Tracklist

A1 - KiNK - Wake Up
A2 - KiNK - Beep Beep

B1 - KiNK feat. Redeye - Room To Jack
B2 - Raredub & KiNK - Scrambler

KiNK's first release on Sofia Records this year lives up to its title and its creator's reputation. The relentless energy, love of musical adventure and undamped enthusiasm of a KiNK live set can be found here in all its glory.

Wake Up is not only an instruction and a hidden compliment to Laurent Garnier, it's also evidence of the Bulgarians uncanny ability to deliver steamrollers with various twists and turns, while hitting the peak effortlessly.
Beep Beep adds a certain element of mania to the menu. For the lack of a better description, please imagine Mr. Oizo and Steve Poindexter making a record together. Not for the faint at heart.
That can be said for the rest of the EP as well. Featuring Redeye, Room To Jack is on the same level of Beep Beep. Traditional topics of Chicago House get a bench test on a speed farm.
Dancing to Scrambler one would probably need the same room to jack. Swapping the Windy City with British raving fields, KiNK and Raredub deliver a take on the early sound of UK that might miss breakbeats, but manage to re-use all the other ingredients to a hair: fine-tuned and updated. Quotation without modern misinterpretation. Hyper and epic at the same time. And always remember the future!



More

Tracklist
A1 – KiNK – Disco Spectrum
A2 – KiNK – Clap On 2

B1 – KiNK - Turbo
B2 – KiNK – Almond Break

Shortinfo:

KiNK is back with number six on his sometimes experimental, often exemplary, but always exciting Sofia outfit. The driving force of Clap On 2 are the tropes of acid and its numerology (101/202/303/). The opener Disco Spectrum shows why the sound rose from the shards of smashed mirror balls in Chicago – updated and optimized for today. Turbo – nomen best omen – takes it even further, faster and fiercer, while the theme song completes the pogo picture. Finally, Almond Break lulls you into a false sense of security (think yoga camps, namaste cults, kale drinks and Balearic sunsets), before it turns into a pagan ritual to complete this acid test. Remember: wo wants to own the future needs to conquer the past!

SOFIA: Founded by Strahil Velchev and Konstantin Petrov, Sofia is not only the physical location where this music was made, the city where they met and developed as artists, but also a paradox that is reflected in the art and music that comes from the place. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, clean and dirty, brutal as well as romantic, it’s a place where aesthetically seemingly incompatible styles come together in a twisted, yet unifying form. The photographs for the sleeves are made by influential local selector DJ Valentine, effortlessly capturing the local reality.

More

Tracklist
A1. KiNK – 101 Reasons
A2. KiNK – Set The Mood Right feat Rachel Row
B1. KiNK - Dreamer
B2. KiNK – Dreamer (Frits Wentink Remix)

Shortinfo:
The 4th release on Sofia by KiNK is all about warmth. The harmonies are deep, the instruments are muffled, the rhythms are humanised. Even when some of the tracks are getting a bit aggressive, they are not hurting, but giving the right amount of energy and surprise. This record is built from some of the live streams Strahil was doing during the pandemic lockdown in April. "101 Reasons" is a track with disco epic-ness and techno attitude. It captures KiNK's dream of being on the sweaty floor again, surrounded by dancers, one big family, like it used to be. "Dreamer" is low key house music, with melodies, leaking between the notes and the rhythms are somehow derailing, but instead of chaos, you get that dreamy feeling like if you watch a ribbon in the sky. The phenomenal Dutch artist Frits Wentink delivers a tighter version of the track with his unique swing on the drums and extra chords, which uplift the track with new energy. The closing song "Set The Mood Right" is recorded with his usual collaborator Rachel Row on the vocals. It's a very relaxed downtempo track, which takes an unexpected turn and it's a perfect open end for the record. A warm record for the cold days.
More

Tracklist
A1. KiNK - Chaka Raka
A2. KiNK - Aerotrim
B1. KiNK - Pista
B2. KiNK & Rachel Row – Call Nasco
B3. Kink - Kobudai

Shortinfo:
For the third release on Sofia Strahil Velchev is offering a selection of five diverse tracks, developing the concept of the label: rambling beats and alternative tunings, a feeling that the tracks will fall into pieces any moment. What keeps the compositions together is the artist's sense of melody and relentless groove. House, Techno, Disco and Electro, twisted through a KiNKy mind. More

Tracklist
A1. The Sun
A2. The Clock
B1. The Grid
B2. The Beauty Feat. Rachel Row


Shortinfo:

KiNK presents Home! This aptly titled EP is the debut release on the newborn label Sofia. Founded by Strahil Velchev and Konstantin Petrov, Sofia is not only the physical location where this music was made, the city where they met and developed as artists, but also a paradox that is reflected in the art and music that comes from the place. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, clean and dirty, brutal as well as romantic, it’s a place where aesthetically seemingly incompatible styles come together in a twisted, yet unifying form. The photographs for the sleeves are made by influential local selector DJ Valentine, effortlessly capturing the local reality.

Those pieces of a paradox also are reflected in the music. The typical fine-grit of KiNK’s production skills meets his love for the elements of surprise and the classic building blocks and plaster of house and techno to create something that is very much his own, while breathing the spirit of early days and pioneering times. Hinged just before and after peak time, the tracks on this EP are cohesive, made to last and rounded off by the contemplativeness of yet another collaboration with Rachel Row called „The Beauty“. The first of many to come. And as always: Remember the future!

More

Repress / black and white sleeve.

Tracklist
A1. KiNK & Rachel Row – To Love You
A2. KiNK & Rachel Row – To Love You (Instrumental)
A3. KiNK & Rachel Row – To Love You (Acappella)
B1. KiNK – I Remember(303 Version)
B2. KiNK - RAW

Shortinfo:
The return of…KiNK. His first original record after the latest album and a few bits here and there, is an ode to the miraculous grip that a piano still holds over almost any dance floor. Unmistakably titled „Piano Power Ep“, the Bulgarian hit factory does what it does best: infectious melodies, moving bass and gnarly acid lines as well as the ill beats around. Born out of studio rehearsals for live sets, „2 love U“ is a freestyle jam with regular collaborator Rachel Row (see Hand Made EP or „Follow The Step“): KiNK on keys and Rachel in the vocal booth results in pure positivism, energetic hooks and a certain pop magic. Think Rozalla, Bizarre Inc. or any other sign long and you are almost there. Instrumental included for the faint at heart.
„I Remember“ on the other hand, which is also available as one of KiNK’s beloved video workouts, is presented here as a „303 Mix“ that loses the classic house sample of the first version, in favor of - well, another classic dance music ingredient - the squelchy sound that DJ Pierre invented.
Last, but not least. „Raw“ is the kind of happy-go-lucky piano-bazooka that revokes the spirit of Baltimore’s production outfit Basement Boys in todays’ pagan parties. Using the minimum amount of music tools (lack of effects, volume changes creating dynamics and no more than four instruments), it als feels like KiNK’s reply to Herbert’s infamous dogma. If the ingredients are good enough, you don’t need any spices.

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Tracklist:
01) KiNK - live improvised intro
(02) KiNK - The Russian
(03) kirilik - Guitars
(04) KiNK - Kink In De Kabel
(05) Owain K - A Test (KiNK Mix)
(06) KiNK - Trans
(07) KiNK - Dynamo
(08) KiNK - live session with Valeri
(09) Rachel Row - Use The Rhythm (KiNK Mix)
(10) KiNK - Rave Transition
(11) KiNK - Perth
(12) KiNK - Five
(13) KiNK feat. Krista - I Remember
(14) KiNK - Romantics
(15) KiNK - Disco Transition
(16) KiNK - Chorus
(17) KiNK - live improvised outro




As we reach the 19th year of Cocoon's residence on Ibiza, the location may have changed from Amnesia to Pacha, but the enthusiasm for perhaps the most enduring party on the Mediterranean island is guaranteed to continue. Actually, only the sun, sea and wind are more reliable!

The celebrated live sets of Bulgaria's life wire Strahil Velchev aka KiNK have been a vital ingredient for the ecstatic nights over the years. With unprecedented regularity, the man from Sofia has been voted best live act by readers of Groove magazine for the last three years, and in 2017 he was also crowned best electronic music producer. As KiNK, together with Sven Väth, celebrate one of the most popular evenings of this year's season as well, what could be more logical than to repurpose the famed Cocoon Ibiza Mix CD series into another live document of the event?
No sooner said than done, and so here the Bulgarian offers a 70-minute cross-section of his skills. Well-known tracks, especially from last year's "Playground" LP (Running Back) meet exclusive, unreleased material in a spontaneous tour de force through the history of electronic dance music. There are distinctive nods to Chicago and Detroit, jazzy organs spiralling into string-drenched skies ("The Russian"), insatiable acid excursions ("Five") and heavy duty discoid workouts ("Use The Rhythm", "Perth") as KiNK's irresistible nature strikes repeatedly at the heart of the dance floor.

The message as always is "gute Laune!" (good vibes!), if we are allowed to borrow that sacred phrase for just a moment...




More

Tracklist
A1. KiNK - Yom Thorke (Matthew Herbert Funnel Dub)
A2. KiNK - Five (Josh Wink Remix)

Shortinfo: No introduction needed, KiNK gets the remix treatment from Matthew Herbert, Josh Wink, Dusky & Radio Slave... Two volumes cut for maximum impact.


More

Tracklist
A1. KiNK - Perth (Dusky Remix)
A2. KiNK - Teo Techno (Radio Slave Disco Dub)

Shortinfo: No introduction needed, KiNK gets the remix treatment from Matthew Herbert, Josh Wink, Dusky & Radio Slave... Two volumes cut for maximum impact.


More

Tracklist:

A1. Time (Vocal) feat. Rachel Row
A2. Freedom
B1. Time (Instrumental)
B2. Time (Accapella)
B3. Freedom (Accapella)

Release Info:
KiNK is back with the ninth release on his Sofia imprint. He unveils his inaugural release of 2024 in collaboration with the talented Rachel Row. This dynamic release comprises three tracks and two engaging DJ accapellas.

"The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities"
S.Hawking

SOFIA: Founded by Strahil Velchev and Konstantin Petrov, Sofia is not only the physical location where this music was made, the city where they met and developed as artists, but also a paradox that is reflected in the art and music that comes from the place. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, clean and dirty, brutal as well as romantic, it's a place where aesthetically seemingly incompatible styles come together in a twisted, yet unifying form. The photographs for the sleeves are made by influential local selector DJ Valentine, effortlessly capturing the local reality.




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Tracklist:
A1 Imperieux - Extensions
A2 Imperieux - Stare
B1 Imperieux - Desert Viper
B2 Imperieux - Show
B3 Imperieux - Desert Viper (KiNK Remix)

Release Info:
"It's like nothing I have ever done before."

For the past ten years, the Bulgarian-Turkish artist Alper Durmush aka Impérieux has been carefully developing his artistic style and building strong momentum with a high-profile following.

Now the young Berlin-based producer enters a fresh chapter with his EP named “Extensions” on Sofia Records’s eight release. It is filled with brisk, forward-looking breaks, raw jungle attitude and highly combustible house. In all this we can still trace Impérieux's emotional signature interwoven into delicate soundscapes and ethno antics.


The place to kickstart this new direction is a symbolic one and in a way - coming back home. In his five-tracker, Impérieux keeps consistent with Sofia Records’ establishment as a breeding ground for hyper-energetic, yet intelligent sound.
And to do the honors, a signature stomping remix has been added by the label headmeister himself - KiNK.




More

Tracklist

A1 - KiNK - Wake Up
A2 - KiNK - Beep Beep

B1 - KiNK feat. Redeye - Room To Jack
B2 - Raredub & KiNK - Scrambler

KiNK's first release on Sofia Records this year lives up to its title and its creator's reputation. The relentless energy, love of musical adventure and undamped enthusiasm of a KiNK live set can be found here in all its glory.

Wake Up is not only an instruction and a hidden compliment to Laurent Garnier, it's also evidence of the Bulgarians uncanny ability to deliver steamrollers with various twists and turns, while hitting the peak effortlessly.
Beep Beep adds a certain element of mania to the menu. For the lack of a better description, please imagine Mr. Oizo and Steve Poindexter making a record together. Not for the faint at heart.
That can be said for the rest of the EP as well. Featuring Redeye, Room To Jack is on the same level of Beep Beep. Traditional topics of Chicago House get a bench test on a speed farm.
Dancing to Scrambler one would probably need the same room to jack. Swapping the Windy City with British raving fields, KiNK and Raredub deliver a take on the early sound of UK that might miss breakbeats, but manage to re-use all the other ingredients to a hair: fine-tuned and updated. Quotation without modern misinterpretation. Hyper and epic at the same time. And always remember the future!



More

Tracklist
A1 – KiNK – Disco Spectrum
A2 – KiNK – Clap On 2

B1 – KiNK - Turbo
B2 – KiNK – Almond Break

Shortinfo:

KiNK is back with number six on his sometimes experimental, often exemplary, but always exciting Sofia outfit. The driving force of Clap On 2 are the tropes of acid and its numerology (101/202/303/). The opener Disco Spectrum shows why the sound rose from the shards of smashed mirror balls in Chicago – updated and optimized for today. Turbo – nomen best omen – takes it even further, faster and fiercer, while the theme song completes the pogo picture. Finally, Almond Break lulls you into a false sense of security (think yoga camps, namaste cults, kale drinks and Balearic sunsets), before it turns into a pagan ritual to complete this acid test. Remember: wo wants to own the future needs to conquer the past!

SOFIA: Founded by Strahil Velchev and Konstantin Petrov, Sofia is not only the physical location where this music was made, the city where they met and developed as artists, but also a paradox that is reflected in the art and music that comes from the place. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, clean and dirty, brutal as well as romantic, it’s a place where aesthetically seemingly incompatible styles come together in a twisted, yet unifying form. The photographs for the sleeves are made by influential local selector DJ Valentine, effortlessly capturing the local reality.

More

Tracklist
A1 - Raredub - Highjacked
A2 - Raredub- Moover
A3 - Raredub- The Brothers Lionheart

B1 - Raredub- Drivebuss
B2 - Raredub & KiNK - How The Fire Started (Dub)


Shortinfo:
The debut “Moover” EP from the young Bulgarian producer and DJ - Raredub (Petar Vasev) on Sofia Records features energetic and emotional music that finds its place equally in those hands-in-the-air moments in the middle of the dancefloor, as well as laying on a carpet in the afterhours.


Far from formulaic fast-food dance clichés, SOF005 offers fine and delicate layers but as always with its base in spicy street rawness.
Playing the records from start to finish one finds immersed in care-free optimistic melodies, passing through deeper and dreamy sequences, towards stripped down and honest groove. All garnished with the youthful energy that Raredub generates.

Flambéing it all, we have Sofia’s own KiNK collaborating on the track “How The Fire Started” urging all DJs and dancers to grab a fire extinguisher.

With this EP Raredub displays his unique musical personality combined with a strong execution - forming something very special that promises to age well.

More

Tracklist
A1. KiNK – 101 Reasons
A2. KiNK – Set The Mood Right feat Rachel Row
B1. KiNK - Dreamer
B2. KiNK – Dreamer (Frits Wentink Remix)

Shortinfo:
The 4th release on Sofia by KiNK is all about warmth. The harmonies are deep, the instruments are muffled, the rhythms are humanised. Even when some of the tracks are getting a bit aggressive, they are not hurting, but giving the right amount of energy and surprise. This record is built from some of the live streams Strahil was doing during the pandemic lockdown in April. "101 Reasons" is a track with disco epic-ness and techno attitude. It captures KiNK's dream of being on the sweaty floor again, surrounded by dancers, one big family, like it used to be. "Dreamer" is low key house music, with melodies, leaking between the notes and the rhythms are somehow derailing, but instead of chaos, you get that dreamy feeling like if you watch a ribbon in the sky. The phenomenal Dutch artist Frits Wentink delivers a tighter version of the track with his unique swing on the drums and extra chords, which uplift the track with new energy. The closing song "Set The Mood Right" is recorded with his usual collaborator Rachel Row on the vocals. It's a very relaxed downtempo track, which takes an unexpected turn and it's a perfect open end for the record. A warm record for the cold days.
More

Tracklist
A1. KiNK - Chaka Raka
A2. KiNK - Aerotrim
B1. KiNK - Pista
B2. KiNK & Rachel Row – Call Nasco
B3. Kink - Kobudai

Shortinfo:
For the third release on Sofia Strahil Velchev is offering a selection of five diverse tracks, developing the concept of the label: rambling beats and alternative tunings, a feeling that the tracks will fall into pieces any moment. What keeps the compositions together is the artist's sense of melody and relentless groove. House, Techno, Disco and Electro, twisted through a KiNKy mind. More

Tracklist
A1. The Sun
A2. The Clock
B1. The Grid
B2. The Beauty Feat. Rachel Row


Shortinfo:

KiNK presents Home! This aptly titled EP is the debut release on the newborn label Sofia. Founded by Strahil Velchev and Konstantin Petrov, Sofia is not only the physical location where this music was made, the city where they met and developed as artists, but also a paradox that is reflected in the art and music that comes from the place. Beautiful and ugly at the same time, clean and dirty, brutal as well as romantic, it’s a place where aesthetically seemingly incompatible styles come together in a twisted, yet unifying form. The photographs for the sleeves are made by influential local selector DJ Valentine, effortlessly capturing the local reality.

Those pieces of a paradox also are reflected in the music. The typical fine-grit of KiNK’s production skills meets his love for the elements of surprise and the classic building blocks and plaster of house and techno to create something that is very much his own, while breathing the spirit of early days and pioneering times. Hinged just before and after peak time, the tracks on this EP are cohesive, made to last and rounded off by the contemplativeness of yet another collaboration with Rachel Row called „The Beauty“. The first of many to come. And as always: Remember the future!

More