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.