The brainchild of Danny Veekens, Rucksack Records has swiftly become a notable presence in the indie music scene. Originally from a small village in the south of the Netherlands, Danny has been living in Amsterdam for the past decade. His love for music, especially hip-hop, began during his young days. “I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember. Ever since skateboarding the streets of that sleepy town way back when, hip-hop became my biggest love. And it still is,” Danny recalls.
This passion eventually led him to become a freelance music journalist, laying the groundwork for what would become Rucksack Records. The inception of Rucksack Records marked a significant milestone in Danny’s journey. Before the label, he ran The Find Magazine for thirteen years, a publication dedicated to hip-hop, beats, and jazz. The magazine also released several cassette tapes, digital releases, and a vinyl compilation series called Jazzvolution in affiliation with HHV Records.
Throughout all this, the idea of starting a label steadily percolated. “A lot of people kept telling me, ‘You should start a label!’ That idea kept brewing in my head for years. Around the summer of 2019, I decided to go for it,” Danny explains.
The vision for the label was twofold: to comprehensively tell the story of each release through liner notes, press releases, and artwork, while also amply promoting each release to the press and radio, something Danny felt was lacking from a lot of independent labels. Danny’s background in music journalism has equipped him with the skills to achieve this dual purpose effectively. While the label is primarily a solo endeavor, Danny collaborates closely with artists and writers and designers (including Robert Krums, Elies Thijs, and Gavin Feiritéar) to ensure each release is a team effort.
With hip-hop at its core, Rucksack Records boasts a diverse roster that includes Dutch artists like Thysenterprise, Kid Sundance, Propo’88, The Forces, and Jelee, as well as international talents from the United States, UK, Greece, Ireland, and Russia. This eclectic mix reflects Danny’s belief that good music transcends borders.
“The label’s roster includes artists from all over the world. As long as the music is good, anything goes!” Danny says. “Someone once called Rucksack Records a ‘psychedelic hip-hop label,’ and I guess there’s some truth in that. So far, we’ve released records inspired by psychedelic rock, punk-jazz, old Soviet records, spiritual jazz, straight-up boom bap, 60s power-pop, video game soundtracks, superhero cartoons, and funk – but always with hip-hop at its core.”
Among the label’s standout releases, Spectacular Diagnostics’ Ancient Methods (2021) stands out. “Everything came together for me in this release,” Danny says. “The distinctive style of the beats, the psychedelic influences, the artwork, the liner notes (by media archaeologist, poet & essayist Brian Michael Murphy), the first collaboration with a pressing plant we still work with to this day, the carefully selected guest features (billy woods, ELUCID, and New Kingdom’s Nosaj), and a fun ‘DIY Extinct Sleeve’ edition with custom cover art and a sticker sheet. Ancient Methods shows what Rucksack Records is all about.”
Thysenterprise’s Lahringen (2020) also marked a significant evolution in both the label’s existence and the artist’s career. Transitioning from beat tapes to a full-fledged composer and saxophonist, Thysenterprise delivered a deep dive into jazz and improvisation with this album. “This is a great example of an artist ‘going in a new direction’,” Danny says. “Back in 2018, I fell in love with Thysenterprise’s music through his J Dilla Donuts-inspired beat tape Stepbacks & Setbacks. Lahringen is his first official release as a saxophone player, composer, and producer. What I love most is that this release taught me a lot. Not just about listening to masters and judging the right sound. But also about music, his sources of inspiration, and through that, new additions to my record collection. I hope the same goes for listeners of this record.”
Another essential release in the label’s discography is Stik Figa & The Expert’s Ritual (2023) which blends lyrical depth with intricate production and stands as a testament to the collaborative harmony between emcee Stik Figa and producer The Expert.
“With three albums (with Jermiside, Stik Figa, and NAHreally, respectively), Irish producer The Expert has the most releases on the label and that’s for a reason,” Danny says. “He has a clear vision for his productions, style, and who he collaborates with. He’s almost like ‘an A&R type of producer,’ if you know what I mean. If he wouldn’t be making music, I’m sure he’d be one hell of a record label head! I have been a fan of emcee Stik Figa for nearly a decade, so to have a collaborative record by them was one hell of a release to work on. With features by other favorites like Blu and Marlowe’s Solemn Brigham as the cherries on top! Also, I could put ‘The Forgotten’ on repeat for the rest of my life without getting bored. That album closer is such a strong track… It gets me every single time. Goosebumps guaranteed.”
Looking ahead, Rucksack Records shows no signs of slowing down. Thysenterprise’s upcoming digital release, Living Silence, promises to be a noteworthy addition. Additionally, a debut from Dutch producer and emcee Anarchitact is on the horizon, featuring a stellar lineup of guest artists. Balancing his work as a music journalist with the demands of the label, Danny remains committed to nurturing and promoting independent artists.
“Time is my enemy—too many ideas, too little time. But there’s something magical about seeing a project go from the stage of a “random idea” to an actual physical release,” Danny says. “I love helping out independent artists with releases so they can keep doing what they do best and love most – making music. To then hear a track like Stik Figa & The Expert’s ‘Service (ft. Defcee)’ played by Chuck D on his radio show, or to hear Gilles Peterson raving about Thysenterprise live on air on BBC Radio—moments like that are priceless to me and an affirmation of why I started the label in the first place.”
For more information visit www.rucksackrecords.com & rucksackrecords.bandcamp.com
