Vek Neirbo chats new label, Hypnodose

Electronic music is an ever-evolving landscape, shaped by artists and innovators who push the boundaries of sound and experience. One such figure is Vek Neirbo, a DJ, producer, and label head with a deep passion for hypnotic, groove-driven music. With years of experience in both underground and established scenes, he’s now channeling his vision into his latest project: Hypnodose—a label dedicated to minimalist, immersive tracks designed for those late-night, early-morning dancefloor moments.

In this interview, Vek shares the inspiration behind Hypnodose, the philosophy guiding his A&R process, and his thoughts on the current state of electronic music, alongside insights into the art of DJing, the evolution of minimal music, and why the underground scene remains vital in an industry that’s constantly shifting...

You recently launched your new label, Hypnodose. What was the inspiration behind it?

Yes, I'm excited. The concept for Hypnodose came to me last year at some point after a really amazing night on a dancefloor, somewhere here in Denver. For me personally, I love hypnotic, groove-focused music that locks you into a groove on the dancefloor. Tracks that captivate you in a subtle way, and make you forget the time, and wash away any troubles you may have walked in the door with.

After that night, I had an epiphany about starting a label that focused solely on those understated tracks which help proliferate that hypnotic vibe. So those are the type of tracks I wanted to focus on with the label, and the name Hypnodose came to me as sort of play on the word “microdose”, which is a practice I dabble in quite frequently. 

What kind of sound or ethos are you looking to curate with Hypnodose? Is there a particular vibe or philosophy that defines it, and how does it differ from other labels you've been involved with?

The intention is to put out hypnotic, minimalist music which kind of serve more as DJ tools for those moments at 4 or 5am when everyone remaining at the party are truly there for the musical ride, and want to become lost in the music. Also, when I say “minimalist” I'm not really referring to the minimal genre, but speaking about a minimalist approach and aesthetic to the music in general. 

With that said, I suppose the difference between Hypnodose and other labels I've owned or been involved with is that Hypnodose is focused on that singular moment and hypnotic vibe, there's no intention or desire to find “big” tracks that everyone will remember when they get home. 

You’ve connected with artists like Max Jacobson and others in the US scene. How did those relationships come about, and what excites you about the current US minimal movement?

Yes, Max is the first artist to have an EP on the label, which will be out this week on vinyl, with a very limited run of 200 copies. The way we connected was through a label that I manage called Superlux,  which is owned by a great guy based in Tulum, Mikey Gill. He's good friends with Max from his time in Chicago, and was kind enough to facilitate an intro after I asked him to put me and Max touch. I'd been playing Max's music for quite awhile and was curious whether he might have some demos that could fit the vibe I had in mind for Hypnodose, when the concept first came to mind, and he delivered! 

As for the minimal scene in the U.S., it seems fairly strong, but minimal is now just a small piece of the pie in the underground scene. This past year, electro has definitely become very prominent, a lot of minimal producers and DJs are now playing a lot of electro as well. But the underground is strong in the U.S. and minimal will always have a place in that musical environment. 

You’ve got artists such as Lizz remixing Max on the debut Hypnodose EP. How did that collaboration happen, and what do you look for when selecting artists for original releases and remixes?

Max connected me with Lizz, he has booked him in Chicago for his Tied parties. Lizz is always on the cutting edge and produces some very hypnotic music, so it seemed like a good idea to get him involved with a remix on the first record. His remix turned out to be really dirty, in a good way of course. I reckon it might blow a few speakers around the world (haha). 

What’s your A&R process like for Hypnodose? Do you have a particular strategy for scouting new talent or remixers?

I consider myself a bit of a digger and take music discovery very seriously, so if I hear an artist has released something that makes me think to myself, “I wish that were on Hypnodose”, I try to reach out to them, and explain the concept and vibe I'm after for the label, and see if they can send over some demos. Honestly, though, this is still a new project… I'm letting the music guide me, so I really feel I'm just a muse for facilitating what this label/brand will eventually become, musically. 

When I review demos, I first try to listen in the dark with the music blasting at a nice volume, to see if it puts me in a hypnotic state and makes me want to move. That's the determining factor, regardless of genre or style. I'm looking for music that you can get lost in, thats somewhat loopy but also changes subtly to keep things interesting.

Minimal house and techno has been thriving in Europe for years, but in the US, it’s maybe more niche? How do you see the scene evolving stateside, and is there a good underground scene in your hometown of Denver?

There are a number of really solid event teams in the U.S. who regularly book minimal artists, usually in cities such as NY, Miami, LA, Atlanta, etc. ReSolute, Un-mute, Borderless Project, Tied, Ubiyu, etc. We are also trying our best here in Denver to build a coalition of like-minded artists and promoters, to collaborate on throwing quality underground events, with minimal being a big part of the musical tapestry weaving things together.

In the past year, Denver has hosted minimalist artists such as Mihai Pol, SIT (Cristi Cons & Vlad Caia), Lizz, Guiliano Lomonte, Suciu, Chklte, Rasho, and many others. The underground minimal scene is growing here, for sure, especially thanks to squads such as Slowmotif, Knows, and Gloom, whom I'm grateful to have become connected with over the past year or two, and am happy to add Hypnodose to that list of event curators as well.

Speaking of Denver, you recently threw a launch party for Hypnodose. How did that go, and are there plans for the next event?

Yes, the first Hypnodose party was in December. It was an all-night into morning warehouse party. I was very happy with how that night turned out. We had Lizz and Max headlining, so it doubled as a release party for Hypnodose 001. I played b2b with my good buddy Heath (Den Of Snakes), and my other pal Lidas opened the night, then we all B2B'd after the main slots. It'a big undertaking throwing underground events;  renting a warehouse, booking and flying in artists, bringing in a sound system (Den Of Snakes has an incredible Tannoy sound system which we used for the event), lights, visuals, stocking refreshments, hiring staff, etc…  in addition to all the promotion work.

But thanks to having a solid collaborative team, the party was a great success from a musical and vibe standpoint. We kept the music pumping until after 8AM, which is fairly rare for Denver. 

As I mentioned earlier, collaboration is is the key, especially in a mid-size market such as Denver. There's no point in competing when everyone can work together in building a community.

The next Hypnodose event is in the early plotting stage, so I cant say much at this point. I'm going with a less is more, quality over quantity approach with the parties, as well as the label.

When it comes to discovering new music, what’s your process? Are you someone who still digs through old record bins, or is it more about finding unreleased gems online?

I generally spend at least an hour or two each day digging for music online. Bandcamp, Juno, Decks, Discogs, and Instagram is surprisingly a really great resource for keeping up with all the new stuff from artists and labels I love,  I've discovered countless artists on Insta. I rarely open DJ promos anymore and dont use Beatport often except when looking for specific tracks I cant find elsewhere. I find it's best to dig through label and artist's catalogs, and that's often how I discover new artists and labels as well. 

Its also quite fun to dig through other people’s collections on Bandcamp. You can find a lot of gems that way, especially if you find someone who has similar taste as yours. 

Tell us about your Vek Neirbo alias – what was the reason for creating it, and how does the music under that name differ from what you release as Kev O’Brien?

Over lockdowns I started finding a deeper love for minimal music. I always loved going to a great minimal party over the years, but had never really considered digging deep for that music, or playing it as a DJ. I'd always been more of a deep house guy, and after 15 years or so of playing all shades of house,  I figured it might be too much of a drastic shift to suddenly change over to playing trippy afterhours minimal, tech, breaks, etc. 

So I decided to reverse my name backward and the result was Vek Neirbo. That felt like a good way to go about this newfound love for late night music, while I can still explore my undying love for sunny house music under my original name, Kev Obrien.

Honestly though, if I play a long set, the lines are very blurry between the two aliases. If I'm playing a Vek Neirbo gig, Kev Obrien will always sneak his way onto the decks to play some heady deep house stuff for a bit, and vice versa (haha).

Do you still get the chance to DJ live often? If so, what’s your approach to crafting a set in the current climate?

I'm also taking a less is more, quality over quantity approach to gigs these days. I've played a handful of gigs here in Denver this year and also some fun rooftop parties in NYC, but my days of chasing clout or trying to DJ every weekend are long gone. I’d much rather get to play a handful of really amazing parties in a year than have to go around schmoozing my way onto lineups every weekend. Been there, done that. No thanks! haha.

I have played many after parties here in Denver though this past year, which is actually my favorite setting, to be quite honest. 

As for crafting or planning sets, I don't. I play sets spontaneously in the moment, but the true key is to know and organize your music very well, and to play at home as often as possible, in order to become familiarized with new music, to learn what works with what, etc. Listening to new tracks in the car while driving or while on a walk is also another great way to learn your new music as well as rediscover old music in your collection.

With electronic music evolving so rapidly, do you find yourself adapting your DJing style over time, or do you stick to a core sound?

Things are always changing as far as what music is currently trending and what you're hearing being released. My focus is honed in on groovy, hypnotic, sometimes weird and quirky, mimimalist music, regardless of the genre. But honestly I play a little of everything, even some jazzy drum & bass every now and then, when I get the itch. If you were to go on my Soundcloud youll hear that I've changed my style and sound countless times over the years. I could never stick to one style for an entire career, its quite amazing to me how some DJs have managed to stay in one lane for decades. 

Has your approach to DJing changed since moving away from NYC? How has that shift affected your creative outlook?

I can't say my focus to DJing has really changed much, but the range of music I play has certainly grown much wider in recent years. 

What are your thoughts on the current state of electronic music? Are there any particular trends or movements that excite (or frustrate) you?

On a grand scale, I feel like there is a a trend shifting away from mega festivals, and more toward smaller carefully curated  “micro-festivals” or “boutique festivals”. Especially in the underground world where people are focused mostly on the music.

Thats an exciting trend to me, because I've always hated those overly produced mega festivals, which is why I've always preferred dark and dirty warehouse parties. 

I recently went down to Ecuador for Trotamundo festival, and that was one of the most amazing electronic music experiences I've had in my 25+ years of raving. No lasers, no massive visual displays, no DJs wearing costumes or throwing cake…it was just amazingly curated music and a few thousand die-hard afficionados, dancing our asses off for 6 days straight. More of that, please!

You’ve been in the industry for a while – what are some of the biggest changes you've noticed in the way music is produced, released, and consumed?

I think one of the main difference is due to technological advances making it easier to produce. The level of output that artists seem to be able to produce these days is dizzying. When i first started DJing seirously and producing in the late 00's, artists typically would put out a few or a handful of releases each year, and those records or tracks would have a long shelf life that could help propel them a little further with each release. 

These days, some of the more prolific producers are able to put out 20+ releases each year. The sheer onslaught of new music coming out is impossible to keep up with, and that goes for DJs, everyday fans, promoters, and the press as well.

From a DJ perspective, the gateway to entry has been demolished entirely, so everyone and their mothers are now aspiring DJs. It attracts a lot of attention seekers who arent doing it purely out of love for the music and culture. Again, this has caused severe market saturation, making it more difficult for the truly remarkable artist types to shine through the fog. The artist savants are usually less sociable, so the world is missing out on their talent while wannabe influencers get the attention they so desperately seek.

With so many artists and labels emerging, how do you ensure Hypnodose stands out in such a saturated market. 

I havent actually put too much thought in standing out, thats not really a goal I care to think about. Id rather focus on the music, and also on curating events that provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for people to connect with that music, and the people around them. If that's the main focus, I think it will stand out to people who are in tune with that vision. 

You’ve been involved in both underground and more established electronic circles. Do you feel the underground scene is still as vital as it was, or is the line between underground and mainstream becoming more blurred?

Everything that becomes the “in thing” in the commercial music realm was originally conceived in the underground, as far as I’m concerned. Then it's later adorned with sparkles and glitter for mass consumption. Chris Stussy and the minimal house sound he (and others) led the charge on in recent years is a great example of how this commercialization develops and shapes a particular style of music. It starts underground and then has to appeal to a bigger audience as that artist gets booked at more festivals. 

By the time a new trend hits the festival scene, the underground has moved on entirely to something else.

Some artists choose to stay in the underground lane, while others see financial opportunity and decide to graduate to bigger stages and audiences, and as a result their music also changes to adapt. But 9 times out of 10, the spark was lit in the underground, which consists of punters who are far more discerning and difficult to please. 

Without a healthy and thriving underground, creative progress stagnates in the commercial realm, so I feel there’s a symbiotic relationship between the underground and mainstream.

What’s next for Hypnodose? Do you have any upcoming releases or projects you’re particularly excited about?

Max Jacobson's Soul Lift EP will be released on March 28th (with a remix from Lizz on the B-side.) Then the second record will be a lovely EP by Costin Rp, that should be out in a few months, if all goes smoothly with the vinyl pressing process.

I also just released the first Hypnodose Sessions podcast, which is a 3.5 hour mix that I feel encapsulates the sound and vibe of Hypnodose fairly accurately. That mix includes several forthcoming tracks from the label, and I'm very happy with how it came together, as well as the response it's received so far. 

Are there any new or emerging artists you’re particularly excited about at the moment?

Admo, Costin Rp, J Gabriel, Harry Wills, Ted Amber, Sweely, Fedo, and Silat Beksi are a few artists whose music I am playing quite often; each have their own unique sound and style thats instantly recognizable.

Finally, what advice would you give to up-and-coming DJs, producers, and label heads who want to make an impact in today’s electronic music scene?

Be patient. Don't do things simply for the sake of doing them. That goes for producing music, releasing music, accepting DJ gigs, launching a label, or starting any new project really. Set realistic goals and don't spend time or energy comparing yourself to others.

Most importantly, stick to doing what you love, don't overwhelm yourself trying to be everything at once. If you hate project management, desk work, or marketing, find someone else to do that work, so you can focus on doing what you love (which is also likely what you're good at!)

Buy/listen to Max Jacobson's Soul Lift EP here

Follow Vek Neirbo on Soundcloud and Instagram 

Follow Hypnodose on Bandcamp, Soundcloud and Instagram