AMPERS&ND is a brand-new label from the currently unstoppable UK techno duo OC & Verde, the latest venture in their meteoric rise since breaking through in 2016 as BBC Radio 1 Pete Tong’s “Ones to Watch”
With Manchester duo OC & Verde enjoying support from across the board from Solomun to Adam Beyer – the label promises to be an exciting new platform for them.
“Since we set out working together as OC & Verde we’ve always aimed to incorporate influences from both of our musical backgrounds into our own productions so that our music is very unique to us and through doing that we think we’ve developed our own signature sound,” they explain. “We have found ourselves bridging that gap between the deeper, groove ridden melodic side of techno to the harder more driving sound.”
The label launches with ‘Only Human’, an undulating slab of rolling acid that’s at once restrained yet juggernaut-like in its power and weight. It’s a perfect fit for that vital playground between deeper and harder techno sounds OC & Verde have made home. “Finding ourselves in this middle lane is where we see our AMPERS&ND label standing musically,” they tell us. “It’s about bridging gaps and bringing things together. That’s what our label is all about.” Bridging gaps, bringing things together, building something new… AMPERS&ND is here, and they’re only just warming up.
In honor of the release, we asked OC & Verde to share five labels they consider essential to their sound and careers.
Started buying vinyl from Bedrock from being the age of 13, John Digweed was always a hero of ours, absolutely mind-bending DJ so his label has always been a go-to label for us.
We got asked by John to remix his track ‘Bedrock – Heaven Scent’ which was a huge honour for us, the original was such a classic.
Since this label started we’ve pretty much played every track that’s come out on it, Solomun is one of the best selectors in the business and the tracks on this label just work perfectly for us at the beginning of our sets until we ramp it up into the harder stuff. This is a quality number from Solomun that we use at winky little after parties.
Ritchie Hawtin’s Minus has always been another go-to label for those weirder, minimal techno groovers.
Groove is very important to us when we DJ and it’s not all about the big in your face bangers so Minus was always a favourite of ours. Kingswing from Matador never leaves our record box, or usb! (laughs)
Monika Kruse’s Terminal M has always been a label we look to for peak-time techno, as it’s not as in your face or as obvious as some big room techno, but it’s quite quirky and has an edge and definitely keeps a groove to the overall sound of the label which we love.
Monika is a ridiculously good DJ too, saw her play at Space Ibiza for Carl Cox’s night and she blew every DJ out of the water that night. So we’ve been sending her tracks for a while and we’re super happy to be releasing ourselves on Terminal M this year.
This track ‘Phase’ by our friend Veerus has been heavily played in a lot of our sets.
Phenomenal label from Radio Slave, this guys ear for music is unparalleled. Proper, quality underground music. You can get everything on this label from Banging techno to deep house and electronica. Rekids is a label that we constantly flick through the back catalogue of.
This banger from SHDW & Obscure Shape was a big one in our sets.
OC & Verde’s Only Human EP is out on AMPERS&ND and available here
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