Few artists carry the kind of quiet authority that Applescal has built over the past 15 years. The Dutch producer and Atomnation founder has long been one of the scene’s most respected curators and creators, the type of selector whose name on a release sleeve guarantees a particular kind of musicality. With his new two tracker on Budakid’s Flores imprint, Pascal Terstappen steps back into the spotlight with a pair of cuts designed for the moments between midnight and memory.
We are thrilled to share the premiere of ‘Turned’, the deeper half of the EP and a seven minute meditation in progressive form. Built on classic progressive architecture, the track moves with patient intent, layering pads that blur the line between dreamy and inevitable before letting acid lines crack the groove wide open. There is a sense of pause inside it, a moment where time and space agree to slow down together, and that is precisely the headspace Applescal says he was in when he made it. The result is one of those rare tracks that feels both intimately personal and tailor made for the floor.
The release also includes its sister cut ‘Take Me Back’, a brighter and more melodic ride built around sampled voices, organic warmth and a nostalgic swing retrofitted for right now. Together the two tracks paint a picture of an artist working from a place of pure creative freedom, free of trend chasing and clearly inspired by the simple joy of pressing buttons and turning knobs until something honest appears.
Flores continues to live up to its reputation as one of the most thoughtfully curated homes for melodic and progressive electronic music. Founded by Amsterdam born producer Budakid, the label has built a dedicated following through a DIY mentality and a love for music that translates across every release, with recent contributions from the likes of Matthias Meyer, Milio, Nordfold and Panthera Krause. Welcoming an artist of Applescal’s stature into the family feels like a natural fit, two like minded operations meeting in the middle around a shared belief in honest, lasting electronic music.
You can now listen to the full premiere of ‘Turned’ exclusively on When We Dip while reading the great interview we had with Appplescal. Enjoy!
WWD: Hi Pascal a.k.a. Applescal, how are you doing? What have you been up to the last few months?
Been doing great, thank you. Hanging out a lot with the kids and family and friends, and trying to focus on my own music a bit more as well over the last few years, resulting in this release on Flores.
WWD: This 2-tracker EP feels like a particular moment captured in time. What headspace were you in when you made them? Was there a deliberate thematic thread connecting the two releases or did that emerge naturally?
Both tracks are very new actually. The pre masters were delivered two months ago, so this music is all super fresh. Working on a new pair of Focal Trio 6 speakers has been a huge inspiration for me. I’m the type of producer who has to make music every now and then to clear my mind, and I think this release and both tracks in particular reflect freedom and positive spirits.
WWD: Releasing on Budakid’s Flores Label rather than your own Atomnation is a notable move. What drew you to that collaboration specifically, and what does it feel like to be on the other side of the label relationship?
It’s so nice to be welcomed onto Budakid’s label. And I’m really surprised by the warm and positive reactions to this release, even before it’s out. Flores is the type of label that has the same mentality as my own label. It has a healthy DIY approach driven by a love for music. On top of that, Budakid has such a dedicated fanbase who will now be listening to my music. I’m proud to be part of that with this release.
WWD: Over 15 years is a remarkable run in an industry that constantly chews through trends. What has genuinely motivated you while the music world around you has changed so dramatically?
Most of the people I know who have been in this industry for 15 or 20 years have one thing in common. They’re still here because they are true music freaks and they’re persistent. That’s probably what still drives me too. I can’t imagine a life without music. The fever got me while listening to James Holden and Sasha at the age of 15. But I think A&R is in my blood. Sometimes there’s amazing music that I discover or that gets sent to me, and I just can’t resist releasing it. The scene has changed a lot. The way music is consumed, social media, club culture, festival culture, everything moves so fast now with so many participants everywhere. My decision to stop DJing a couple of years ago, and focus only on the label and music production was one of the best decisions I made. And while a lot has changed, the creative process, working on my music and working with artists still feels the same, and I love it.
WWD: You’ve helped shape the careers of well-known acts from behind the scenes. Is that a conscious choice to let the music and the artists speak rather than have the spotlight find you?
Over the years, some of the artists I worked with became much bigger than my own Applescal project. My role helping behind the scenes evolved naturally rather than through any conscious decision. Of course it affected my solo career because I lost a lot of studio time and focus on my own project. But I ended up helping build the careers of others, and that gave me a lot too. In the end, I’m not really someone who loves the spotlight or looks for recognition. I’m happy and proud of where I am now.
WWD: What was the original vision behind Atomnation and how much has that vision evolved versus remained true to its roots over the years?
Atomnation started as an experiment, on Bandcamp and SoundCloud only, to release my own music. But within two years, it turned out we discovered Gidge, Weval, Sau Poler, David Douglas and Olaf Stuut. Most of them had never released a track before. There was so much unsigned talent out there. In the early days, the vision evolved in a way we did want to release storytelling EPs and albums with five to twelve tracks, and that format still works for us, actually, I believe that the vision of releasing honest electronic music in album format today is more important than ever.
WWD: How has the actual craft of making and releasing music changed from when you started to today and what do you think has been lost versus gained?
I started in Reason 2.5 as a teenager. I’m from the generation of so called bedroom producers who started out without any gear, just a computer and a set of monitors, posting 128 kbps MP3 clips on Myspace. It was all completely new back then, and a lot of people from the older generation probably hated it and saw the music industry collapsing at the time. Now I work in Ableton Live 12, and the quality of DAWs and plugins has improved tremendously. My approach hasn’t really changed though. It’s still me pressing buttons and turning knobs until I find something I like, haha.
WWD: When you eventually step back from all of this, what do you hope people in the scene say about what you built and what you stood for?
It would be amazing if people kept discovering all the great music we released. Imagine that in 35 years there’s a 22 year old guy digging through our Bandcamp or whatever music service exists then and listening to music we made in 2018.
WWD: Handing your music to someone else’s label means trusting their vision for how it’s presented to the world. How did working with Budakid shape or influence the final form of these records? Did knowing where they’d land affect how you made them?
Budakid is actually a great A&R and one of the few people I fully trust with my music. We’ve been sharing a lot of music back and forth recently, also for his album, so it wasn’t really a demo I sent. It just happened naturally. But he definitely inspired me to write these tracks and move a bit closer to a progressive sound. His help fine tuning the final details, but more importantly giving me the trust and opportunity to work on this release, has been a huge motivation. I’m super grateful for that, and I think you can hear it in the music.
WWD: Thanks for your time. Is there anything else you want to mention about this release or upcoming projects?
Thank you too!
Release Date: May 28th, 2026. Buy Here
Applescal: Instagram / SoundCloud
Flores: Instagram / SoundCloud