Zlene chats all things Seaweed Rhythm...

Since forming over a decade ago, Seaweed Rhythm has quietly established itself as one of the most consistent and lovingly curated labels on the European underground circuit. Founded by Stockholm-based artist Zlene aka Bäcksvart. The label has grown from a grassroots platform for close friends and local talent into an internationally respected outlet that’s home to some of minimal’s most cherished names – think Melchior Productions Ltd, Silat Beksi, Traumer, Mihai Popovicu and many more. But behind the heavyweight roster and steadily growing discography is a genuine sense of community, care, and curiosity that drives everything they do.

Operating out of a studio near the sea, Zlene and his collaborators have long infused their work with a palpable connection to nature. Whether through field recordings, aquatic textures, or the subtle activism of donating label profits to wildlife causes, Seaweed Rhythm’s identity is shaped as much by its environment as it is by the dancefloor. There’s a tactile, almost hand-made quality to each release – from the analogue warmth of the sound design to the tattoo-inspired sleeve artwork painted by long-time friend Thure Melander.

Alongside founding and co-running NEU with his partner Kalkyl, a beloved basement club in central Stockholm, and hosting intimate events across Sweden and Europe, Zlene has created something that feels both expansive and personal. With a string of standout releases on the horizon, including a new vinyl EP with Egyptian artist Shadi Megallaa and contributions from the likes of Iuly.B and Andu Simion, Seaweed Rhythm’s steady momentum shows no signs of slowing. But at its core, the ethos remains the same: make and share music with love, and let the rest flow naturally. Ahead of the next release (a Shadi Megallaa EP featuring killer remixes by Melchior Productions LTD), we checked in to learn more…

When did you first become involved with electronic music? And when did you realise it was something you wanted to take seriously?

We started Seaweed in 2012 after some years of producing and playing but it was hard to find a home for our tracks. We do what we do with love for the music and the friendships that have sprung. We don't have a grand plan, we just wanna make, play and give out music that we love.

Tell us a bit about the Stockholm scene and your involvement in it.

We run some underground events per year in Sweden and Europe but often on a smaller scale since we are more into intimate festivals and parties rather than big money making events. What I like about smaller events is that the connection between the people and with the music is much clearer. We also run a small club in Stockholm in the basement of Berns called NEU (@neustockholm). Me and my partner Douglas (Kalkyl) started it 8 years ago and it still runs every weekend. It's definitely a hot spot in the city for dancing to house and techno and the sound is amazing.

From the start of the label we focused on our music and Swedish producers. We still do but now we also release bigger international artists that we cherish as well. To name some artists in our catalog we’ve had Traumer, Giuliano lomonte, Mihai Popoviciu, Per Hammar, Cesare vs Disorder to name a few from the past. You can check our catalogue here on Bandcamp

I love Seaweed’s description of releasing ‘wet’ music. To the uninitiated, what does that mean exactly? 

It's a small word play with our connection to the water on the label and how we like our music. We have a studio just by the sea and we often build a small studio camp out on an island and make music outside in the summer. I would also say that our productions are much more wet than dry in many ways! Textures, pads and rich background elements can make so much for a track. It's nice to find your own melody in a blend of textures and pads rather than a given lead melody in my taste. 

Your attention to detail on your releases, website, and branding is really clear – from the carefully crafted artwork to the sleek website design. Do you think these smaller elements are often undervalued in the music industry? How important are they to the label’s overall identity? 

We like it pretty simple and not too much hocus pocus. Our artworks are painted by our friend and tattoo artist Thure Melander so many of the artworks are also on our bodies. Some tattoos became artwork and some artworks became tattoos. I think small details make a difference because it tells the full story of the process, care and love put into the music piece and I guess our artwork and identity tells about us and our community and friends. We help each other and try to keep it simple with love and cherish our friendship within our label community that has sprung from music.

How does the A&R process usually work with you? Do you reach out to artists? What are you looking for in the music? 

Somehow it feels like the music meant for the label comes to it by itself. We never hunt for tracks but through musical connections and friendships that just pop up like a beautiful flower on a grassfield. When one finds its way up often more will follow. We want warm and wet stories with lovely rhythms that make you feel connected. It can be deep and it can be bright, tracks that activate something within. With this said we have our roots in techno but these days we mostly produce varieties of house music.  It feels like you never know what's gonna come out of a studio session, the genres can vary of what is produced. On Seaweed rhythm we try to keep it close to minimal house and on the border to minimal techno, but who knows whats what these days. 

Do you give artists free rein to release as they like, or do you generally ask them to work around a certain theme? 

We don't work around a certain theme or so we just let our curiosity run and we see where it leads and when we work with other artists we try to find tracks that suit our sound rather than make something for us. 

You’ve got new releases coming on vinyl with Melchior Productions Ltd, Silat Beksi, Priku and Shadi Megallaa. It must feel like a great milestone as a label to have those guys involved? 

Yes now on the 27th of June we have a vinyl release coming up with a friend from Egypt, Shadi Megallaa. I met him in Dubai when I played a gig and passed by his vinyl store “The Flip Side”. We connected really well, he showed some tracks of his and I ended up signing one called “What Now”. An amazing minimalist track that surprises and takes you on a journey in the desert. Now two years later the release has evolved too, a 14 minute remix B-side with Melchior Productions ltd and a remix by me (Zlene) and my friend Mathias Hinds which doesn't sound like anything else we have done before. Included also is two bomb club remixes by Melchior Productis ltd that will be released as digital bonus tracks  on the labels bandcamp. After that we have a full EP by Silat Beksi and a Compilation with Priku, Iuly.b and Andu Simion.

Can you share what inspired the creation of the Seaweed Rhythm sub-label?

We had been running Seaweed Records for some years and released so many different genres since we like a lot of music. Techno, deep house, tech house and more so we felt that we wanted to start a vinyl sub label with a common thread. So we cooked it down and tried to keep the music on Seaweed Rhythm timeless, minimalistic and groovy.

The label’s commitment to donating 50% of digital sales to water wildlife foundations is commendable. What motivated this decision? 

We use a lot of nature samples and underwater recordings in the tracks and one of my favorite sounds I use a lot are the Weddel seals. So we wanted to give back to our main vocalist, the Seals. We donate to support a small local group and foundation trying to clear up the waters around Stockholm from trash that poisons the water. We were never into music to make money, we just want to do what we love together. 

Could you elaborate on how Seaweed Rhythm has witnessed the decline in ocean wildlife and its impact on the label’s ethos? 

We live just by the water here in Stockholm and a lot of the fish are gone, the seals are starving and many other sea creatures. We need to protect what we love so why not connect it to the other thing we love and try to make music and nature help each other. 

How do you ensure that the sounds and themes in your releases reflect your passion for ocean preservation? 

You cannot always hear the ocean or animals in the releases, but i think often there is a submerge feeling or waterish sense somehow in many tracks. Sometimes when we sit in the studio we're like, let's make a bird track or a seal track or something like that.

Do you think electronic music has a unique role to play in raising environmental awareness?

In one way yes, you can tackle it like we do but it's hard to make a big difference. But what I do think is that when we host festivals and open airs in nature, good promoters and event organizers educate the youth on not littering and taking care of the nature that surrounds the event, and this is super important to teach the youth. Many come from the city and it is not natural or learned for everyone to have respect for the nature. Boom Festival in Portugal is a great example on how nature and big events can coexist and flourish together but also on a smaller scale as well. A small open air event that leaves shit behind has failed no matter how good the party was. 

Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that Seaweed Rhythm fans should look forward to? 

Yes we have a lot of amazing stuff coming up! After the Shadi release coming up now we have a full EP by Silat Beksi on Vinyl and after that our Vol.2 of Seaweed Rhythms with Priku, Andu Simion and Iuly.b and after that an EP on vinyl by me and Mathias. So great music is coming, I can promise you that. We also have 2 showcases in Berlin at Sisyphos on the 19th of July and Golden Gate all night on the 17th of July together with our cologne friends Freunde legen Auf. Also if you pass by Stockholm on the 26th of July we play all night Seaweed showcase at a big Open Air called Svenska Danssällskapet and last a showcase at Summer Contrast Festival in Polen on the 9th of August. Drop by if you wanna dance to some Seaweed Rhythms. 

Keep up with Seaweed Rhythm on Instagram and Bandcamp 

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Check Seaweed Rhythm’s full catalogue via Yoyaku