topo2 is an adventurous electronic music label. Its sole purpose is to be enthusiastic about electronic music, not limited to its own label output. topo2 publishes vinyl, cassettes, and digital releases.

topo2 believes that “niche” electronic music labels are part of an ecosystem that needs careful nurturing. For that reason it won’t only focus on its own releases but shed light on the wider world of electronic music and its inhabitants. Also, its artists will remain being 100% owner of their master tapes.

topo2 is run by Bert de Rooij. A music enthousiast first and foremost he is an avid vinyl and mp3 collector, and tracklist fundamentalist. Secondly he’s a veteran DJ who played around the world, juxtaposing music from every corner in the “experimental” electronic music spectrum. Having worked for eight years as head of festivals and label for Amsterdam crew Dekmantel he also knows a thing or two about the runnings, pleasures, and ugliness of the music industry. He runs a monthly radio show on Echobox (see below) and recently did guest shows at NTS, The Lot Radio, Kiosk Radio, Radio TNP, and Future Intel.

The aesthetic world of topo2 is designed by my good friend Kees de Klein. It’s so much fun to nerd around on icons, made-up country borders, and throwing in as much color as possible. The website is developed by the talented people at Instance Studio Arnhem.

Contact: bert@topo2.nl

Distribution for vinyl records is handled by my long time friends at Rush Hour, feel free to send these kind people a message if you like to stock topo2 releases.

A massive thanks for all record shops that support niche electronic music in general and topo2 releases in particular – they are an unmissable part of our joint ecosystem.

Get in touch with Mark from Rush Hour via distribution@rushhour.nl

Record shops that stock topo2: Rush Hour, Clone, Objects & Sounds, Phonica, 3345, Serendeepity, Disk Union Tokyo, HHV, Juno

Doing vinyl in any sustainable way is quite simply impossible. With topo2 we like to do it as good as possible, meaning that all topo2 released are produced locally and pressed on ICCS-certified biovinyl.

Biovinyl is made from bio-based PVC, avoiding the use of finite petroleum. This manufacturing process reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 90% for the PVC component. The pressing process is identical to that for conventional vinyl records. All the equipment and processes are exactly the same. More importantly, the end product is just as good as a record that’s pressed on “normal” vinyl. The only thing that’s not the same, is the price. Biovinyl is € 0.40 more expensive per record.

If you like to follow the topo2 releases and all the other music it will try to platform, I encourage you to subscribe to the newsletter – which is only sent to you once per 3 weeks. topo2 does not have active profiles on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Tiktok as these platforms gatekeep how you can stay in touch with your followers and I also don’t have the energy to run such an account – I rather write up a list with good music.

The newsletters are written every three weeks and showcase recent releases, shine light on mixes you didn’t hear yet, have guests sharing their secret weapons, and dive deep in the archives of electronic music. It also briefly brings you up to speed on topo2 releases and occasionally shares exclusive mixes and tracks.

Alternatively, or on top of this, you could follow my personal account on Instagram but you will have to endure the occasional running or family picture.

At topo2 we like record shops, tracklists, labels, artists, djs, dancers, clubs, EPs, LPs, vinyls, 33rpm, 45 rpm festivals, radio, and on and on and on. The list of stuff we don’t like is quite short: Spotify and all their streaming platform buddies.

Paying ~10 euros per month and having all the music in the world in your pocket is just plain nonsense. In a capitalist world, it’s not sustainable and never will be for the ecosystem. Spotify and it’s counterparts are an amazing example of technical solutions to problems that really didn’t need solving in the first place, but now that they are in our lives nobody seemingly can’t live without. I would just suggest that you can’t always have everything and spend you money there where artists actually get paid – for example in record shops, Bandcamp, nina, or direct at the source. That said, we’re not completely in absence on these channels as artists who release at topo2 have the chance to distribute their music to whatever channel they like as I do understand the systemic benefits it has for touring opportunities to them.

Monthly radioshow on Echobox hosted by topo2 founder Bert de Rooij, juxtaposing music from every corner in the “experimental” electronic music spectrum.