguez) More

12” (+ download)

Tracklist
A1) Superior Things
A2) Heatwave
B1) Chappers Said So (Voiski Remix)
B2) Chappers Said So

Infotext

CYRK, the Belgian-German duo of Sammy Goossens and Pascal Hetzel, is giving its debut release on Vakant with three fast-paced no-holds-barred electro jams topped off with a remix by French producer Voiski.

'Superior Things', the eponymous title track, kicks off the EP with driving funk and and acid lead synths, followed by 'Heatwave', another futuristic high-tech-funker. On the flip we have 'Chappers Said So', a sublime homage to classic Detroit electro and last but definitely not least Voiski's remix of the latter, an immersive and trance-inducing techno re-work for you to get lost in.

Artwork by SEO – www.artseo.de
More

12” (+ download)

Tracklist
A1) Ate-Up
A2) Crisis Engine
B1) Alex, Why? (Maenad Veyl Edit)
B2) Alex, Why? (AQXDM Remix)

Infotext
Forever cursed with “deep-“ and “tech-house” labels by the press due to decisions taken 10 years ago before he had any idea how this industry worked, Avatism returns mildly angrier than ever before with ‘Ate-Up’, an EP the producer actually started writing during an MDMA-induced lucid dream after Vakant label boss spiked his drinks in 2011.

To give his poor soul some credibility, we’ve enlisted AQXDM (Aquarian & Deapmash, fresh from their storming debut on Bedouin Records) and the mysterious Maenad Veyl (Veyl, Pinkman, Death & Leisure) on remix duties.
More

Excellent 12" Package with 2 (!) Vinyl Only Remixes + manually stamped + download + A2 poster!

Tracklist
A1) Let's Go Program Thomas
A2) Let's Go Program Thomas (The Exaltics Remix) - VINYL ONLY
B1) Pranic Lift 777
B2) Pranic Lift 777 (Evigt Mörker Remix) - VINYL ONLY

Infotext
Kenneth Scott finally making his debut on Vakant, long overdue, such a great DJ and repeated guest
at Vakant parties. Phew.. Remixes by The Exaltics, co-owner of acclaimed electro imprint Solar One
Music, and Evigt Mörker of Northern Electronics fame. The Exaltics & Evigt Mörker Remix will only
appear on the vinyl. More

Tracklist:
A1) Dinner with Bogdan
A2) Ararapira Jazz
B1) Ararapira Jazz (Spacetravel Remix) - VINYL ONLY
B2) Desorientado feat. Sabino

Infotext:
Cesare vs Disorder, one half of Azimute and Serialism label head, returns to Vakant. The remix by Perlon artist Spacetravel will only appear on the vinyl. More

Tracklist:
A1) Seria A2) Mais Sus B1) Cu Balans (Varhat Remix) - VINYL ONLY B2) Cu Balans

Infotext:
Consistency and a diverse but functional aesthetic have kept Berlin based record label Vakant ahead of most imprints operating in the same space. Having released records since 2004 they have focused on working with only a select number of artists as they believe this is the only way to endure in a scene which is susceptible to trends, with Premiesku being part of the family as well as the likes of DeWalta and Avatism. Having already released a highly successful EP on the label in 2014, and more recently being a part of the labels latest anniversary compilation, 10 Years Vakant, the Romanian trio return with a driving four track EP. This EP features catchy melodies, vivid emotion and driving, floor-focussed percussion, which consists of three original tracks as well as the ever-dependable Varhat stepping up on remix duties. One of Frances most exciting exports, Varhat has already released a string of impressive records on labels such as Mulen and Howl. His interpretation of 'Cu Balans' brings a signature sound which portrays a lighter more bouncy feel to the track.
Premiesku which consists of Livio & Roby and George G are a Romanian joint alias that have been releasing and performing together for over nine years. Their widespread influence on the flourishing underground scene is no secret, their innovative live performances, and constant flow of cutting edge productions remain one of their nation's leading lights in the field.
More

Tracklist
A1) I Was Warned About People Like Us
A2) Self Control
B1) Gunmetal Grey
B2) Too Patient To Wait

Infotext
After a 3 year hiatus from his Avatism moniker, Thomas Feriero, one half of CW/A and owner of Parachute records, returns with an EP for his home label Vakant. A rough yet refined release, unassuming in its effort, Thomas channels both his previous solo work and his CW/A project into a tightly wound package with 4 solid cuts. Various influences converge yet a straight line is etched for all to follow. These are up-front, hard working tracks. Body Music with an undercurrent of breakbeat. His first EP on Vakant since his album. File under need / want.
More

Tracklist:
A1) Octogonal Library
B1) Betelgeuse Descent
B2) Black Head Junction

Infotext:
Vakant comes back with a very special release from an unknown group of creative entities. Three cuts of tribal space techno weaponry aimed at the dancefloor. We have received a message from entities lost in between the stars in the vacuum of interstellar space. The transmission was encrypted in an ancient code we were able to translated into frequencies understandable to earthlings. A psychic telegram has been sent to us, activating the body and the mind, divided into aggregations of codes that form three tracks of straight in your face, high-octane fueled, acidic tribal techno, riding on solid bass lines, trippy synths, shiny percussions and abstract ambiences.
More

Tracklist:
A) Contemporary State Of Mind B1) N.M.K.S B2) Midnight Arguments

Infotext:
Expectedly powerful three tracker from the Belgian Sons of Tiki who are slowly shifting their sound to a little more subtle but yet driving direction.
More

VINYL INCL DOWNLOAD CODES
Tracklist:
A) No Such Key B1) Fold B2) St3am
Infotext:
State-of-the-art techno from Nico Purman. The Argentinean's vision of contemporary club music has always been located somewhere between techno and electro. His Pattern Recognition EP turns out to be Nico's most uncompromising work since his early releases on Vakant and scores with three bold and infectious tracks for the club.
More

Tracklist:
A1) Electricity Reshape A2) Singular Reshape B1) Tidal Reshape B2) Modal Reshape
Infotext
Romanian house business at its best. Livio & Roby return to Vakant with this 4 tracker after their last excursion as Premiesku. Gotta love them either way!
More

12" Tracklist:
A1) Three-man Attack A2) Three-man Attack (Malin Genie Remix)
B1) Don't Reach Back B2) Don't Reach Back (Dorian Paic Remix)
Infotext
Belgian duo Sons of Tiki bringing the heat to the dancefloor with their new EP. Featuring remixes by Malin Genie and Dorian Paic.
More

EAN/UPC: 827170588264
12" Tracklist:
A1) Vortex A2) Unreason B1) Vortex (Cristi Cons Remix) B2) Vortex (Fango Remix)
Infotext:
It's not a simple thing to write about your own tunes. Your concept is innate, the music itself is in your mind and comes out as a natural flow, talking about it is a different thing. This time I wanted to come up with something different for my new EP on Vakant. Something unexpected for the ones who know Cesare vs Disorder's sound. I wanted to make a few tunes that reminded me about those lost feelings of the 90s, when electronic music was made not only for the clubs but also for the soul and the mind, not directly for a purpose but as a natural answer to time and space. After the classic "orientation" battle with head-honcho Alex we finally agreed on these tunes "Vortex" and "Unreason", one I would say more spaced out and heavy orientated, the other almost resembling those Electronica times when I really enjoyed flying with my brain and my emotions.

We finally also agreed to add a couple of remixes of Vortex by Romanian rising star Cristi Cons and Italian talent Fango. They both delivered unique stellar interpretations and I am happy to present the project to the world.

Cesare
More

UPC 827170562165 RD: 15.09.2014
12" Tracklist: A1) Conducting The Method A2) Sothis B1) Modern Conflict Theory B2) Sothis (Dead Heat Remix)
Info:
After first performing together at Sonar Festival with what was essentially a live version of our respective "B.O.A.T.S." and "Adamant" albums, Thomas and I decided to expand on these ideas for something more broad and improvisation-centric. After months in the studio drinking nothing but amaretto and working on new music for this purpose, our new live experiment (now simply called CW/A) was ready. The reception on these shows was so (thankfully) positive that Vakant eventually pressured us into releasing some sections as tracks. "Conducting the Method" is nothing other than a sample of what this new project is about: a collection of three excerpts taken from this year's performances. To round things off, we invited over our friends Dead Heat for a reinterpretation of one of our tracks. We can state with confidence that we are excited these tracks are no longer confined to our club and festival performances and can't wait for everyone to hear them. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as we enjoy playing them out.
Francesco
More

UPC 827170555969 RD: 28.07.2014
12" Tracklist: A1) Pe Dos A2) Noococ (Sons of Tiki Remix) B1) Pe Dos (Avatism Remix) B2) Trandafirit
Info
Sitting down and writing about our latest EP was a fun but challenging exercise, we scratched our heads and this may sound bad but we couldn't think of deep, dark interesting stories on how we made these tracks or what they represent. These jams are simply a combination of previous and random happy accidents that have come together and saying anything else would be a lie. This however does not mean that the thinking behind them is completely random, the three cuts that we selected for this EP we feel are a journey of experimentation and a culmination of unexpected sounds and feelings. A word that we found best described the EP was 'Irony'. The most ironic thing we feel is that the main basis of these tracks were born on the stage during our live performances and they have now been reworked and moulded into a record. We however feel that this brings an interesting element to the EP that yes it is recorded and set, but you are not quite sure where the next sound or feeling will come from. A hi hat? A kick? It is pure 'organised randomness'... I suppose we should talk about some of the music and try and explain what we mean! We start with 'Pe dos', which in plain English means inside out and it was a track that we had started back in 2011. We were flicking through our 'curiosity closets' one day and found it, we played around with it and heard a kick drum that was not arranged correctly in the sequence due to a random manipulation of the sequencer. Our first thought was to just change it, but then we decided to wait..... when all the other sounds of the tracks came together we threw the kick back in and BAM, Even the acapella voice of the track was screaming. Therefore it was a simple for us to name this track as we worked on it in a completely back to front and "Inside Out" way! The other two tracks on the EP were born in a similar way, reborn again out of the dark corners of our packed 'curiosity closet'. The track 'Noococ' is perhaps the track with the most irony on the EP. Having been made originally after an amazing gig at Amnesia in Ibiza in 2012, we were in a recording frame of mind which gave the song its basis but we would still play it within our live shows. 'Noococ' has been therefore from recorded track, to live and now back to recorded in a quite weird but groovy journey. The final track, 'Trandafirit' has no such meaning. It is again a raw track stemming our live show some time ago that inspired us to recreate and retouch. Again through experiments and lots of head banging on walls, we recreated and accomplished a track that stayed true to the original writing of it but also embodied change which in a way is symbolic of the development of our project over the years. Now, we did warn you at the beginning of this wordy mess that it has been 'organised randomness' that has brought us to create these tracks and this EP, but one thing we are sure about is that we knew we would love to and be very honoured is to be able to put out this collection of cuts via Vakant. A label that has been close to our hearts and heads for a long time. We hope you enjoy the EP and that the music can help translate some of the shit above.
Much Love!
Livio, Roby & George
More

UPC 827170548367 RD: 10.06.2014
12" Tracklist: A) Quantum Entanglement - Acid Thunder feat. Mentrix AA) Quantum Entanglement - Need You feat. Fink
Infotext
For the second instalment from Quantum Entanglement we delve into the misty past, a time when moving parts ruled the dance, when the power of the night rested on a needle and a bassline, and before CDJs calculated the bpm for you...you had to touch things, buy things, and the bassline ruled over all. Acid Thunder, a classic by Fast Eddie, was the first dance record i ever bought. It was important. The guy who sold it to me, at the time a spotty school kid in his school uniform, was called John Stapleton, and the shop was Sidetrax in Bristol. Mentrix totally gets the kinda NY sluttiness of the original, and brings it right up to date....less of a cover, more of a homage, the entanglement of then and now. Need You is an entanglement of two very unlikely BFFs... John Lee Hooker and Joey Beltram. This isn't really a cover, it's more like the offspring of many things, times, and moments - it's like the grandchild of John Lee Hooker's track dated the nephew of Joey Beltram's track and lived in Neukölln. Again, Direct - "Techno Gone Mad" on R&S was another of my earliest techno purchases - at the time it was considered "Dutch Hardcore" but now, it's almost cute....
Quantum Entanglement....recycling other people's good ideas since January 2014"
Fin Greenall
More

UPC 827170536968 Release: 17.03.2014
12" Tracklist: A1) Avatism - Serpentine (Clockwork (C/W) Remix) A2) Avatism - Adamant (Lake People Remix) B1) Avatism - Laments feat. Federico Rizzo (DeWalta Remix) B2) Avatism - Bitter Reminiscence feat. Clockwork (C/W) (Fairmont Remix)
Hey everyone,
It's me again. I'm sipping coffee and staring at this Mac's calendar, suddenly realising it's already been more than 4 months since the release of "Adamant". I think thank-yous are way overdue so I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge everyone involved in the project as these have been a really amazing four months. Enough nonsense and let's back to business, or the purpose of this text: I (drumroll) proudly present the final 5 re-interpretations from some talented friends. It's an honour for me to have Francesco's techno, David's modular madness, Jake's synthwork and Martin's melodies all in one package, but being both fan and friend of everyone on board I'd be blatantly biased in describing this record's contents. So, since it's 2014, why don't we switch banalities, skip the "description" and "let the music do the talking" (ugh, did I really just write that?)
Thank you all!
PS. Seriously, does anyone read these anymore?
T

More

UPC 827170136823 Release: 13.01.2014
2LP tracklist:
A) Adamant, Different Spaces feat. Forrest Ghost, Coil
B) Planetario feat. Mind Against, Behind The Hourglass, Blackened
C) Bitter Reminiscence feat. Clockwork (C/W), Laments feat. Federico Rizzo,Curtains feat. Blue Mountain Club
D) Not Everything is Lost, Mastodon
For over 12 months Thomas Feriero AKA Avatism, our friend and label partner, has been staying at home and working on his album. He moved to Berlin to work on it and now sadly (for us) yet (gladly) for him he is moving back to Milan. Poof! Just Like that. So what did this year entail exactly? Well for some of us not much. We got to see him in his studio comfy pants a couple of times (he wears slippers) we heard his studio woes, ate pasta with him, drank beers and of course got to hear his album at every juncture. While this self-imposed exile may have been a little worrisome the result is fortunately spectacular. Adamant is a glimpse into how a city shapes a life and how intrinsically life then shapes music. It's less than 2 years since his first gig yet in that time he's managed to craft killer EPs on Vakant and Dumb Unit, collaborated with Clockwork & Mind Against (who both make appearances on the album) played diverse shows including SONAR By Night and generally had a really good run at it all. While many would be content simply continuing on this already exciting path, Thomas decided that Adamant was a chance to explore other forms of writing production & collaboration and imposed strict conditions so that Adamant would evolve differently than his earlier works. "I imposed mandates on myself while making it: The tracks (the music, at least) had to be written in a day. "Written", not mixed, arranged or produced, simply "written" and even though I was convinced the album was going into a different/wrong direction approximately 292829 times while making it I decided to follow through on all the musical parts that I developed in these one day cycles." As an artist and friend it is alway inspiring to see something take shape from its single (Logic) cell beginnings to the ornate abstractness where it now resides. It is an album that exudes a depth and immediacy, the restrictions and exile only strengthening Thomas' depth and detailing. The uncertainty, the melancholy, the general studio stink now neatly wrapped into a glittering whole that we're pretty confident the world will enjoy. J.Caufield
More