Teo Bachs, better known as Ekkel (and a few other cheeky aliases), co-founded Norway’s Ute crew—an outfit that’s rocketed from hazy sunrise sessions on forest floors to Bassiani showcases and Australia’s legendary bush raves. Since launching in 2017, the Ute label has built a bona-fide cult following, celebrated for its fresh spin on psychedelic trance and the deep, slow-burn downtempo of sister imprints Sinensis and Translusid.

From the studio Teo channels a modern twist on ’90s Nordic electronics—both heady and progressive—while, as Ekkel, he plunges into break-heavy, percussive journeys. Alongside Mikkel Rev and Oprofressionell he forms Solar Alliance, a live project that cranks out sprawling trance odysseys in just a few days.

Through collabs like Ipeo and The Dosadi Experiments—and newer ventures such as Alvar and H25—Ekkel sits firmly at the tip of the underground spear. Behind the decks he’s earned a rep as a marathon selector, often tag-teaming with Marius Bø as Accelerationism to deliver multi-hour sets that launch dancefloors into orbit. From an 18-hour closing at Outsider Festival with Mikkel Rev, Oprofressionell and Marius Bø, to a solo flex at Seismic Festival or Accelerationism slots at Organik, Teo’s pinpoint-sharp, intuitive selections never miss.

His latest Bassiani mix? One-hundred percent unreleased heat—much of it dropping in the coming months.