An Interview with Davy (Futurepast)

We interview Davy (Belgium), the owner of the FuturePast label. We got closer to him to get to know him a bit more. We recommend this interesting record label… Davy creates music that works in all settings and transcends genres. His openness to a wide range of sound is what has both made him a widely loved favourite, but also someone who operates in his own parallel musical world. We had a chance to talk to him, so enjoy your reading and check out his latest releases.

When did you decided to launch FuturePast and what made you feel to do it? 

Futurepast started in 2016 as a club night at the legendary Fuse club in Belgium.

We hosted mostly dj’s playing old school records with a futuristic sound. Over the years we had great acts playing such as Convextion, David Morley, Arpanet, Aleksi Perala…

In 2017 the party evolved into a label with the opening EP The Long Now by myself. A mix of 3 techno tracks and an ambient piece as the ending track.

What gave me a sense of purpose for the label was the idea of releasing timeless music, to be open to any genre. The goal is to put out quality electronic music, without keeping any ‘hypes’ in mind, and trying to expose artists that think outside the box when making music

We run 2 series, the main series that focuses more on club music and the Alternative Earth series that focuses on more experimental music.

How would you describe the style of music you’re selecting for the label now?

Everything from techno, over industrial, down tempo to ambient and experimental forms of music. But I actually am not a fan of putting music in categories and like to keep an open mind.

Does it change from time-to-time? If so, how often?

On the Alternative Earth series you can really expect to hear everything, so it changes pretty much every release. I want to bring a wide variety of music but maybe with a common feel. So I am more listening and digging for moods when selecting than a genre.

The main label series will focus mostly on techno but also there might be a surprise now and then.

And do you think it’s important to be consistent? 

i think its highly important to be consistent with my own vision as guidance, which i make happen through constancy and hard work (I’m a capricorn). On the other hand, If you think about marketing and establishing your label, it’s probably best to be consistent in terms of online presence (specially nowadays that there is no other way to get to the public), although it’s not making money that drives me to run this label. I do what I feel and I release what I feel that deserves attention, on the path of the music that I discover or what gets sent to me.

What can you tell us about the scene of your country?

I am originally from Belgium, but I moved away in 2007, first to London and am since 5 years based in Berlin. But I kept going back and forth to run the parties there and play gigs. The cities in Belgium where I have been most active are Brussels and Leuven.

Belgium has always been a great hub when it comes to techno and dance music, which you can also sense in what’s going on today (or at least before covid-19), clubs like Fuse, C12, labels as Token are, in my opinion, great examples. And, of course, the talented producers that we have released: SIWEI, Dardenne, Kato de Vidts and more to come .

The scene was legendary the early days of electronic music, the documentary ‘The Sound Of Belgium’ is a good watch about it.

In Berlin I find a lot of inspiration in terms of experimental sounds and also techno, it played an important part for me to keep expanding musically and technically. Festivals like “The Long Now” or “Berlin Atonal” were especially mind-blowing (i named my first EP after one of them).

What would you improve?

I have always seen a big love for techno in Belgium and lately also for house but would work more on making people understand other forms of electronic music too and try to get them to value not just the 4×4 beats. So basically educate people in other forms of electronic music. But this could only happen if I relocate there some day.
And fight for clubs being accepted as part of the cultural value of the cities. Club culture is still being put too much in a dark daylight and seen as “places where people come together to take drugs.” They are one of the rare places where people could still come together peacefully. I think that’s something that should only be supported and embraced.

Could you recommend a set that you are especially proud of, and that we can see on your Soundcloud or on YouTube?

Here is a mix that I made just after moving to Berlin, it’s more experimental but am probably most proud of this one.

And a recent (techno) set for The MUDD Show in Berlin.

Finally, what can you tell us about present and future projects of Futurepast?

Am mostly focussing on new releases for the label and working on my own productions in the studio. It’s hard to focus on other plans due to the current situation we are living but it feels good to know that that we still have music and that we ‘ll always have it.