Ronin

Jonathan Axelsson, aka Ronin (J. Axel) found his passion for Deep House in the mid-'90s, inspired by acts like Orbital and The Future Sound Of London via Sweden’s national radio show P3 Dans. His early demo became “Demo of the Week” on P3, leading to live performances and a connection with Johan Bacto of PlackTown Sounds. Between 1996 and 2002, Ronin released over a dozen instrumental Deep House EPs, sharing label space with artists like Aril Brikha, Henrik B & Jori Hulkkonen to name a few. In recent years, Ronin’s timeless sound has made a comeback with original vinyl fetching over $200, tracks surfacing in Fabric mixes, and artists like Chaos In The CBD and Ian Pooley spinning them frequetly in their DJ sets. To honor and reintroduce this era, Jonathan launched Vibestate Recordings in 2025. The label is reissuing 12 essential Ronin EPs on digital, and some vinyl, giving a new home to a classic, deep & soulful corner of Swedish deep house history.