What inspired the creation of Hypnus Records?

It was a series of events in 2013 which eventually led to it. Early that year I started a podcast series titled Incognito where unsigned Soundcloud users were invited to share their tracks.

Later that year, I made a trip to Ozora Festival and fell in love with their Dome stage. It was at this particular place that the first visions of the Hypnus sound came flashing; something that combined the cinematic atmospheres of Ultimae Records with the deep techno sound pushed by Prologue at the time, all sprinkled with quirky psychedelia.

When summer was over, I was invited to the house of Ida Matsdotter (Fjäder) who at that point was a dear friend of mine. That evening I was introduced to Fabian (Korridor) and Jakob (Skymn) and was eventually alone in Fabian’s studio for a few hours, browsing through his vinyl collection and falling in love with the format. I remember being specifically hypnotized by the Do Not Resist The Beat! records. Before that, I had never played a vinyl record in my life.

When I eventually lost my job in December that year and was given a rather large severance pay, all the above-mentioned dots were connected and I asked some friends if they wanted to make records. That’s how Mayfield came about and here we are.

How would you describe the involvement of archaic and mystic imagery and symbolism in your label’s identity?

When Hypnus was founded it had been less than a year since I was released from a 2,5-year-long prison sentence (drug-related offence), during which time I read well over 200 books on topics related to your question.

This shaped an inner world which I used later as a creative cornerstone. As time progressed and the idea to form a label solidified, it was natural to include these elements as they were central to my creativity.

Since then, I’ve progressively moved away from these aspects as I’ve personally found new sources of inspiration. It still lies at the core of everything though, and always will.

What are you trying to impart with the full moon release concept?

Well, it’s basically an old habit. The sun and moon make up a seasonal clock in which I can see our planet change in tandem with myself.

Their patternsbring order to my life by setting a pace and rhythm which I cannot control. Instead, I try to flow with it which is soothing while connecting me to the external world.

When this is extended through the impact of my creative projects it gives an even deeper sense of connection as I get to follow this rhythm with like-minded people around the world. Much like the feeling shared on a dancefloor.

How do you think your label’s sound has evolved since the first record from Modvs, Mayfield?

It’s probably more de- and refined now than it was back then.

These days we all have a better understanding of what we are striving for and can communicate and realize our visions more competently. You could say that my, highly unofficial, ambition is to create the Studio Ghibli of electronic music [laughs]; a place where epic adventures are laced with a deeper meaning for those interested in looking a bit further.

At the very least, my hopes are that our records may offer a smile and some inspiring entertainment.

When you’re looking into potential new artists to sign, what are some of the qualities you look for?

Besides conforming to our sound, the music should have a gripping sensation of authenticity. What that means is hard to put into words, it should sound familiar, yet new and inspiring.

We also value humility and a soft heart. From the very beginning, my vision of Hypnus has been to create a label which treat creators fairly while connecting them through genuine compassion and friendship.

When you sign an artist, do you tend to get involved in their material that you’ll release, or do you leave that up to the artist?

I am very much involved in most tracks and definitely the shape of the records. As we’re all friends and nerds, in the end, we naturally share both our music and thoughts about it. We all have different skills and qualities that we take advantage of collectively to help each other excel in our creative endeavours.

You stated through both your personal and label pages that music is a tool for higher states of consciousness. How do you look at it in this aspect?

It’s about breaking loose from thought and finding something there which is free from our daily obsession of concept and self-identification.

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