Label Feature: South of North
It takes one chance encounter to set a chain of events in motion. For producer, DJ, and label founder Dominik Rodemann (AKA Marathon Man), that moment came in an Amsterdam bar, where he met Dutch multi-instrumentalist Ronald Langestraat – a fixture in the city’s jazz scene in the 80s. This meeting would eventually lead Rodemann to launch the independent record label South of North in 2018.
The label’s debut release was a reissue of Langestraat’s album Searching – a sprawling jazz-soul work self-recorded in his living room in 1984, where he played electric and acoustic pianos, organ, drums, clarinets, saxophones, and a Moog synthesizer on a four-track recorder.
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South of North’s output continues to explore the far reaches and hidden corners of music, spanning ambient, dub, electronic, garage rock, and noise, from artists such as Brokenchord, CV Vision, Elizabeth Davis, Devon Rexi, and Jacob Dywer. While the label doesn’t champion a particular genre or sound, its foundations are built on a sense of curiosity and constant experimentation. In Rodemann’s own words, it’s “open to anything that feels right.”
As ever, this month’s episode features an hour-long mix created by Rodemann, who revisits the label’s vast, eclectic catalog and teasing plenty of upcoming releases. In an accompanying interview, Rodemann outlines South of North’s core values, explains the meaning behind the label’s name, and highlights a handful of albums he’s recently rediscovered.
(Dominik Rodemann)
How and when was South of North founded?
Dominik Rodemann: It was in 2018 when I met Ronald Langestraat in a bar in Amsterdam. I was working at Red Light Radio and spent most of my time at Red Light Records, where I started working shortly after. James and Abel, who were running the shop together at that time, were very supportive and helped to distribute the first few releases.
What core values shape the label?
Dominik Rodemann: Exploration, honesty and not forgetting to have fun.
How does the name South of North reflect the label’s identity and why was it chosen?
Dominik Rodemann: It's nonsensical and therefore open to anything that feels right.
How do you discover and select new artists?
Dominik Rodemann: There’s not really one way – mostly it’s people you meet and feel connected to, swirling around the same orbit at a particular time. Then that orbit starts moving, and so do you.
What do you look for in an artist beyond musical talent?
Dominik Rodemann: A sense of a possible longer future together.
How much importance do you place on experimentation versus accessibility in releases?
Dominik Rodemann: It's never that rational.
How do you approach artwork, packaging, and physical release presentation?
Dominik Rodemann: Intuitively for every release and always in collaboration with the artist(s).
Before moving to Paris, South of North was based in Amsterdam. How did the city shape the label, and how do you see the relocation influencing it?
Dominik Rodemann: I was lucky to meet people in Amsterdam who were simply open to experimentation and developing our ideas together. It’s a small city, so you usually cross paths with people sharing similar interests quite quickly. Paris has lots of interesting spaces for live music, so it's fun to explore new things here, too.
What is the label’s approach to live shows and touring?
Dominik Rodemann: It's the most direct interaction with the music and the people making or listening to it. I guess it’s a big – if not the biggest – part of the community and culture aspect of it all.
Can you share a memorable South of North live event and what made it special?
Dominik Rodemann: Under One Roof Festival in Amsterdam in 2024 felt special – it brought a lot of different people together that usually wouldn't be performing on the same day or night. Also, a one-day mini-festival in Paris a few weeks ago, in collaboration with Tweak and 12th Isle, reflected a similar spirit. Generally, every gathering where something happens that feels genuine feels like a ‘success’ these days. OCCII in Amsterdam is the best!
What’s your favourite non-electronic album of all time?
Dominik Rodemann: Can – Tago Mago
What albums have you rediscovered lately and what makes them special?
Dominik Rodemann:
Slint – Spiderland
Nothing really sounds like it. Feels very pure and never old.
Sun City Girls – Torch Of The Mystics
Allows you to be yourself and hate, love or just accept it.
Dead Moon – Crack In The System
Unparalleled in spirit. Always the best thing to listen to, to remember that something is done when it feels right and not when it fulfils any standards.
And these two for no particular reason, except that they’re really good from start to finish:
Movietone – Movietone
TV Personalities – The Painted Word
How do you manage digital distractions, like social media or phone notifications?
Dominik Rodemann: Delete them or turn them off whenever possible.
