Label Spotlight: Warlock Audio

by | Aug 20, 2025 | Tunes

Today I have the pleasure of sharing the story of Warlock Audio, a bit of history from the founders, and spotlighting some of their first and forthcoming projects including the absolutely huge REMIX COMPETITION they are running at the moment. Full details below, or check out their website here for entry info and stem downloads.

We absolutely love supporting independent labels here at BDNB and the crew at Warlock deserves special recognition for their approach to production-oriented growth within their catalog and within their artists careers, the focus on grassroots efforts within the scene to build community presence and make connections, and the completely immaculate website (it’s truly beautiful). Head honcho Dan Baratta is a producer who is crafting his sound alongside the artists in this roster, giving valuable insight into the process of creating this music and specifically in their style. I think he put it best himself when talking about the operation, which started very recently in 2024:

Warlock Audio is still in it’s infancy, with us having our first release only last October. We started off with some very rough, home-grown releases. A few tracks from my buddy Joppa (Juan), myself, and a couple of guys I found to collab with online. The goal of starting the label was to give newer artists access to publishing music that ordinarily might not be picked up by a label. We definitely consider ourselves a “starter label” even though we’ve had a few heavy hitters release with us recently. We very much want to promote as many undiscovered artists as possible, and keep the label open to signing new talent.
Let’s start crafting a picture of this catalog with their first release, a three track EP from Joppa called “Hunters”:

 

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1172561471 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

 

Featuring a variety of techy sounds and some dubstep, it really exemplifies the label’s approach to allowing their artists to shine and explore. Designing sounds that stay consistent across the label can be difficult but as the first LP shows, it’s possible to stay consistent in this way AND evolve. This LP is from Soul Chemical, that also features two core artists OMNEUM and Joppa:

 

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4118774211 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

 

I love the title track, a unique and thick stepping track that is nothing like I have heard. Massive, pushing the envelope even, crunchy but in the pocket. The collaborations with Jocasta showcase a different side of these producers that reaches for a classic splashy techstep sound that centers around a distorted reece or acid line. Love this album, and again it’s totally indicative of their mission.

Coming out of 2025 swinging, the label features two decidedly different EPs from Jocasta and OMNEUM, respectively:

 

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3548994241 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

 

This one features some minimal sounds, some techstep, and straight up neurofunk chaos. The OMNEUM EP showcases the signature edge-crushing sound that the artist is known for and pushes the level of energy right over the top:

 

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=30878196 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

 

With solo EPs and releases from the likes of Diode, Joppa, Ritual X, Transforma, 45Thieves & Uproot the Fiasco, the momentum this label has right now is unmatched. The release quality is consistent across the entire catalog, and they are just pumping out quality and variety in the heavy DnB realm. I was able to catch up with Dan Barrata, label head and producer aka Soul Chemical about some of the history of the label and ideas that went into its creation:

I grew up never really fitting into any particular music scene when I was a teen. I always liked music, but the music scenes were… weird, and somewhat cold in my own view. In 2002 I saw the movie Groove, and I instantly fell in love with the music. I started going to raves in 2004 and started DJing in 2005 in my bedroom on two mismatched belt-drive turntables and a shitty Numark battle mixer. I started hosting my own local events in Philadelphia from around 2009 to 2017. In 2017, I was feeling a little discouraged within the local scene, so I went to school, packed up my bags, and moved out to Phoenix for a job in 2019. I continued bumping DnB in my car on my daily drive to and from work, but that eventually led me to realize how badly I wanted to be part of the DnB community again.

Flash forward to 2024. Now I have a job where I have some extra income and am in a spot in life where I feel like I can take on a new challenge. I considered my current skill set (I’ve been a project manager and release manager in IT for some years now) and thought about how that could translate well back into the music industry. BINGO! Why not start a record label? I know how to manage people and releases, so how hard could it be to do this? I think it was later that week I applied for an LLC. It was mid July that my LLC was approved and Warlock Audio became official. Over the next few months I gathered up resources, made new connections, and started releasing music on the label. October 25th was our very first release, with three tracks from Joppa. What a great feeling it was to be contributing to the music culture that I’ve loved since I was a young guy, even if we didn’t have the reach to get it to many people yet. 
The label started as a core collective between four people, and has now grown to include an A&R and street team to help with promotion and outreach. All of their team needs to utilize their entire skillsets to make these releases happen and look professional, including in house design. Inspired by the shine and consistency of classic labels, Dan takes Hanzom as a huge inspiration for the modern model of independent label work, calling their approaches kindred and the releases at a calibre that’s consistent and equally great to the powerhouses of DnB history. One of the goals with the label is to harbor and develop their artists creativity and skill in the studio and (when possible) on stage. This sometimes means straying away from a core or “signature” sound to the label, but this is done with intent:

… Warlock Audio doesn’t have the same defined sound as a lot of these other labels. That might change over the coming years, but for now I’d like to keep the music a bit more varied. Not everything we release on the label is meant for everyone. I want the music to reach as many people as possible on a large scale. I thought the best way of doing that would be to forego the “signature sound” and have a bit of variation within our releases.


As far as building our sound, you’ve probably noticed that we have a wide range of sound compared to some other labels. We’re Neurofunk at the core, but we do have plenty of other sounds within the label. We have tunes that range from techy, to deep, to big fat rollers. As long as it’s dark and gritty, I’ll consider it for a release. There are basically just two rules when we consider signing an artist; the music should have a dark or aggressive vibe, and it’s got to come from the heart.

 

Our current roster has a wide range of experience, from guys who have been doing this for 10+ years to artists who are getting their first release out with us. The guys like Transforma, OMNEUM, and Project Zeus (Volatile Cycle side project) have been doing this for a long time, and it’s important to have them as part of the sound. We also very much value our newer artists like Joppa (a good buddy of mine), Alias, and Ritual X who are having some of their first releases on the label. I think it’s even more important to give opportunities to developing artists, who might not get the chance at getting tunes released on larger labels. We’re here to help get their art out to the world.

At core a neurofunk label, Warlock obviously caters to a larger audience that listens to all types of heavy or dark DnB. These guys are absolutely crushing 2025, and the energy and excitement in the scene behind the tracks that are coming out is incredible. There’s lots of Warlock Audio content out there from their epic release videos to featuring music on Diode’s Twitch stream, and their release schedule for this year is completely full.

This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a chance to get a track signed or featured with this operation. As I mentioned earlier, they are running a remix competition for OMNEUM’s slamming track: Psi Reaver. The competiton runs until November 2nd, so there’s plenty of time to whip up some filth to enter. Baby Audio, a prestigious and experimental plugin company started in 2019, has sponsored this contest to feature some incredible prizes. Full details:

OMNEUM – PSI REAVER REMIX CONTEST, Sponsored by BABY AUDIO

AUGUST 1st – NOVEMBER 2nd

Judged by OMNEUM and the core Warlock Audio team, this contest could land you a fully signed remix release on their label.

GRAND PRIZE:

  • Official Remix release on Warlock Audio label (Beatport, Spotify, etc)

  • Opportunity for solo release in 2026 on label

  • Exclusive merch pack

  • Audio-Technica ATH-M50x studio headphones

  • Baby Audio Complete Bundle plugin pack

  • Warlock Audio dub pack

  • Get early access to upcoming tracks via our promo mailer

  • VIP Discord role

RUNNER UP:

  • Official Remix release on Warlock Audio label (if it slaps)

  • Exclusive merch pack

  • Warlock Audio dub pack

  • Get early access to upcoming tracks via our promo mailer

  • VIP Discord role

SUBMISSION AND RULES

Article Written by: Tonto
DJ / Producer living in Brookfield, IL specializing in deep, funky, and soulful drum and bass. Streaming many of these reviews live at twitch.tv/tontomusic

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