In an era of digital saturation, Folder emerges as a Lisbon-based imprint with a reverence for the tactile, the archival, and the deeply personal. More than a record label, Folder is a multidisciplinary platform built by longtime collaborators Parallelle and Mâhfoud, bridging the intimacy of analogue culture with a refined, club-focused sonic language. Rooted in crate-digging nostalgia yet oriented towards contemporary sounds, Folder seeks to reinstate music as an act of physical and communal experience.
The label’s debut release, Folder 001, arrives on 7th March, a carefully woven collection from a cross-cultural roster of artists: Parallelle, Mâhfoud, Shubostar, and Fulltone. Subtle yet immersive, the release pulses with a driving, rhythmic sensibility, drawing from house music’s foundational textures while layering in a distinctly atmospheric depth. The result is a collection of tracks designed for movement (both internal and external), a convergence of hypnotic grooves, percussive intricacies, and tonal warmth.
For co-founder Mâhfoud, the project is an extension of long-standing friendships, a deep-seated drive to create in collaboration. “It’s about friendship, but also about values: openness, inclusivity, and artistic curiosity. That’s why our first release wasn’t just kept ‘in the family.’ Instead, we reached out to incredible artists from all corners of the world, making sure that inclusivity was at the heart of what we’re building.” Shubostar’s contribution, Generation X, signals a shift in her own sonic identity (“faster, more housy, a bit lighter”), built around sampled snippets of a Korean news broadcast discussing youth, gender, and rule-breaking. “It was a completely new direction for me,” a departure from Shubostar’s usual style –– that’s why the title fits, “its about [the new generation] breaking the rules”.
For Parallelle, the label’s foundation is rooted in lived experience — late-night discussions, global touring, and a desire to craft a new kind of space. “That’s where Folder began — over beers in Príncipe Real, discussing our desire to create a new label, something for the dancefloors, featuring uplifting and upbeat music to make people dance.”
With each release framed as a ‘file’ within an ongoing archive, Folder is as much about narrative as it is about sound. The label extends beyond its recorded output, curating intimate, community-driven club nights where emerging and established artists converge, forming an ever-expanding network of creative exchange, existing at the intersection of house music, analogue aesthetics, and the dance community.
Parallele
Mâhfoud
Shubostar