DYEN ANNOUNCES ‘HERE WE ARE’ A BRAND-NEW ALBUM, KICKING OFF THE SINGLES RUN WITH ‘VIEZE KICK’

DYEN’s lifework is depicted in his brand-new debut album. A concept that has been years in the making, this August he defines what hard techno is all about…

For DYEN, his journey was always about music. Starting out playing the bass guitar, drums and then piano, he was in a few bands when he was at school and get the addiction for performing live from a young age. Growing up in Rotterdam, surrounded by its legendary hardcore and gabber scene, his musical taste naturally swayed into the harder styles of techno.

Today, DYEN is one of the most recognised artists to come out of the Netherlands, with a worldwide fanbase, his sound is uncompromising, with a high impact effect on every dancefloor. He brings that same intensity to all his productions, with old school elements that tap into a more contemporary sound.

This August 28th, he will release his debut album ‘HERE WE ARE, on his vital label RECKLESS. A label that has become synonymous with the most modern and cutting-edge hard techno sounds. The album marks his lifework, a story told across 12 tracks, with 5 of those being collaborations with some of the scene’s hottest artists, including Maddix, Mr Polska, Embers and Vieze Asbak.

The album presents a much wider spectrum of sounds, from the more mainstream to industrial, bounce and hardcore, with all the vocals recorded by DYEN himself, making this a deeply personal project. The scene has made a transition from hard to harder, and this album tells the story.

With a string of singles to come, the first to drop is ‘VIEZE KICK’ on the 8th May. Its literal translation meaning ‘dirty kick’, the track does exactly what it says on the tin. A bouncy bassline, accompanied with hard kicks, contrasting euphoric and sharp melodies, and an instantly recognisable vocal, created for its catchiness. This single marks the start of what’s to come from DYEN this year, a killer album with a standout selection of collaborations to truly show what his creative mind can achieve.

DYEN is one of hard techno’s most uncompromising and influential artists, known for his explosive, high-impact sound that has helped push the genre into a bold new era. Since emerging in 2017, he has built a reputation for intense DJ sets and emotionally charged productions that blend Rotterdam-inspired hard techno with elements of rave, gabber, hardcore, and industrial. Alongside his own releases and global performances, DYEN also leads the cutting-edge RECKLESS label, a platform championing the next generation of hard techno talent through standout releases and worldwide showcases.

CLAPTONE FINDS HIS WAY WITH FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM 'WANDERER'

Out Now Via Golden Path Recordings

With four full-length albums under his belt, Claptone has earned the right to do things on his own terms. ‘Wanderer’, out today via his Golden Path Recordings imprint, is the clearest expression of that yet. The masked German producer has spent years building one of dance music's more formidable sonic identities; five consecutive years as the world's #1 House DJ, a relentless global touring schedule, and a string of records that have consistently found the line between club-ready and genuinely artful. ‘Wanderer’ doesn't abandon any of that, but simply does something more interesting with it. Across 11 tracks and a carefully assembled roster of collaborators, the new LP broadens the musical picture without losing focus, moving between festival anthems and more intimate moments with the confidence of someone who not only knows the difference but knows when each one is called for.

That balance reveals itself across the album's opening stretch. ‘Way Too Into You’ featuring Henry Camamile of the British Indie band Sea Girls sets the tone with a vocal performance that's confident without being overwrought, wrapping an indie topline in dancing summer melodies that feel immediately at home on a festival stage. It's an addictive yet entirely accessible opener, succinctly summarizing the always-evolving Claptone sound. ‘Phantasy’ with Raphaella follows in a different register altogether, guitar-led, unhurried, and more interested in groove than impact. It's a conscious step back from the opener's brightness, with the contrast allowing both to land harder because of it.

By the time ‘Turn Up The Love’ with Crystal Fighters arrives, the album's range is already starting to take shape, and the collaboration delivers exactly what a pairing of that scale should. It's a fully realized, radio-ready single, melodically airtight and built around a hook that's quick to take hold and refuses to let go. It's also one of several moments on Wanderer where Claptone's ability to identify what a vocal needs around it, build it out, and know precisely when to stop feels genuinely hard to match. ‘Disappear’ with T. Western dials in a refreshing shift in atmosphere, turning towards something smoother in texture, with pulsing synthwork doing the heavy lifting without sacrificing any of Claptone's signature melodic finesse.

The album's midpoint is where Wanderer earns its title most honestly. ‘Sandcastles’ with Nathan Nicholson is tender in touch and deliberate in restraint, carrying true emotional weight solely because it doesn't reach for it. Four albums in, Claptone has clearly developed a feel for when pulling back makes more sense than pushing forward, and here it pays off quietly and completely. The transition into ‘Black & Gold’ with Hannah Boleyn feels almost cinematic by contrast, with deep bass hits giving the track an immediate dancefloor edge while the melodies running beneath Boleyn's front-and-center vocal lend it a storytelling quality that most club records don't bother striving for. It’s already made its mark ahead of the album's release, drawing early support from Capital Dance, BBC Radio 1's Danny Howard, and Kiss FM. Now heard in the context of the full record, it hits with even more conviction.

‘Wanderlust’, the first of two collaborations with vocalist Poppy Baskcomb, is layered, precise, and possesses a lightness that keeps it from taking itself too seriously. For a record built almost entirely on collaborations, it quietly underlines something important: the voices may change, and the moods may shift, but the vision stays consistent throughout. That cohesion holds as the album swings into one of its most euphoric moments with ‘Put Your Love On Me’, the second joint effort with Henry Camamile from Sea Girls. It's bold, festival-ready, and built from the ground up to make lasting memories. By the time ‘All Night Long’ featuring Moli arrives with its harder kick and snapping claps, the album has covered enough ground that its dancefloor directness feels earned rather than expected.

‘Treading Water’ brings Poppy Baskcomb back for a more raw and exposed cut, leaning on layered harmonies and delicate vocal processing to build a genuine sense of immersion before culminating in an uplifting payoff in the drop. In closing, ‘Any Given Moment’ sees Claptone close Wanderer on his own terms, deeper, groove-driven and content to let a bouncing low-end and sultry vocal do the work. It's a measured and assured conclusion to a record that never once felt rushed.

What Wanderer ultimately demonstrates is that Claptone's creative instincts have only sharpened with time. The years since Closer in 2021 have been anything but idle, with a touring footprint that spans continents, a particularly devoted following built across South America, and a returning residency at Club Chinois in Ibiza ahead this summer. The launch of Golden Path Recordings in 2023 added another dimension to an already multifaceted operation, underlining an artist who has never been content to simply show up and perform. Currently ranked #32 in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs following five consecutive years as the world's #1 House DJ, the numbers tell one story, but Wanderer tells a more interesting one. It's the work of a producer who has stopped trying to prove anything and started simply making the music that makes sense to him.

Wanderer by Claptone is out now via Golden Path Recordings. Listen to the full record here.

In a now long-forgotten world, many generations ago, a bird-like shape emerged from wooded darkness, floating and fluttering, drifting and dreaming. Backlit by a bright glow of iridescent light, the undecipherable form wore a dazzling golden mask. Its long beak swooped down like an inverted horn, and since then, people have referred to the mythical being simply as Claptone. Years spent wandering medieval landscapes have informed Claptone’s view of the world, experiencing both magical mystery and muted melancholy; he enchanted onlookers with occult instruments and beguiling sounds. Forever surrounded by a sense of intrigue, the world soon cottoned on to the elusive yet enchanting musical powers of this otherworldly beast. The results are that, today, his shamanistic sonic powers take him all around the world…  

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MARTEN LOU COMBINES WITH LUCH ON NEW SINGLE "HIDEAWAY" ON WARNER MUSIC

Marten Lou keeps the exciting collabs rolling: following his track “Need You” with Colyn, his second single of the year emerges from another creative partnership – this time with Mexico City’s Luch. The two DJs and producers are not only longtime friends but also share a passion for warm, organic sounds, deep grooves, and the courage to look beyond the usual house boundaries. “Hideaway” is going to be premiered live at the end of March during Miami Music Week, where Marten Lou and Luch shall play it together for the first time.

The track grew out of an ongoing creative exchange: the two had previously demonstrated their musical chemistry in 2025 with a joint remix of Wales’ viral hit “LoveHate Thing (feat. Sam Dew)” (260 million streams). From there, the dialogue continued through ideas, demos, and sketches shared regularly. “Hideaway” is the result of this sustained collaboration.

"Even from the very first version I had the feeling that there was something special about it," says Marten Lou. “The track has a bit of an indie house character, which feels like a natural evolution from what we did before. We both wanted to create something that still carries emotional depth but also feels fresh and slightly different from our previous collaboration.”

That balance is reflected in the sound: “Hideaway” builds on a hypnotic groove that slowly unfolds, while warm textures and subtle melodies create a dense, almost cinematic atmosphere. For Marten Lou and Luch, the emotional impact was key. “For us it was important that the song creates a certain feeling of escape,” explains Marten Lou. “Whether they’re listening at home or on the dance floor, the song has a very uplifting and emotional energy, which is something I always try to capture in my music.”

The lyrics mirror this feeling perfectly. The song tells the story of an emotional safe haven, a person who provides support when everything else feels unstable. “My light when I’m in the dark / My soul when I’ve lost my heart” sings the refrain, leading into the central line: “I’m safe now you are my hideaway.” It’s this mix of vulnerability and liberation that drives the track: a brief moment of escape from reality captured within a warm, pulsing club context.

“Hideaway” also fits seamlessly into Marten Lou’s musical evolution. Melodic and emotional elements have always been part of his sound, but here they gain a new texture that is slightly more organic and indie-inspired. At the heart of it all is Marten Lou’s drive to explore new textures and sonic directions without ever losing the emotional essence that defines his work.

Timed with both the release and March’s Miami Music Week, Marten Lou also anded the front cover of Mixmag LATAM & Caribbean— a bold visual statement that was hard to miss in the city.

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