Audio.nl

Audio.NL was a Dutch independent label, active from 1998 till 2007 and established by three members of Goem collective: Frans de Waard, Roel Meelkop, and Peter Duimelinks. The label specialized in minimal techno, abstract soundscapes, experimental ambient, clicks'n'cuts, and other similar electronic music genres. All releases had unified, minimalistic artworks designed by Meeuw. Audio.NL was distributed by Kompakt. In a little over eight years, Audio.NL issued 32 releases, primarily 12" records. The label started as vinyl-only, but three years later, in 2001, its' first Audio CD came out, 52182 (audio.nl017) by Motor. Soon afterwards, Shadow Records published 203332 CD compilation in the USA, first Audio.NL's 'various artists' release. Besides 12-inches, Audio.NL produced four CD albums, one split 7" with remixes, 53828 (audio.nl003), and one long-playing album, 53036 (audio.nl020LP) by Andreas Tilliander's project Rechord. The label also offered a limited merchandise selection: slipmats, t-shirts, and buttons/pins. Audio.NL organized a couple of live events, at Las Palmas, Rotterdam in 2001 and Podewil, Berlin in '03. The label's official catalog skips one number, audio.nl031—as per Discogs submission notes, this 1929419 12" compilation got canceled due to "licensing matters" in 2006. Audio.NL prepared a limited run with tracks A2 and B2 carved out, apparently, but neither of these two editions got officially released. A few years after Audio.NL ceased its activities, Frans de Waard launched a series of re-releases on his Korm Plastics label: ◎ Feb 2012—[r3443362] CD (kp 3046) Tracks from two Frank Bretschneider's 12" records on Audio.NL, plus a compilation appearance ◎ July 2012—[r3774608] CD (kp 3049) A follow-up compilation with all Goem's material: three Audio.NL's records and two previously unreleased bonus tracks; ltd. edition of 200 copies ⁍ June 2012—[r17098008] (Digital-only) Two concluding parts were digital releases, published via KormDigitaal. The 3rd volume had six Roel Meelkop's tracks, released under *slo-fi moniker on two 12" records. ⁍ Dec 2015—[r7860516] (Digital-only) The last compilation summarized early minimal techno works by Radboud Mens: three Audio.NL 12-inches in 2000-03, one of the records on a Dutch label Vynalogica, compilation appearances, and unreleased material. All tracks run at 133.33 RPM (which is a 'locked groove' tempo).