IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN BRYARS
Interview by Samo Šajn
John Bryars is an emerging techno artist who is quickly building momentum with his bold, experimental sound. After a breakout year that included a release on Boys Noize Records, he now returns with Invariant, the first release on his new label Aeonic Forme.
Invariant is the first release on your new label, Aeonic Forme. Why did you decide to start your own label now?
Starting Aeonic Forme felt like a natural step. After years of releasing music and performing, I wanted a space that could hold a broader vision. A label is more than a platform for records. It’s a framework for ideas and intention. Aeonic Forme is a home for my own music, but also a place where other voices can exist within that world.
I’m interested in projects that go beyond traditional releases, for example, compilations that support causes I believe in. That structure allows the label to contribute to the culture around it rather than simply releasing music. Releasing Invariant first felt right because it establishes the emotional and sonic language of the label.
The EP moves from intensity to release. Did you plan it as a full journey from start to finish?
Yes, I always think about records as movement rather than a collection of tracks. With Invariant, I wanted the EP to move through different states of pressure and release. It begins with ignition and momentum, then moves deeper into tension and physical intensity. By the end, everything opens into something softer and more reflective. That final moment matters. After intensity, there needs to be space to breathe.
On “Remove Fear,” you use a sample from Genesis P-Orridge. What does that message mean to you personally?
Genesis P-Orridge was a radical artist who opened space for conversations about identity long before they were widely understood. Sampling that voice was about acknowledging a lineage that shaped both culture and myself. Through projects like Psychic TV, their work created room for queer and trans expression in ways that were fearless and uncompromising. Including that voice in “Remove Fear” felt like paying homage to that lineage.
The message resonates with me because fear often sits quietly inside the creative process. Fear of judgment. Fear of stepping outside accepted boundaries. The track becomes a moment of release, a reminder that the work can move forward once that weight loosens.
Your release on Boys Noize Records led to remixes from artists like Moby. How did that moment impact your career?
That release was an important moment for me. Boys Noize has always supported artists who push boundaries and explore new directions. Seeing the record expand through remixes from artists like Moby, Schacke, and Unklevon was surreal. It introduced my work to a wider audience and created new connections. More importantly, it reinforced something I already believed: experimentation resonates when it comes from a clear place.
Your sound feels intense and experimental but still very focused. How do you keep that balance?
Experimentation only works when there is a clear center. I spend a lot of time shaping sound design and textures, but everything ultimately serves the emotional core of the track. When that center is strong, the more experimental elements can orbit around it without losing direction. It becomes a balance between instinct and structure.
What is the vision behind Aeonic Forme? What can people expect from the label in the future?
Aeonic Forme explores the idea that culture moves in cycles. What begins at the margins eventually reshapes the center. The label exists in that space between past and future. Sonically, it focuses on forward-thinking techno and electronic music while leaving room for ambient and experimental work. Each release is treated as part of a larger environment where music, visuals, and collaboration carry equal weight. The goal is not speed or output, but intention.
What kind of impact do you hope Aeonic Forme will have on the underground scene?
I hope that Aeonic Forme contributes something thoughtful and lasting to the underground. The goal is not volume, but clarity. I want the label to support artists exploring new sonic territory and new forms of expression.
It’s also important that the label amplifies voices that have always shaped club culture but are not always centered. LGBTQ artists and artists of color have long been at the heart of underground music, and creating space for those perspectives feels essential. If Aeonic Forme encourages people to takecreative risks and imagine new possibilities for club music, then it will have served its purpose.
