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It’s often said that brilliance comes from the most unlikely of places; a statement that can easily be applied to the story behind Thule Records as well as its musical oeuvre. This well-respected Icelandic label has pioneered from its inception in 1997 by presenting their interpretation of techno, imbued with a strong dub influence.
Legend has it that label owner Thor went to the UK with THL001, bought a decrepit car, and drove it around Europe as a means to distribute the debut release. It didn’t take long for the world to catch on and notice what was coming out of their tiny corner of the northern hemisphere; emblematic and timeless cuts such as “The Normal Spot” by Sanasol and Exos’ largely perfect “Green Beat” quickly vaulted them to the top of the pecking order when it came to deep, blissful techno.
Throughout its initial years as an active record label, the majority of Thule’s roster worked together as a team to support, promote, and educate each other in music. There were often collaborative EP’s and new artistic teams being formed due to creative indifference and a communal approach to production. While everyone involved was an incredibly talented producer in their own right, their discographies were never particularly large or long-lived. As quickly as they came into the world, they left – Thule fell off the planet around 2003, with few random appearances from some of its artists since.
A posthumous compilation CD, “Mini:malt,” which also featured tracks from the equally impressive and short-lived sub label, “Æ Recordings,” proved to be the last bit of noise anyone has heard from and about Thule for some time. Global music collectors were left scratching their heads for many years about mysterious appearances and subsequent disappearances surrounding this unique musical family. As crate-diggers have begun unearthing these lost gems in used record stores in recent years, new life and interest has been breathed into the dormant label. Fast forward to 2013 and the Thule crew returns as “Strobelight Network” which is named after an ambient track on the highly sought after THL001. People are only just recently beginning to note quite how essential, defining, and underrated Thule Records was.