RE-TYPE: Enter The Echo Chamber

Belgian duo RE-TYPE operate on contrast. Their productions balance atmospheric depth with sharp, driving energy, shaping a sound that feels both raw and deliberate. With their latest release, Echoes on ICONYC, they continue refining their identity in the electronic music landscape, pushing beyond familiar structures without losing their core intensity.

Type </01 Magazine delves into RE-TYPE’s creative process, the ideas behind Echoes, and how they see their place in the evolving scene. In this exclusive interview, they reflect on their approach to production, the balance between emotion and impact, and what’s next on their horizon.

Hi, Lucas! Hello, Pieter! It’s a pleasure to link up. How are you doing? Congratulations on the release of your ICONYC EP, Echoes. We can imagine the excitement must be high! So, how are you feeling about this one? Has the anticipation been high for you?

We’re thrilled to announce that our Echoes EP is finally out on the legendary label ICONYC. This 3-track EP is a true expression of our artistry, blending deep emotion and irresistible rhythm.

During the summer we felt like we wanted to create some music that people could dance to, live in the moment, and connect with someone else on the dancefloor. That is what the Echoes EP is all about, the vibe, feeling, and energy you get from dancing with someone and feeling connected.

Diving into the record, the lead track, “Echoes”, features a very distinct sound that expertly blends past and future in a seamless manner. Did you have a clear horizon in mind before you got started?

The first track of the EP was such a fun project to create. While experimenting with sound design on the Jupiter-8, one of our favorite synths, we quickly came up with the initial melody that plays throughout the intro and first drop. A few days later, we stumbled upon a new melody using the exact same sound. We couldn’t decide which one to keep, so we ended up using both in the track!

Then, the second single, “Dalliance”, holds a very special sort of atmosphere that feels like a hazy memory, yet invites us to “live in the moment”. Was that your intention, to create that sense of juxtaposition?

The track began with those energetic, stamping chords that you can hear throughout the entire track. We often start by crafting the melody when creating music, and it also happened with this track. When we were creating the track we instantly had a Kölsch-esque vibe. One of the producers we deeply admire, who has taught us so much about music. He really is a master at creating impact with a single lead synth supported by percussion and drums. We took a similar approach with this track, focusing on one prominent synth leading the way while the rhythm section builds around it.

Finally, the last cut on the EP, “Voicenote” evolves in a very unique way, like almost a signal that cuts through the static to take on a life of its own. How did “Voicenote” come about? What can you tell us about this one?

After collaborating with Fideles, we were inspired to create something in the same vein. To start, we used a pluck sound similar to the one in “Are We Dreaming”, a kind of signature sound we’re confident some listeners will recognize. Additionally, we wanted to incorporate dialogue-like voices again, like the whispers you actually hear in that particular track.

The track “Voicenote” begins with an emotional voice note expressing love between two people—one reaching out, trying to connect. This sets a mysterious and heartfelt tone, establishing a dynamic interplay between the voice note and the instrumental. It’s a call-and-response structure: the voice note poses a question, and the instrumental responds, weaving a narrative of longing and connection.

And where do you usually go to for inspiration? Do you have a set of “routines” that you know are bound to get you in the right mind frame? What’s your dynamic in the studio like by now?

Our creative process thrives on our complementary dynamic, which often sparks inspiration. For instance, when one of us starts a track with a melody but feels their creativity waning, we pass it on to the other. They then add their own elements and ideas. When their inspiration dips, the track comes back to the first person. It’s like a game of table tennis, with the track evolving as it goes back and forth between us until we’re both satisfied with the final result.

Additionally, we draw inspiration from performing and engaging with other music enthusiasts. Moments, people, and our surroundings all play a vital role in shaping our ideas and fueling our creativity.

How would you describe your journey so far and the evolution of your sound?

Finding our own sound was a challenging journey, as you can hear in our early productions. However, the more we produce and explore electronic music, the more we understand our place within it—allowing us to shape a distinct style. We believe it's essential to balance rhythm and emotion, blending percussion and synths to create music that lets people both escape and dance on a night out. Energy is also crucial to us, as seen in the Echoes EP. When performing, we strive to both give and receive energy from the crowd—it’s an essential part of our music.

Back in September of last year, you guys took a break from social media to focus on studio time, correct? How important is it to you to be able to sort of “separate” those processes? Are they two completely different phases of something bigger? What’s your relationship with social media like?

Haha, yeah! We felt the need to process everything we experienced over the summer. It was our first real festival season, and with the pressure of performing 2-3 times a week, we didn’t have much time to fully enjoy it. By September, we were overflowing with inspiration and wanted to focus on producing new and exciting music. That’s actually when the Echoes EP was born—we felt the need for more high-energy tracks while still incorporating melody and continuity.

Now, stepping outside of the studio…how do you guys envision the coming years for electronic dance music? Which new challenges do you see arising for artists?

This is quite a difficult question since we can approach it from many different angles,.. we feel like it’s never been this hard, yet accessible to release music. We feel like the biggest challenge is not to release too much music. We both believe in fewer releases of higher quality than releasing just music to release music to stay “relevant”. This is the biggest challenge we feel like, coming up with cool, innovative, high-quality releases.

Last one…What’s next for RE-TYPE in 2025? What new milestones are you looking forward to now?

In 2025 we’ve hit it off strongly with a three-track EP. Secondly, we’ll be releasing a track together with Camelphat, which is insane because we both started producing because of Dave & Mike. Secondly, we’ll be trying to perform more outside Belgium (where we’re based) because we want to discover more cultures and get in touch with people who live and breathe electronic music.

Thank you for your time, guys! Best of luck with Echoes. Catch you soon!

Thank you very much for these wonderful questions! See you soon!

RE-TYPE’s latest EP, Echoes, is out now via ICONYC. Find your copy here.