Mathias Villard is a French artist based in Düsseldorf, Germany. After years as a drummer in projects shaped by atmospheric music, he gradually moved toward slower, more introspective forms centered around ambient and drone composition.

In autumn 2026, Affin will release his debut album, Past Radiance.

Spanning seven immersive pieces, the synth based work unfolds through blurred melancholia, submerged low-end drones and decaying harmonies suspended in massive spatial depth. Fragments of melody emerge and disappear between layers of filtered noise and stretched resonance, balancing gently between ambient, drone and post-rock aesthetics. Past Radiance explores the fragile space between memory and erosion, desolation and hope, tension and stillness.

On October 1st, we look forward to listening to the album in its entirety together with the artist and all of you via a Bandcamp livestream, which you can sign up for here.

Ahead of that, an EP is being released this Friday (Sept. 4) featuring the original version of “Reflections” alongside a rework by Joachim Spieth.

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“Blended” brings together a carefully curated selection of pieces drawn from different chapters of Joachim Spieth’s catalogue, highlighting the connections between his exploration of ambient and dub-influenced electronic music. Rather than following a chronology, the compilation is shaped by a shared sense of atmosphere, depth, and spatiality.

Moving between delicate drones, textured rhythms, and spacious dub structures, the collection unfolds as a seamless listening experience where stylistic boundaries gradually dissolve. Although originating from different periods, the pieces blend naturally into a coherent whole, revealing unexpected connections through their careful sequencing.

link

joachimspieth.de

affinmusic.de

I still remember very well an email I received from Mathias just under two years ago. He mentioned that he’d come across Affin some time ago and was also working on electronic music, and asked if I’d be willing to give it a listen.

Admittedly, labels receive emails like that from time to time… but in this case, it became clear relatively quickly that someone was creating music with deep emotional depth… at first, it was just one track, but it really stuck with me. .. After some time (and a few more demos), I was convinced that we could at least start with one track… and while preparing this test run, the tracks kept piling up… so we decided to go ahead and release a full album right away—which isn’t usually easy for a debut, but I was convinced that something big was in the works here.

It’s been a while since then, and the album is now finished... and to announce this album, there’s now a lead single titled “Reflections.” The EP will be released on September 4, 2026, and the album itself will follow in early October.

visualizer by Markus Guentner

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“Lithal” is the crystallization of frequencies. A collaboration between Notzing and Plague for the Affin Serial series. Three distinct compounds, each with its own internal geometry. Each piece behaves like a mineral generated under sonic pressure:
Erionitum. Euxenith. Cinnabrax.

Structures formed through density, tension, and acoustic mass.

releases July 3, 2026

credits

design | markus-guentner.de

mastering | artefactsmastering.com

Affin Serial | linktr.ee

Affin | affinmusic.de

The predecessors

In March this year, Markus Guentner and I were invited to present an Affin Ambient Showcase as part of the Spectaculare Festival in Prague. For us, this was special in several ways. It marked the first dedicated ambient label showcase in Affin’s history and gave us the opportunity to spend a few days in the city together with friends, enjoying an inspiring atmosphere that perfectly complemented the occasion.

Another highlight was Markus’ return to the stage. After nearly a decade without live performances, he presented a new approach to his live set, focusing on atmosphere, gradual development, and spatial depth.

“Untitled Live Excerpt” documents a fragment of that performance. Rather than being conceived as a conventional release, the recording serves as a snapshot of a memorable evening and a small document of a time that will stay with us for years to come.
Our sincere thanks to the team behind Spectaculare Festival, and especially to Josef for the invitation, the trust, and for making this gathering possible.

links & booking inquiries

affinmusic.de/markusguentner

website

As spring unfolded, a series of recent Affin releases traced subtle but recurring connections between artists, contexts and approaches to sound.

Rather than forming a strictly chronological sequence, these works feel increasingly interlinked - shaped by shared sensibilities, parallel ideas, and different ways of approaching space, memory and continuity. Across collaborations, reinterpretations, curated selections and live documentation, a quiet narrative begins to emerge: one of convergence.

Yui Onodera & Arovane - Stillform

One of the season’s central collaborations brought together Yui Onodera and Arovane, two artists whose individual languages are defined by restraint, detail and spatial awareness. Rather than merging into a single aesthetic identity, Stillform thrives on subtle tension and dialogue, where each element is allowed to remain distinct while still responding to the other.

As reviewers noted:

“The album’s appeal lies as much in what’s omitted as included.” - Textura

“Yui Onodera and Arovane succeed in their main mission: uniting their musical visions without overshadowing one another.” - Radioaktiv

“A pursuit of heartfelt conversations through ideas and unpredictable arrangements.” - Magazine Sixty

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Various Artists - Affinity 7

The latest entry in the Affinity series continues the label’s long-standing approach of framing diversity through context rather than uniformity. Across three contributions, contrasting perspectives are placed in relation to one another, revealing a shared undercurrent rather than a fixed stylistic frame.

“A compact journey through atmosphere, rhythm and abstraction, connecting distinct artistic voices through a shared sensibility.”

Markus Guentner - Aeris

With Aeris, Markus Guentner revisits a selection of works spanning his long relationship with Affin. Rather than presenting a linear retrospective, the release highlights how material changes through time, repetition and shifting context — where familiar pieces take on altered weight and resonance.

“The effect is one of profound stasis and resilience.” — Radioaktiv

Affin Ambient Works (2022–2026)

This continuous mix draws from a body of ambient-focused releases spanning recent years, highlighting the subtle relationships that emerge when individual works are placed in dialogue. Structured as a single listening arc, it reframes familiar material as part of a larger, evolving environment.

“A showcase of the label’s ambient side, carefully mixed into one continuous listening experience.” — Ambientblog

Joachim Spieth - Recall (Live Version)

Recorded live at Up To Date Festival, Recall (Live Version) captures a piece in motion — still rooted in its original form, but reshaped by the immediacy of performance. The live context introduces a different kind of flow, where structure becomes more fluid and detail emerges in real time.

Galán, Spieth, Guentner - Obreel

Closing the season, Obreel brings together three long-connected artists in a work defined by restraint, space and gradual transformation. Rather than foregrounding individual authorship, the release unfolds as a shared environment, shaped by careful pacing and subtle development.

As Textura writes:

“The music unfolds with patience, depth, and an almost architectural sense of space.”

visualizer by Markus Guentner

As summer approaches, we would like to thank all artists, listeners and supporters for accompanying these ongoing explorations.

More soon…

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It’s been a few years now since the Affin label took another step forward. Since 2017, it has gradually evolved from a classic 12” deep techno imprint into a label focused primarily on albums, a shift that has become increasingly evident since 2022. It’s time to take a look back and bring some of these sometimes-hidden album gems back into the spotlight. This is being done, on the one hand, in the form of a DJ mix by Joachim Spieth, who has curated the sound selections. An accompanying compilation rounds out the picture. Enjoy!

album info

A selection of works from Affin, released between 2022 and 2026. Over time, a distinct sense of space has emerged - shaped by slower movement, extended forms and a shared sensitivity for detail. Many of the artists gathered here have crossed paths repeatedly, forming quiet connections that continue to evolve across releases.

Rather than following a linear narrative, the mix unfolds as a continuous passage, where transitions remain subtle and boundaries dissolve. It captures a phase defined less by individual moments and more by their relationships - a field of sound that expands gradually and invites sustained listening.

Compiled and mixed by Joachim Spieth.

links

website | affinmusic.de
design | markus-guentner.de
mastering | www.artefactsmastering.com
booking | affinmusic.de/booking/

OBREEL emerges as a compelling meeting point between three distinct yet profoundly complementary voices within contemporary ambient and experimental electronic music: Pepo Galán, Joachim Spieth, and Markus Guentner. The result is an album where rich textures, delicate fragility, and architectural clarity coalesce into compositions of meditative depth and luminous resonance.

About the Artists

Pepo Galán is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Málaga, Spain, whose work spans over two decades across genres from punk and metal to electronic and experimental music. His artful synthesis of acoustic instrumentation with electronic micro-textures has resulted in an evocative body of work characterized by emotive ambient soundscapes, subtle melodic beauty, and richly detailed sonic environments. Galán’s music reflects a lifelong curiosity and a restless search for unique expressive idioms — bridging the introspective and the expansive in ways that are both delicate and deeply affecting.

Joachim Spieth is a German composer, producer, DJ, and founder of the label Affin, a hub for finely crafted electronic and ambient music. With a career spanning decades, Spieth’s music is defined by meticulous production, immersive spatial designs, and a commitment to the quiet power of minimal, contemplative sound. His work — alone and in collaboration — navigates the subtle interplay of pulse, texture, and resonance, placing listeners inside deeply engaging worlds of sound.

Markus Guentner, also from Germany, is an acclaimed producer and ambient architect whose sonic journey began in the late 1990s and has traversed early techno and downtempo contexts into richly atmospheric ambient realms. With a diverse discography that includes solo works and numerous collaborations, Guentner’s music is known for its sweeping, immersive soundscapes, refined harmonic arcs, and emotionally resonant depth. His pieces often unfold like slow, luminous journeys — full of nuance, texture, and a palpable sense of quiet introspection.

The Music & Concept

OBREEL stands at the intersection of these three distinct artistic sensibilities, channeling a shared ethos of precision, space, and emotional subtlety. Across the album, sparse melodic gestures intertwine with gently evolving textures, creating a sonic language that feels both spacious and intensely focused. Each track on OBREEL is crafted with an attentive ear for detail — where tones breathe, silence is part of the composition, and every shift in timbre reveals new emotional nuance.

The collaboration reflects a mutual understanding among the artists: an embrace of reduction as a mode of expression and an exploration of how minimal elements can build immersive, emotionally charged sound worlds. The album’s sound world is one of quiet momentum — where lush ambience brushes against micro-rhythmic intricacies, and drifting atmospheres gesture toward landscapes shaped by memory, stillness, and contemplation.

OBREEL invites deep listening: its delicate architecture rewards attention, offering listeners an expansive field of sound that unfolds slowly yet surely, leaving room for reflection, introspection, and emotional resonance.

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Aeris gathers a curated selection of Markus Guentner’s works released on the Affin label, revisiting pieces that quietly shaped his musical journey over the years. The compilation moves through subtle textures, lingering atmospheres, and meticulously sculpted soundscapes, tracing the delicate interplay of silence and resonance. Each track carries the imprint of past explorations, fragments of moments suspended in time, inviting listeners to step into spaces that exist between memory and perception.

This collection is less a retrospective in the conventional sense, and more an unfolding of echoes—quiet signals that reveal themselves gradually, rewarding patience and attentive listening. The pieces, some familiar and some previously overlooked, resonate anew in the present, revealing layers and nuances that only emerge with reflection.

Aeris is a reflection on the passage of time in sound, on the subtle traces that remain when music lingers beyond its moment, and on the delicate balance between presence and absence. It is an invitation to immerse, to wander, and to discover the textures of memory made audible.

links

m-guentner.de

affinmusic.de

The seventh installment of the Affinity series brings together three acts for the first time and presents a mini-compilation that oscillates between dub-inspired atmospheres, minimalist rhythms, and melodic depth.

Arsène Martinet, known for his minimalist, groove-oriented approach to sound design, collaborates with Michal Basar to create a subtly driving and detailed sound palette. The ensemble is complemented by Stuttgart-based artist Nils Edte, whose organic deep techno and ambient textures lend the release an introspective quality. A Ras, the side project of Spanish producer Javier Marimon, expands the project with a more experimental touch, oscillating between abstract electronics and warm dub chords.

Together, these contributions result in a sequence that feels like a natural flow. Whether as a warm-up in the club or for listening at home, this EP fits seamlessly into the spirit of the Affinity series.

releases May 1, 2026

credits

design | markus-guentner.de

mastering | artefactsmastering.com

Affin Serial | linktr.ee

Affin | affinmusic.de

The predecessors

Here are a few impressions from our showcase in Prague at the Spectaculare Festival. We took a few days to ourselves​ - time for the city, for walks and encounters, for quiet moments and conversations with friends, to give the whole experience its own unique setting. Everything we recorded along the way gently drifted into the evening, shaping the space where sound, structure, and visuals come together.

It was the first time we shared a stage together, even though we’ve been closely involved with the label for years​ - within a network of ideas, projects, and visual and musical impulses that has grown over time. The live sets reflect this connection: two characters, two poles that stake out a territory and create an open field where everything can flow freely. For a moment, something emerges that is palpable without being tangible. We thank everyone who shared this evening, and the visual artists who expanded it even further!

More about the festival

Info on live sets & booking

Winter is finally beginning to loosen its grip.

Back in December, zakè seemed to foreshadow the season with Low Harmonics, a work steeped in quiet depth and long shadows. Soon after, Markus Guentner opened the snow-covered days with On Brutal Soil, We Grow. In many ways, the title felt strangely fitting - this winter, at times, proved harsher than I would have wished for.

Still, the colder months also brought a number of beautiful musical moments. Several releases found their way into the world during this time, accompanied by thoughtful reviews and generous responses from listeners.

Looking back now, these works feel closely tied to the atmosphere of the season - music shaped by stillness, distance, and the quiet introspection that winter often invites.

zakè - Low Harmonics

Released in December, Low Harmonics set a contemplative tone for the closing weeks of the year. Its deep, resonant textures move slowly, hovering somewhere between dub-infused atmospheres and suspended ambient spaces. The music invites the listener to pause and immerse in the quiet, almost meditative moods that winter often brings.

press reviews

“…That’s exactly what music is: extremely minimalist, flowing slowly, with a majestic sound…” (Nowamuzyka.pl)

“…His fascination with minimalism is always palpable in his productions, creating a steady flow of sound, sometimes static, sometimes verbose, but always functional, to describe a sound that gains form and life with every minute….” (Radioaktiv.it)

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Markus Guentner - On Brutal Soil, We Grow

Arriving in the heart of winter, Markus Guentner’s On Brutal Soil, We Grow accompanied the season’s coldest and most introspective days. Fragile, distant textures unfold gradually, creating a landscape of sound that feels at once vast and intimate. The album carries a quiet resilience - melodies and subtle harmonics emerge from stillness, like traces of life persisting beneath a snowy surface.

press reviews

“…The album's message, that growth continues despite the hurdles encountered, is inspiring, as its embrace of resilience over resignation…” (Textura)

“… There is a narrative to follow on this album, one that evokes the exploration of human grief and hope, but as it exists across our species rather than as experienced by a single person…” (Inverted Audio)

“… He stretches notes until they almost become transparent, stacking layer-upon-layer to create a sonic carpet consisting of overlapping filigrees…” (Here Comes The Flood)

“… Guentner continues to challenge himself, and On Brutal Soil, We Grow stands as evidence of an artist who refuses to rest on reputation, but is determined to express himself through sound, and also visuals with the accompanying artwork…” (Chain D.L.K.)

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Joachim Spieth - Vestige

Vestige marks the culmination of this winter season - a work shaped by reflection, patience, and careful attention to sound. The album explores memory and the traces left behind, moving through layered ambient textures, dub-influenced structures, and subtle field recordings. Each piece unfolds slowly, inviting listeners to inhabit the quiet spaces between notes and sounds.

It feels like a document of winter itself - a collection of fragments and atmospheres that linger, persist, and quietly evolve over time. In many ways, Vestige is both a closing chapter of the cold months and a bridge toward the light returning with spring.

press reviews

“…Vestige a prime illustration [of Spieth’s] particularly artful take on [ambient dub‑techno]…” (Textura)

“…From the darker depths inhabited by unwinding drones to higher, more exalted heights, the music is unafraid to stand on its own terms, embracing its unique mindset…” (Magazine Sixty)

“…Guided by the question of the presence that a simple, minimal sound particle can contain, Vestige examines the tension between form and dissolution. Layers of resonance emerge and fade, tracing the moment when sound becomes space and movement transforms into stillness. A subtle, feverish energy runs through the album – rhythmic elements that seem to advance even in their restraint, capturing the quiet euphoria of movement itself…” (Culture Dub)

“…Vestige reveals itself as a complex and layered work, capable of resonating internally and stimulating ongoing reflection on the nature of sound and space. It’s a listening experience that rewards patience and concentration, leaving a lasting impression on the hearts of those who embark on this sonic journey….” (Radioaktiv.it)

visualizer by Markus Guentner

Looking Ahead - Spring 2026

As winter slowly recedes, the first signs of a new season begin to appear. In early April, a particularly beautiful collaboration between Yui Onodera and Arovane will mark the beginning of our spring releases with Stillform.

The album is a meeting of kinesthetic restraint and sonic precision, its aesthetic built around reduction. Sparse motifs are carved out with care, micro-rhythms and attenuated textures bloom and dissolve with measured control. Onodera’s spatial sensibilities and Arovane’s melodic structuring converge to create soundscapes that feel both intimate and expansive - music that invites the listener to slow down and inhabit every carefully shaped pause.

Across Stillform, every tone is accentuated rather than overcrowded, subtle movements draw attention to the material presence of sound, and silences function like thoughtful breaths. It is not music of insistence, but of invitation - a work perfectly attuned to the gradual unfolding of spring, when the light returns and the world slowly opens again.

visualizer by Markus Guentner

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Stillform is a meeting of kinesthetic restraint and sonic precision. The album’s aesthetic lives in reduction - sparse motifs are carved out with care, micro-rhythms and attenuated textures bloom and dissolve with measured control. The collaboration reflects both artists’ shared interest in how minimal elements can create profound aural spaces: Onodera’s spatial sensibilities and Arovane’s keen melodic structuring converge to offer a listening experience that is simultaneously intimate and expansive.

Across the record, you’ll find sounds that are accentuated rather than overcrowded, subtle movements tha­t draw attention to the material presence of each tone, and carefully shaped silences that function like pauses in thought. Stillform is not music of insistence but of invitation - an album that rewards deep listening and reveals new details with every pass.

Stillform listening party: March 28, 2026 at 8:30 PM GMT+1

About the Artists

Yui Onodera is a Tokyo-based composer, sound artist, and architectural acoustics designer whose work bridges environmental sound, experimental composition, and spatial awareness. With a background in architectural acoustics, Onodera approaches sound as a form of spatial design - tones, reflections, and resonances are treated as material elements shaping invisible sonic structures. His practice blends organic field recordings, acoustic textures, and digital processing, often revealing subtle shifts in tone and texture that evoke the quiet interplay between nature, structure, and time. Onodera has released works on respected international labels including Room40, Kompakt, and more, and has collaborated with artists across experimental and contemporary genres. His ongoing work as a lecturer and creator of sound installations speaks to his commitment to listening as a way of reimagining place and perception.

Arovane is the recording name of German electronic musician and sound designer Uwe Zahn. Active since the late 1990s, Arovane’s music has been central to the evolution of IDM, ambient, and experimental electronica, characterized by its warm melodic sensibilities, richly textured synthesis, and intricate rhythmic design. Zahn first gained attention with early releases like Atol Scrap and Tides, and after a hiatus returned with a prolific series of albums that continued to expand his sonic language. His work is marked by a unique fusion of melancholic melodies, finely processed beats, and an organic approach to digital sound, traversing the border between introspective ambient listening and detailed electronic composition.

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Vestige continues Joachim Spieth’s refined exploration of spatial sound and textural depth. Building on the sonic language developed throughout his recent works – including Retrace – the album expands the dialogue between ambient atmospheres and dub-infused detail. The result is a composition of weightless intensity: a sound that unfolds in motion, inhabiting both vast hall spaces and microscopic frequency shifts.

Driven by the question of how much presence can reside within a single, minimal sound particle, Vestige examines the tension between form and dissolution. Layers of resonance emerge and fade, tracing the moment when sound becomes space, and movement turns into stillness. A subtle, restless energy runs through the album – rhythmic elements that seem to move forward even in their restraint, capturing the quiet euphoria of motion itself.

Created with precision and restraint, Vestige takes freedom in navigating stylistic boundaries, weaving openness and focus into a coherent whole. It offers a sense of connection rather than separation – a space for listening, perceiving, and re-seeing.

Ultimately, Vestige is both reflection and progression – a work that reinterprets familiar traces, allowing them to resonate in a new light while pointing quietly forward.

Vestige Listening Party: March 5, 2026 at 8:30 PM GMT+1

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Ambientes 2009 brings together four early works by Argentinian artist Ismael Pinkler, originally not released as a coherent EP but featured across Affin’s early Ambient Editions (volumes 1–2, curated by Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth). In this form, the tracks appear together for the first time as a unified body of work.

The music is built on calm, slowly evolving ambient sound structures and delicately embedded field recordings. “Mas Flote” in particular gained early attention and was licensed in 2013 for Richie Hawtin’s Enter.Ibiza. Nearly twenty years later, the circle quietly closes once again.

The EP will be released soon in our Bandcamp shop, and will be available for the first 1-2 days at the price of your choice... to be notified, the easiest way is to follow us on Bandcamp...

Compilations can sometimes act as a kind of bracket in time: gathering particles from different phases and making connections audible that only become clear in retrospect. Blended is such a release.
The tracks originate from various periods of my work, yet each of them carries a dubbier character in its own way - sometimes subtly, sometimes more pronounced. Taken together, they outline what has gradually emerged as a connecting thread across releases, beyond specific moments or formats.

I also see Blended as a musical prelude. A pause, a moment of collecting, before moving forward. With that in mind, I’d like to wish you all a happy new year - thank you for listening, for your continued support, and for staying with the music.

In March, a completely new album titled Vestige will be released. It builds on elements already hinted at here, while clearly moving into new territory. The album is already available for pre-order, and Blended can perhaps be understood as a quiet transition toward what’s to come.

link

joachimspieth.de

affinmusic.de

German ambient pioneer Markus Guentner delivers his most emotionally charged work to date. Nearly three decades into his creative output, he explores growth amid adversity to deliver a reflection on resilience through sound.

Markus Guentner unveils his latest work On Brutal Soil, We Grow, a collection of layered ambient soundscapes that navigate the space between adversity and hope. The album stands as a sonic meditation on what it means to be human in a world marked by hardship. We move through emotional wastelands shaped by restriction, alienation, and pressure, where growth seems difficult. And yet: we grow.

As the title suggests, this is not a work of resignation. On the contrary, Guentner expresses how even under the harshest conditions, life persists, creativity takes root, and humanity finds ways to blossom. The album is layered with brooding textures, fractured harmonies, and a spacious depth from which glimmers of hope quietly emerge.

On Brutal Soil, We Grow is an album of contrasts with a sense of clarity and solace emerging from the darkness. Rich in atmosphere and emotional nuance, it fits seamlessly into Guentner’s impressive body of work and stands as a timely statement on resilience, transformation, and the quiet miracle of continuing on.

In a recent interview with OLAFAQ, Guentner reflected “Sometimes quiet movements are the most powerful. I’m not trying to move anyone. I’m just making a place where you can stand for a while.” This sentiment permeates the album, which offers refuge without escapism, creating conditions to engage with reality differently and with more patience, depth, and openness.

In an era that constantly demands speed, efficiency, and productivity, Guentner’s deliberate choice of slowness becomes an act of resistance. The album doesn’t deliver quick gratification; instead, it creates space for reflection, and becomes a refuge from the relentless consumption that dominates contemporary culture.

On January 29th, we’ll meet to listen to the album together during a Bandcamp livestream; you’re all invited!

links

m-guentner.de

affinmusic.de

Serial One introduces Affin Serial with a selection of signature deep and hypnotic techno pieces, combining key releases with formative earlier works to outline the imprint’s evolving aesthetic.

Serial One, is now available for pre-order. The official release date is January 9, 2026.

Until the release date, the compilation is offered at a reduced pre-order price as a bundle. From the release day onwards, Serial One will be available at the regular price.

links

design | markus-guentner.de

mastering | artefactsmastering.com

Affin Serial | linktr.ee

Affin | affinmusic.de

We are delighted to have been invited to the Spectaculare Festival in Prague and to be able to present our live sets there in March 2026 as part of an Affin showcase. It is particularly exciting that Markus Guentner will be performing live again for the first time after a long break. Together with Joachim Spieth, who will also be performing his own set, we look forward to creating a musical evening that offers space for ambient layers and depth.

Tickets

Over the past few months, we have realigned our booking to more accurately reflect the core of our growing catalog and to more clearly communicate our musical focus, which is on live performances of ambient and experimental music. Today, we welcome Arovane, Yui Onodera, and Pepo Galán to our booking roster - artists whose work we actively seek to promote.

Arovane (Uwe Zahn) entered the electronic music scene with Atol Scrap (DIN, 2000) and the influential Tides (City Centre Offices, 2000), quickly earning recognition for his emotive IDM sound, intricate textures, and subtle rhythms—often mentioned alongside Boards of Canada and Autechre. His style grew from late-80s experiments with cut-up beats, pads, and samples, evolving into the breakbeat/glitch aesthetics of the ’90s.

After the 2004 album Lilies, Zahn stepped away for nearly a decade, dedicating himself to sound design and creating patches and sample libraries. He returned in 2013 with Ve Palor (n5MD), beginning a new era of collaborations with artists such as Porya Hatami, Hior Chronik, and Darren McClure.

With dozens of releases across albums, EPs, and compilations, Zahn continues to bridge composition and sound design, maintaining a singular, emotionally resonant voice within contemporary electronic music.

Booking inquiries

Yui Onodera is a Tokyo-based composer and sound artist whose background in architectural acoustics shapes his approach to music. He blends field recordings, instrumental elements, and digital processing into spatial, minimalist works that explore the relationship between nature, structure, and perception.

Since the mid-2000s, Onodera has released numerous albums on international labels such as Room40, KOMPAKT, and Anjunachill, including notable works like Suisei, Ray, and 1982. Recognized as a key voice bridging Japanese ambient traditions and contemporary sound art, he has collaborated with artists including Francisco López, Stephen Vitiello, Robert Lippok, Scanner, and Takashi Kokubo.

Alongside installations and site-specific works presented worldwide, Onodera has taught sound art at Rikkyo University and Musashino Art University since 2017. His recent project Kiso Three Rivers (Field Records) examines landscape and infrastructure through sound and was first presented at Expo 2025 in Osaka. He is also a co-founder of the interdisciplinary collective nor.

Booking inquiries

Pepo Galán is a Málaga-born composer whose work spans electronic, ambient, and acoustic experimentation. Beginning as a self-taught multi-instrumentalist in the 1990s, he moved through punk, metal, and experimental projects before immersing himself in electronic music—first as a DJ and later through techno and trip-hop explorations that shaped his evolving sonic identity.

Since the late 2010s, Galán has established himself within contemporary ambient music with albums such as Human Values Disappear and For Victoria, alongside contributions to Pop Ambient and collaborations with artists including Max Würden, Isaac Helsen, Benoît Pioulard, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Warmth, Suso Saiz, Markus Guentner, and Joachim Spieth. He is also part of the projects Dear Sailor (with Lee Yi) and Stranded (with Gärtner).

Galán’s music balances electronic and acoustic elements, digital and analog textures, and a subtle pop sensibility—often centered around piano—resulting in intimate, emotional ambient works that blend memory, atmosphere, and cinematic depth.

Booking inquiries

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2025 was a year of quiet consolidation for Affin — a moment when long-developed ideas found clarity and form. The label’s identity deepened through collaboration, visual coherence, and a refined sense of purpose.

At its core, the dialogue between Joachim Spieth and Markus Guentner shaped much of the year’s narrative — both sonically and visually. Their ongoing collaborations, including Overlay Reworks and Conversion, expanded the label’s vocabulary while maintaining its signature restraint. Overlay Reworks also brought together acclaimed artists such as Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri, whose interpretations added new depth and perspective to the label’s sound world. Guentner’s solo album Black Dahlia and his visual work for several projects further intertwined sound and image into a cohesive aesthetic, defining much of Affin’s visual language in 2025.

Around this core, a circle of collaborators evolved. Projects with Warmth (Fragments) and Andrew Thomas (Nocturna) reflected new intersections of texture and emotion, while the trio of zakè, Guentner, and Spieth reached a serene synthesis on Arcadia. Later in the year, rhubiqs’ Spectral Passage and zakè’s Low Harmonics extended the dialogue outward, reinforcing the continuity that defines Affin’s current phase.

Parallel to this, Affin Serial matured as an interconnected platform — a space for rhythmic and textural works shaped by recurring contributors. While the main label continues to focus on album-based projects and ambient collaborations, Serial provides a complementary framework, expanding Affin’s pulse into new terrain.

In 2025, Affin refined its voice through focus, cohesion, and patience — reaffirming its essence as a place where sound evolves naturally and continuity becomes its own quiet form of progress.

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