American dance producer and DJ Lane 8 has announced his most ambitious project to date - a label and event series This Never Happened that will release new music and take a more minimalist approach to clubbing. To kick-start the imprint, he has unveiled the first song from the label, "Fingerprints," which is a dark and slow moving progressive track that fits the mood of a dimly lit club setting.
The label will officially launch in May, but in a lengthy statement Lane 8 explained why he felt the need to start his own label and event brand, pointing to the need to over share on social media.
"We live at a time when distractions from reality are never further away than our fingertips. Our phones offer us unlimited stimulation and temporary comfort. The possibilities of technology are endless, but they also limit the possibility...the possibility to truly experience and submit to the moment," write the DJ.
He touches on early nostalgia and why he wants to bring his early feelings of carefree clubbing.
"Some of my early clubbing experiences have stayed with me for my entire life. They are why I'm doing what I'm doing today. There is not a photo, forum thread or social media post in existence to mark their happening, but the memories, the emotions I felt, the way those nights changed my life - those things stay with me to this day.
Somewhere along the way, we as a society have lost the ability to experience those special moments. On the rare occasion that they do happen, we scramble to grab our phones in time to capture them - but those moments cannot be truly captured - and they don't need to be broadcasted or recorded. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is fully appreciate what is happening in that room, at that moment, with those people around us.
I think our society needs clubbing experiences where they go home with more than just a picture to post on instagram. That's why I'm starting This Never Happened - I want to create that experience for people.
At This Never Happened, we invite you into a space where the only thing that matters are the people in that room, the music and the magic that happens when those things interact. An event where the dancefloor will be a phone and photo-free space.
Putting this project together with my team over the last 6 months triggered a creative spark in me unlike anything I've ever felt before, and I'm so excited for you guys to hear the music I've come up with during that time."
The first event will take place at the Mezzanine in San Francisco on June 3. Tickets go on sale April 22. Sign up for pre-sale here and listen to "Fingerprints."
Read the full statement from Lane 8 here.
