DARKPRESSURE.
Freedom without pressure.
Dario on Dark Pressure’s first year, unexpected remixes and a label allowed to grow at its own pace.
Dario · Dcascallana
A label starts with a decision: this music, on these terms. For Dario, Dark Pressure is where personal taste meets support for other artists. Its first year moves from his own tracks to four fresh perspectives on them, and towards the question of how a small structure can sustain itself.
The Vienna DJ and producer behind Dcascallana connects label work with organising nights, the vinyl collective VVAX and his hardware project AURA with Pezel. These are stories of creative freedom, friendship and the energy that a night finds in the room.
On his own terms.
You’ve been DJing for a long time and produce your own music. What led you to start Dark Pressure? What did you want to explore or shape through a label of your own?
I’d had the idea of starting my own label in mind for a long time. A lot has become easier and more accessible, so I decided to finally do it. An important part was the freedom to release exactly the music I like, on my own terms. At the same time, I wanted to contribute something to Vienna’s techno scene. Compared with other big cities, there are relatively few labels here. Of course, some Vienna labels have a similar sound, but I think Dark Pressure takes a slightly different musical direction. Supporting local artists whose sound fits Dark Pressure matters to me too, and I want to give them an opportunity to release their music through the label.
Four tracks, fresh perspectives.
For Year One, Cristian Glitch, Pezel, Neoom and nonℒinearsystem reinterpreted your tracks. How did you choose the four artists for each piece, and which remix surprised you most?
At first I didn’t have a specific idea for the fourth release, which was also meant to mark Dark Pressure’s first anniversary. Then two of the artists asked whether they could remix one of my tracks. That’s where the idea for a remix release came from.
I suggested Cobra Effect to Cristian Glitch because it had been the label’s best-rated track so far and suited his style. The other three could choose a track themselves. Luckily, each chose a different one. Neoom’s remix surprised me most. While the other three still contain clearly recognisable elements of the originals, he practically made an entirely new track from the original sounds. I’m very happy with all four remixes, and particularly pleased to have brought these four artists, whom I respect a great deal, onto the release.
Either I like the music as it is, or I don’t.
A night grows in the room.
You’ve put on two Dark Pressure nights so far. Did anything you learned at the first change the second? What matters to you when choosing DJs and shaping the night?
I’ve been organising parties since 2000, when I started playing in clubs as a DJ: first in Spain, later during my time in Ireland and, of course, here in Vienna. There have been more active periods and quieter ones. You always learn something, but there’s nothing between the two Dark Pressure nights that I would particularly single out.
When choosing DJs, I want to prioritise artists who have already released on Dark Pressure. Because the label was still very young at the first events, I also invited other DJs whose sound fits. Musically, I try to build a night that begins with less energy and gradually intensifies. The final DJ can bring it to a peak or take the energy down a little again. That always depends on the atmosphere, the audience and the DJs involved.
Projects that connect.
You joined other crews for Exil’s fifth anniversary and organise events through other projects too. What are they, and how do shared ideas for Vienna’s scene emerge from those collaborations?
Alongside Dark Pressure, I’m part of the small collective VVAX, which puts on exclusively vinyl-only techno events. We celebrate our first anniversary in December, and interest has been strong so far. I also work closely with my friend Pezel from Deep Cut, with whom I shared a studio for two years. Even after giving up the shared studio, we’ve continued working closely together.
We also founded the new live project AURA together, playing deep techno on an entirely hardware-based, DAWless setup. On 13 November, Dark Pressure and Deep Cut are putting on a joint night at Flucc Wanne with Oxygeno as our guest, where we’ll also make our club debut with AURA.
Another project, which isn’t directly musical but is closely connected to the scene, is Vienna Techno Culture. Through Instagram and Telegram, I present selected events that fit my idea of techno. I want to support organisers whose main aim is to nurture techno culture and give experimental, non-commercial sounds a platform. Beyond that, I support other collectives, DJs and clubs and regularly work with them. And I’ve had a few more ideas in mind for some time that I might eventually put into practice.
Step by step.
After the first year, what would you like to try next with Dark Pressure? Is there a sound, a collaboration or an idea for a night that particularly excites you?
For me, the first year was mainly a period of testing and learning. Those experiences will help me develop the label. I particularly want to thank Cristian Glitch and Pezel: I really don’t have the words to express how grateful I am for their support. They both help with the label. A big thank-you also goes to every other artist who has contributed so far, and to those taking part in the charity release coming in December.
Musically, I want to stay true to my direction: raw, deep, hypnotic and experimental techno, in slower and faster forms. Giving artists complete creative freedom is especially important to me. I would never ask someone to change their tracks. Either I like the music as it is, or I don’t.
In the long term, I’d like to release vinyl and bring better-known international artists onto the label. But that has to be economically sustainable. Until then, I want to move forward step by step, without pressure to release as much music as possible. I’m planning around four to six releases for the second year. I also want to try to organise more Dark Pressure showcases. That isn’t easy, because many clubs are already booked well into next year, but I’ll see what’s possible.
Dark Pressure
Interview by email · Edited by SCENE:ID. Photographs supplied by the contributor and colour-graded for this edition.