Tom Trago will launch Jong Nederland, his new label, with a new EP titled JNL01.

Jong Nederland is named after a historic building in Bergen, north Netherlands that has played host to artists and their families since the 1960s. It is here, within an artistic community by the sea, that Trago now lives and works.

The Jong Nederland label specializes in releases that “capture the immediacy and diversity of Trago’s daily music-making sessions,” we’re told. It was inspired by his desire to go back to basics and offer up raw, spontaneous, straight-to-tape tracks that capture the vibrancy of the moments he experiences while jamming with a limited range of hardware and electronic instruments. The label has no musical rules other than Trago’s desire to reflect the eclecticism of his productions.

The story begins with two tracks of undulating, slowly shifting dancefloor voodoo rich in crunchy drum machine hits, lilting electronic melodies, and dancefloor warmth.

On the A-side, you’ll find “Whisper,” a hypnotic but fluid affair where hushed melodies tumble down over off-kilter polyrhythmic machine drums, spaced out effects and bubbly, ever-changing analogue electronics.

B-side “Belltower” sees Trago up the tempo a little. Utilizing a rubbery rhythm track full of sturdy but supple kick-drums and hissing cymbals, Trago layers up fizzing synthesizer lines, poignant minor key chords, wiggling acid-style motifs, and starburst electronics to fire the synapses and stir the senses. Like its’ A-side companion, “Belltower” gently twists and turns throughout, “reflecting the real time, hands-on changes made by its creator during the spontaneous sessions that led to its creation,” the label adds.

Each Jong Nederland single is presented in handcrafted artwork designed by visual artist Pieter Bijwaard, a fellow Bergen resident who has been active since the early 1980s.

Tom Trago’s last album, Bergen, came in 2018, also inspired by his hometown.

Tracklisting

01. Whisper
02. Belltower

JNL01 EP is out on January 24. Meanwhile, you can stream clips of the release below.