Artbat · 30 August 2021
ARTBAT Launch Their Own Label, UPPERGROUND, With 'Flame'
The Ukrainian duo's own imprint debuts almost six years after their first single, 'Mandrake.'
Vocals loop back on themselves throughout ‘Flame,’ echoing more than resolving, while a steady kick holds everything together and techno slides into trance without much of a seam.
That’s the first release on UPPERGROUND. ARTBAT’s own label, launched under their own name, arriving almost six years to the day after ‘Mandrake,’ their debut single back in 2015. Two tracks total.
ARTBAT say the timing came down to circumstance. Pandemic downtime kept them in the studio longer than usual, long enough to land on material they felt was ready for a label of their own.
“During the pandemic, we had enough time to work on new music and had our heads deep in the studio working on new ideas,” the duo said.
The pair’ve built a reputation as one of melodic techno’s steadier hands. They’ve said they don’t want UPPERGROUND boxed in as strictly underground or strictly commercial. ‘Flame’ sits close to the border between techno and trance, ground ARTBAT have circled since ‘Mandrake.’
The release comes packaged with an edit of the title track alongside the original.
