BY RANYA KHOURY

In a recent conversation, Jan-Hendrik Vervelde, owner of Soave (a brand previously known as Selected Sounds), spoke to me about the simple pleasures of running a label, blog and playlist network. His involvement in the music industry having flourished after he discovered the capabilities of streaming services, as it often does these days.

As a 17-year old infatuated with soft indie rock, running a deep house-inspired label would came to him as something of a surprise. After investing excessive time into SoundCloud, Vervelde felt it only made sense to build a blog inspired by his listening history on the platform.

With everything from tropical house to future pop and upbeat indie, the European-based curator throws all his goods on the table. Through his following on social media, Selected Sounds exploded and eventually grew into a SoundCloud promotion channel, featuring interviews with artists like Paxel, Wolfskind and Mike Wit. Selected Sounds' continually growing outlet eventually became a record label, representing blossoming dance artists such as Ludomir, UOAK and Mark Mendy.

Just a year and a half ago, Vervelde decided to add Spotify to his social tools. “It took me a while to make the switch because I was so hooked on Soundcloud. I kept the name Selected Sounds for a while, then switched it to Soave a couple months ago.”

One of his first playlists on Spotify is the same Sunny Chills you once knew under the Selected Sounds brand, previously titled Chill Hits. “I chose the name not only because it represents a sunny and chill mood, but also because of the great music in there that gives you chills that run through your body.” Although his playlist favorites are always rotating, Vervelde recommends "Do You Speak French," a catchy tune by CALVIN f/Emilia Devina.

Maybe you want to submit a track to a Soave playlist; Vervelde's submission gate is continually monitored and updated on a weekly basis. Your demo has the potential of snagging a featured write-up on Soave’s blog, so keep your eyes peeled for publicity opportunities. His weekly updates to both blog and Spotify profile make it clear that he's seriously dedicated to his network of supporters. Meanwhile at HITS, we remain seriously dedicated to learning how to count past the number 10.