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San Francisco's Lane 8 has been a unique force in the deep house world since his debut in 2012 in the world of pre-corporate SoundCloud. Since then, he's been releasing forcible electronic tracks with Anjunadeep. And today, Lane 8 has made a career-changing announcement: he's starting his own label. Entitled This Never Happened, the label's mantra is to help us focus on the present and enjoy memorable musical experiences, including those special moments where we connect to music with friends. He's debuted "Fingerprints" as the first track to be released on the label, and has a lot more to say about its future:
We live at a time when distractions from reality are never further away than our fingertips. Our phones offer us unlimited stimulation and temporary comfort. The possibilities of technology are endless, but they also limit the possibility…the possibility to truly experience and submit to the moment.
For me, going to a club has always been about letting go of the world around me, like a vacation from the nagging realities of everyday life. In the best clubs I have been to, the people were united by a desire to experience electronic music in the purest sense; to get lost in its tension and release. No matter what was going on in their lives, it was a place where, for at least a few hours, nothing else mattered but the sheer power music had to bring people joy. And those experiences – held only by those in that room, at that moment – were almost like the reward to submitting to a secret society. At the end of the night, I could look at my friends, old and new, and without saying a single word, we'd know that what we experienced together was something special, something that would never quite be repeated again.
Some of my early clubbing experiences have stayed with me for my entire life. They are why I'm doing what I'm doing today. There is not a photo, forum thread or social media post in existence to mark their happening, but the memories, the emotions I felt, the way those nights changed my life – those things stay with me to this day.
Somewhere along the way, we as a society have lost the ability to experience those special moments. On the rare occasion that they do happen, we scramble to grab our phones in time to capture them – but those moments cannot be truly captured – and they don’t need to be broadcasted or recorded. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is fully appreciate what is happening in that room, at that moment, with those people around us.
I think our society needs clubbing experiences where they go home with more than just a picture to post on instagram. That's why I'm starting This Never Happened – I want to create that experience for people.
At This Never Happened, we invite you into a space where the only thing that matters are the people in that room, the music and the magic that happens when those things interact. An event where the dancefloor will be a phone and photo-free space.
This experience we share together may, by 2016 standards, have never happened. But those who dare will always know – something special did happen here.
The first show will be a return to my hometown of San Francisco on 3 June at Mezzanine. It's a venue I've dreamed of headlining for many years and the perfect place to start this new chapter. If we can make this happen – and work – together, there will be many, many more.
This Never Happened will not just be the name of these events, but also the name of a new record label. This label will be the outlet for music, by me, that is inspired by and made for this experience. The first song I'm releasing is called "Fingerprint" and you can listen to it below.
Putting this project together with my team over the last 6 months triggered a creative spark in me unlike anything I've ever felt before, and I'm so excited for you guys to hear the music I've come up with during that time.
I look forward to building this concept with you :)
Love,
Daniel
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