Twisted House EP

Rucksack Records is a new independent label based out of Malmö, Sweden. Their aim is to release Twisted house with a signature sound. This idea has brought them all the way back to the early days when house started to take shape in Chicago – especially what was going on at the now legendary Music Box where DJ icon Ron Hardy held residency. With an attitude inspired by the raw energy and edgy, underground DIY approach found in the early scene, Rucksack Records is hoping to stand for exciting and alternative music for people tired of the mainstream sounds that has been predominant for many years.

Their first release, titled Twisted House EP, features Chicago house mainstay K-Alexi. This producer and DJ has a impressive track record with releases on classic labels such as Trax, DJ International, Transmat, Djax-Up Beats and Radikal Fear. K-Alexi has influenced many artists, eg. Daft Punk, who mentions the Chicago producer in their track Teachers, featured on the Homework album. Twisted House EP opens with a recording called Nasty Drums. “I knew straight away that this was right for the label, it was just what I had been looking for” says label manager Henrik Dahl of the K-Alexi track. Nasty Drums is twisted house with a lot of funk. Dahl is also a recording artist in his own right using the alias Jivaro. He makes sure to keep the energy at pace with Turiya, which is the second track on the record. This acid house meets electro groove is a good indication of the sound of the Swedish producer’s great live performances.

Turn the record over and you will find a remix of Jivaro’s Tronik Ride. While looking for the right people to get the job done, Rucksack Records came across Belgium’s production team Sam Ostyn & Trish Van Eynde. These up-and-coming producers stand a good chance at making a mark on the dance scene, and have already received great feedback from major DJ’s such as Derrick May, DJ Rolando and Carl Craig. For their remix, Ostyn & Eynde has kept the spirit of the original intact, but their Detroit-techno-style-vibes-via-Europe are clearly felt. The remix evolves and builds into a solid groove that after a while becomes hard to resist. Back to K-Alexi, who’s other contribution to the EP is a recording called Yellow Sun. This is a deep, chilled house groove that will leave listeners wanting more and is rounding off the record in great style. For the digital release of Twisted House EP, Rucksack Records is offering a free download of the original mix of Jivaro’s Tronik Ride, a bonus track that is well worth checking out.

The release also coinsides with the launch of the label’s brand new logo, designed by legendary Swedish visual artist Sture Johannesson. Sture’s works are exhibited in galleries and museums all around the world, eg. Museum Of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles) and Whitney Museum Of American Art (New York). Dahl comments: “Working with Sture has been a dream come true. I’ve been a huge fan of his work for many years, and the logo he made is spot on.”

Coming up next on Rucksack Records is a release featuring a track from Gene Hunt made in collaboration with no other than the aforementioned Ron Hardy. Very few recordings exists of the late house legend. The track that will be released is a minimalistic, banging house affair, reflecting Hardy’s brilliance as a DJ and apprentice Hunt’s future journey into electronic dance music.