Floyd Lavine launches new label Afrikan Tales, aimed at exploring African creativity and storytelling “without limitations”.

With one foot in Cape Town and another in Berlin, Floyd Lavine has played an invaluable role in establishing an Afro House scene in Germany’s capital. Founded in 2015, his RISE collective has thrown events across Europe and Africa, securing everyone from Black Coffee, Henrik Schwarz and Culoe De Song as regular guests.

In 2021, he begins a fresh chapter with Afrikan Tales, a new record label and multi-platform storytelling project, set to share the rich and diverse sounds and stories of his motherland.

The label aspect focuses on bespoke music and showcases artists from the African continent and others around the world who are inspired by the rich African culture. “My vision for the label is to tell our own story, create our own narrative and explore our own creativity without limitations,” Lavine shares.

The first release ‘The Story Tellers’ comes from Lavine himself. The EP explores the artist’s versatility, showcasing a rounded sound package, encompassing some soulful cuts, all the way through to a futuristic Afro sound.

‘We Here Now’ is an Afro deep house future classic. It’s comprised of rolling basslines, solid grooves and a sublime vocal from Lore Vain, which adds extra soul to the record, bringing about beautiful emotion. ‘Raw Soul’ sees Lavine collaborate with Elias and Liam Mockbridge for a balanced outing that’s still in keeping with the raw authentic African element. Liam delivers a stunning West Coast vocal that takes the track into a special vibe. ‘Skirts & Pants’ captures that Afrofuturistic sound that has become synonymous with Floyd Lavine.

The label will be complemented by an eponymous website launching in April, chronicling the first-person experiences of African writers, musicians, artists and every-day people. “We’ll be sharing African tales, alongside account of various people who have been inspired by the African sound and it’s stories, as well as the continent itself, such as the beauty of the land. I believe everyone has a unique story and this platform will be a way to take ownership of this narrative,” he tells.

An addition, a podcast will follow in summer, where Lavine will interview people he admires who’ve helped shaped the African narrative.