UPFRONTBEATS

Kwench Records lines up fresh material from Oslo-based Bulgarian DJ and producer Ivaylo as he returns to Cassy’s label with a spirited three-track outing.

Touted as a discerning force within club culture, Ivaylo has a veteran ranking that’s owed to a 20-year-long career which began in his hometown Varna in the ’90s, booking influential US artists to play at Bulgaria’s first house club, Comics. Residing in Oslo since the late ’90s, he’s now commonly known as the chief of Bogota Records and as a artist host, resident and creator of renowned weekly mix series at esteemed Oslo clubbing haunt, Jæger Club.

‘Ivaylo has good energy, he’s incredibly talented and we connect because he’s also been wrapped up in music for a long time, he’s always exploring ways in which he can grow as a producer and he’s in it for the right reasons. I’ve played at Jaeger Club a handful of times, spending time with him and have seen how his presence can lift a room and this feeds directly into the music he creates. I love these three tracks. We picked them out for the label a while ago, they’ve got that sought-after timeless quality and I’m looking forward to finally getting them out there.’ ‘ Cassy

Deriving influence from Jæger Club, an institution he’s been behind since its formative years, guiding the club-motivated EP is ‘Smooth Layla’, a woozy, dubby gyration driven to tether clubbers to the dancefloor. ‘The Housy Way’ pushes on with an infective groove that boots the record up a gear, while ‘Dyp Peder’ cuts in like a temptress with intent to keep you moving well into the early hours.

• FB: facebook.com/IvayloMusic
• Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/ivaylooslo