German collaborators Jorkes and Paris Böhm have been running their Freeride Millenium imprint for almost a decade, boasting releases from producers like Maruwa, Mala Ika, Rotciv, and Delicate Features.
Our first Label Mates feature of 2025 puts a spotlight on their journey up to now, where they talk about first starting the imprint, how they sign new music, and more.
You first launched Freeride Millenium back in 2016, what made you want to start your own record label?
We’re both very playful, spontaneous, and have an urge to interact with our surroundings. In 2015 one of us was preparing their diploma at fashion school (Daniel) while the other one started producing together with a friend (Jorkes). The runway project for the diploma was named Freeride Millenium and we used the music that was produced at that time for the diploma thesis. Being partners on multiple layers of life, we have also our very own aesthetic of communication. We always thought of releases at Freeride Millenium as a playful eruption of our adventures.
Freeride Millenium started as a journey of mutual empowerment and a space to provide the possibility for playful ambiguity for each other. A release there is always like a chapter in a diary to us. We digest all kind of layers of existence, like love, distress, hope, togetherness, hate, eroticism, power, bodies, sexuality, friendship, excess, companionship, community, and communal experiences. This is also how the first three releases came together. As our journey continued with fellow humans that we interacted with, more artists jumped into this story and created the releases with us, diving in to each other’s universe.
And since then, what are some of the biggest hurdles you’ve overcome?
As we only do what we are really passionate about and love, there are no real hurdles that were needed to be overcome.
Your catalog features music from Maruwa, Mala Ika, Rotciv, and Delicate Features, what’s your typical approach to finding and signing new music?
There are different layers on how to find music. First of all artists send us their music, that we really appreciate to receive demos and start evolving ideas and releases together.
One other approach is that we both are music enthusiasts and always just search and share music with each other, for example on SoundCloud. Then of course there are promotional platforms like Inflyte, which always provide new music and new artists, that we can discover.
And the other one is the personal level, where we just interact with friends, family and other fellow artists through clubnights, dinners, festivals, galleries, performances, openings, museums, and music. It’s just that being in the moment that always produces the nicest musical interaction with others and brings us to new music. And sex.
And who else might we see on the label soon?
Cats and dogs hopefully.
What’s your opinion on the way things are moving towards streaming and artificial intelligence?
So technically speaking we live in a wonderland. The opportunities streaming gives us, are beyond imagination and maybe we are not fully aware of the possibilities this might have on future generations of musicians. Streaming made releasing music and having it out in the world for everyone to listen and enjoy so easy, that we are in the lucky position to have an inspirational treasure trove in our hands. You can travel the world musically within seconds. This is pure magic.
There are so many talented musicians out there, many talented in craftsmanship, other uberartsy and some are so in the moment and “very now” in what they do, that we enjoy catching up with and connecting with, just because they uploaded something on their SoundCloud or Spotify. Streaming opens doors and tears down walls, so it gives you a deeper look into what is happening muscially around the globe.
AI on the other hand is an enhancement to human craftsmanship and can probably automate many working processes while making music or compiling music. It can be a useful tool, when properly introduced into the workflow. Probably it won‘t have the capacities to fully imitate the spontaneous workflow of the flow or replicate the excitement of searching and finding new ways to create in a trial and error environment.
But what would Walter Benjamin say? Aura is not something to buy.
What are some of your favourite record labels?
funnuvojere by Massimiliano Pagliara is a safe bet for all things cosmic dancefloor. AUS Music has always been a mainstay for house. Freundinnen by nd_baumecker and Jenus is something that always makes us fly away. Live At Robert Johnson by Ata also always produces instant classics. Also Permanent Vacation is always a good idea for the club. On the more “classic” side Twisted and their sublabel TRIBAL are guarantees for a very quirky dancefloor going all queen. There are also more obscure things we listen to and glad to share.
What advice would you give to any aspiring label owners in 2024?
I guess it depends on the goals and needs of the label. We are just a queer couple and it’s actually more like a child than any reproductive income or something like that.