Can we take a moment to talk about how impressive Hiraeth Records approach to running a label is? First off, for those that don’t know HR003, the third entry in the Hiraeth Records Cataloge, will be released this October on the 11th, 2019.

The album is described as “Dungeonsoft from the depths of the forgotten mall.” Hellveterra, is expected to be an eery album full of ambient atmospheric touches as this is the hard work of ambient mastermind, Zer0 れい. For those who want a quick dive into Zer0 れい, check out our interview here.

How are they killing it?

So what makes Hiraeth Records so special in my mind verses other labels in the scene? If you are subscribed to their emailing list you know how well they hype up each release. Which actually with 001 and 002 I thought by 003 I’d get bored of their releasing style (mainly because everything seemed over hyped and based around 猫シ corp) but actually they keep improving.

How? Well.. weekly emails done right. They release little details that legitimize the albums. They might sneak a peak to how the cassettes or vinyl might look. Even throw out a theme or even a mock up of the possible album art. All while building tension and mystery behind each release and almost makes you feel invested.

Because this is actually the first release that isn’t by 猫シ corp himself, we are granted an interview with their first artist, Zer0 れい. Here’s the content for history sake if you missed it because you’re not in the email list.

Zer0 れい explains:



Hello Zer0 れい , can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

Hi everyone! I’m Sebastien but most of you will probably know me as Zer0 れい. I’ve been making music under that alias since early 2018 and have released on labels such as Seikomart, Sunset Grid, power_lunch, Palm84 and Holloway Tapes. I’m also an active voice in the Twitter and Discord vaporwave communities as well as a mod on the Vaporwave and Mallsoft subreddits.



How long have you been producing music?

I’ve actually been making music for close to a decade, while organising and managing gigs at my local punk venue in my free time. Previously I mainly made Noise, Soundscapes and other experimental stuff under the monikers Crucifix Eye, Unholy Analog Noisemachine and MxCx, these influences shine through in my current music as well. My style has been described as being gloomy, dark, dystopian and perturbing as well as crossing over into Dark Ambient and Synthwave territories at times.



What is the story behind Hellveterra?

Hellveterra is my latest adventure, bridging the gap between 2 of my biggest musical influences: Epic Black Metal and ofcourse Ambient Vaporwave. The album is meant to provoke an unsettling post-human enviroment teeming with nature, where only antiquated machinery is left functional. Vast swathes of creaking empty factory buildings withe the occasional burst of machinery giving their last attempt at a coherent message. I had a lot of fun creating both the music and album artwork, drawing upon many years of love for oldschool RPG’s, chiptune music, cheesy metalriffs and ofcourse the many facets of the vapor scene.

How cool is that that we are actually getting to know the artists, know the idea behind the album and start building our own imagine of what kind of world we will experience listening to this release. It really does make you want to own the vinyl and cassettes.

Vinyl and Cassettes

Speaking of vinyl and cassettes, they also informed us of the count. The album will be released on 300 black vinyl records and 160 deep purple vinyl records. We will also have 300 purple cassettes will all over print. Here’s some sneak peak image of the cassettes to hold you over.

Actually thinking about this release again, you know this is going to sell out quick. We are talking about a short run of only 760 physical items. Book mark that release date.

Release Date

Hellveterra will be released on October 11th at 20:00 CEST time (UTC +2) // 11am PST/PDT // 2pm EDT on their Bandcamp. If you’re not already following me on twitter or instagram, I’ll be announcing the release an hour before and usually 30 and 10 minutes before. Just so no one misses it.

You can listen to the first single on Spotify and stay tuned to Private Suite Magazine as an hour before the album drops, they’ll be premiering the whole album on their YouTube channel.

What happens when Palm Mall is deserted and the AI system takes over? What happens if the pools dry up, swords are broken and Earth is no longer our home? Welcome to Hellveterra, welcome to a new world where machines crush dreams.

I’m pretty stoked for Zer0 れい on this release. At 100% ElectroniCON I was talking to IndyAdvant about who 003 was going to be. I knew even before it was confirmed that it had to be Zer0 れい. There was just something in his music that spoke to me and I knew felt right on HR. I was actually pretty surprised when it was actually announced though. I guess I was able to put two and two together from the interview with Zer0 れい and his connection with playing with 猫シ corp in another life. How cool.

So I hope everyone is able to support this massive release. Maybe give a labels or two a few tips and it’s just so amazing to see our scene growing. I’ll see everyone October 11th at 20:00 CEST time (UTC +2)

~ KITE0080