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Selections: SVBKVLT

In this regular feature, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections. This week, Gaz Williams, the head of pioneering Shanghai label SVBKVLT, picks 10 new additions to his collection, spanning experimental club gems and animated electronics

Clubs around the world are shut, and opportunities to find new music out in the wild have been ripped from under our feet as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While hearing new music played out by your favourite DJs will have to be put on hold due to these unprecedented circumstances, it’s never been easier, or more important, to support the artists and labels putting out EPs, albums and compilations in the midst of all the madness.

With tour cancellations and festival postponements leaving many members of the international electronic music community out of pocket, Bandcamp has become an even more vital platform for supporting the music you love, with 80% of all sales from the online music store going directly to artists and labels. In March, the platform announced it would be waiving its revenue share for all sales for one day, and on Friday 20th, took no cut from purchases made. In total, $4.3 million was spent on music over the course of 24 hours, all going straight to the creators. Throughout lockdown, Bandcamp continued to waive their fees on the first Friday of every month up to July, as well as on 19th June (Juneteenth), when the platform donated 100% of its profits to the NAACP Legal Defence Fund. Last month, it was announced that a fee-free "Bandcamp Friday" would take place on the first Friday of each month for the rest of 2020.

In this series, Selections, we’re inviting DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections. In lieu of opportunities to discover new records on the dancefloor, Selections – along with radio shows and mixes – will give you the chance to nab sounds from the crates of tastemakers, and support the artists behind them while you’re at it. Win-win, right?

This week, Gaz Williams, the head of pioneering Shanghai label SVBKVLT, picks 10 new additions to his collection. The imprint, which formed part of our feature last year on the radical noise of Shanghai, has spearheaded a movement inspired as much by Chinese tradition as avant-garde noise. The label roster includes elders from Shanghai’s music scene, US expats living in China, and external allies including Hyph11e, 33EMYBW, Gooooose and Osheyack. Williams also opened ALL in Shanghai in 2017, a club that has provided the crew with a dedicated base, and remains at the heart of the city’s bustling young scene.

In June, SVBKVLT dropped Nahash's 'Flowers of the Revolution', and we premiered ‘Montreal Terror Corps’ from it ahead of its release. Next week, the label release a collaborative EP by Gooooose & DJ Scotch Egg, titled 'Jac'. You can pre-order that now here.

Check out Gaz Williams’s Selections below.

Charity SsB
'Save Me' [Self released]

“Somewhat notorious in Shanghai, Genome's Charity Ssb is finally putting out his first full mixtape, including productions from Swimful, Floyd Cheung, High Bridge and more. 'Save Me' is the first track from it.”

Zaliva​-​D
'Immorality' [Knekelhuis]

“Returning with another sick release on Knekelhuis, Zaliva-D sounds like nothing else out there. Dark, twisted club music from Beijing.”

Loreng & Sanjonas
'Kanon' [Function Lab]

“Heavy club tracks from Yogyakarta by Loreng and Sanjonas on Hangzhou's Function Lab label. There's a lot of really good music coming out of Indonesia at the moment.”

Wrack
'Ham' [Out of Fashion Boys]

“Following his EP on NAAFI, Tokyo's WRACK has just released a killer EP on Beijing's Out of Fashion Boys imprint. Killer club tracks.”

Lil Asaf
'Sawa Sawa' [Astral Plane]

“Osheyack introduced me to Lil Asaf's music a while back, amazing stuff. New EP just released on Astral Plane.”

Yikii
'月之破滅 ✿ disappear with moonlight' [Self released]

“Yikii's music, and the world that she creates/lives in, is fascinating. She has self released tons of music on her Bandcamp over the last few years, as well as releasing on Genome and FunctionLab, and has a forthcoming album with Dasychira under the name Dasyikiiland.”

Duma
'Duma' [Nyege Nyege Tapes]

“Nyege Nyege never disappoints, and the new album by Duma is no exception. Kenyan grindcore/industrial/punk/breakcore/heaviness from Martin Khanja and Sam Karugu.”

V/A
'Alterity' [Houndstooth]

“New compilation on Houndstooth featuring 33EMYBW, Gooooose, Osheyack, Hyph11E, Slikback and loads of other great artists. Out the end of August.”

Amazondotcom & Siete Catorce
'Vague Currency' [Subreal]

“Have been loving the output from SUBREAL, and the latest split from label founders Amazondotcom and Siete Catorce is great. Looking forward to see what comes next from the label.”

V/A
'did you mean: irish' [irsh]

“I've only heard the amazing lead track by Abdullah Miniawy & HVAD but I already know that this whole compilation will be vital. First release from Rama and ZULI's 'irsh'.”

Want more? Check out Selections features with MartynCCL and Conducta

Read all about SVBKVLT and the radical noise of Shanghai's underground here