Sara Landry’s HEKATE Records imprint adds another release to its 2026 catalog with Skoden’s ‘Rave System‘ EP, a three-track project that landed on Friday, August 14. It marks the West Midlands DJ and producer’s third outing on the label, continuing a working relationship that has quietly built up over the past couple of years.
The EP leans into slower BPMs paired with driving grooves, a combination that has become something of a signature across HEKATE’s output. Rather than chasing peak-time intensity through speed, ‘Rave System’ builds tension through groove and atmosphere, with drops designed to land hard once the energy finally breaks. It is a structural approach that favors sustained tension over instant gratification, something that tracks closely with where a lot of the harder techno and hard groove scene has been heading.
Skoden operates out of the West Midlands in the UK and has built a reputation for fast-moving, high-energy sets that blend sub-genres without losing momentum. His approach to DJing favors variety and crowd-reading over sticking to one lane, moving between styles while keeping a consistent, driving flow underneath. That same philosophy carries into Rave System, where the three tracks are built to work as a cohesive unit rather than standalone singles.
HEKATE Records has become one of the more closely watched imprints in the hard techno and hard groove space since Sara Landry launched it, serving as an outlet for both her own material and a growing roster of artists working in similar sonic territory. Landry herself has spent the past few years establishing a footprint across major festival stages and club bills, and the label reflects that same appetite for tracks built around tension, groove, and dancefloor payoff.
Skoden’s return to the imprint for a third release suggests HEKATE sees him as a consistent part of its lineup rather than a one-off signing. ‘Rave System’ is out now via HEKATE Records.
