Amelie Lens & EXHALE: A New Chapter Begins with ‘Activate’
Amelie Lens marks five years of EXHALE with the powerful VA007 compilation and her new single “Activate,” featuring standout tracks from rising and returning techno artists. Explore how the release captures the label’s evolution, rave energy, and vision for the future of the global scene.
Belgian techno powerhouse Amelie Lens is celebrating the fifth anniversary of her imprint EXHALE with a full stop — and a starting gun at the same time. On November 28, 2025, she dropped EXHALE VA007, the seventh volume in the label’s celebrated compilation series — led by her explosive new single Activate.
What began at the iconic Labyrinth Club in Hasselt has blossomed into a global techno platform. Over half a decade, EXHALE has grown from underground warehouse roots to international recognition — hosting events and stages across major cities and festivals, while always staying loyal to its rave-driven ethos.
With VA007, the label honours its history and stakes a claim for its future: a compilation that doesn’t just nod to techno’s raw power but pushes its boundaries — via curation, sound selection, and community-driven energy.
“Activate”: Lens’ New Track — What Makes It Hit
On “Activate,” Amelie Lens delivers a trademark pummeling kickdrum — immediate, unrelenting, engineered for peak-time impact. But she adds more: acidic synth lines, hypnotic hi-hats and subtle vocal fragments create a trance-tinged atmosphere that draws you in before the drop hits.
The track walks a tight line between underground grit and main-stage clarity — a sonic statement that bridges raw rave energy with festival-ready power. Given Lens’ proven trajectory, “Activate” feels like both a return to roots and a declaration of intent: this is where EXHALE is headed.
VA007 — A Snapshot of the Label’s Vision
EXHALE VA007 spans 13 tracks, each one handpicked to showcase the breadth and direction of the label’s sound. Highlights include:
- Flour – “Love It”: melodic vocals riding a driving techno-trance backbone — euphoric yet hard-hitting.
- FLKN – “The Light”: hard-techno intensity mixed with distorted 303-style synths and punk-tinged energy — raw and expressive.
- AIROD – “LSD” and GALLØ – “Vul Dica”: acid-laden grooves, gated vocals and bubbling synths — reflective of the label’s acid-techno and trance-intersecting leanings.
- Fresh voices like AISHA, Blondex, Ellen Trenn, Jomaa, Carla Schmitt, Alexa Borzyk, VE/RA and Lawyn bring variety: from dubby under-the-surface textures to cinematic closers, acid trips to trance-inflected euphoria.
| Track | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amelie Lens | Activate |
| 2 | Flour | Love It |
| 3 | Blondex | Zor |
| 4 | FLKN | The Light |
| 5 | AISHA | Pill Crusher |
| 6 | AIROD | LSD |
| 7 | GALLØ | Vul Dica |
| 8 | Ellen Tren | Regulate |
| 9 | Jomaa | Free Bird |
| 10 | Carla Schmitt | Look At Me |
| 11 | Alexa Borzyk | Just A Friend |
| 12 | VE/RA | No One Else |
| 13 | Lawyn | Nami |
Together, the 13-track set captures a spectrum: dark warehouse vibes, trance-driven energy, acid-underground edge, and club-ready intensity.
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Signals for the Future
A milestone & a reset. Five years of EXHALE is no small feat. VA007 doesn’t just celebrate the past but looks forward: a renewed vision where techno’s underground roots meet mainstage ambition.
Curation meets community. By blending returning favorites with fresh artists, EXHALE strengthens its role as a platform: rising producers get exposure alongside established names. The roster diversity signals commitment to growth and inclusivity.
Sound evolution. VA007 reflects where techno is now: genre-blurring, hybrid, and open to trance, acid, dub, and atmospheric influences, without losing its core. For fans of warehouse intensity and festival-level energy alike.
Global intention. Given EXHALE’s reach — from Hasselt to major cities worldwide — this release feels like a blueprint for the label’s next chapter. More showcases, more stages, more cultural impact.
With “Activate” and EXHALE VA007, Amelie Lens gives the global techno community both a statement and an invitation: a call to rave, to explore, to embrace a sound that refuses to stay in one lane. For longtime followers of EXHALE — and for newcomers curious about the pulse of techno now — this release is essential. Expect VA007 to dominate club playlists in the coming months, and to shape conversations about where underground meets mainstream in electronic music.
