Cerca:the s e t

Carlo Gambino with a tasteful remix from Alex Arnout. 12" vinyl only.

Fuelled by the Berlin-based duo's love of club music in all its forms ''FJAAK THE SYSTEM'' is FJAAK's most definitive album to date, a winding sonic odyssey that surveys the rave landscape, dipping between frantic euphoria and deep contemplation. Featuring sizzling collaborations with Modeselektor, Skee Mask, Red Eye and J.Manuel, the album draws a bold line under FJAAK's 15 years of mischief and mayhem, pulling together 23 tracks (culled from over 300, no less) that truly reflect the duo's boundless enthusiasm for the dancefloor. Grazing UK breakbeat, techno, 2-step, d'n'b, jungle, trip-hop and ambient, these elasticated, hybrid bangers paint a vivid picture of FJAAK's utopian club ideal, a place where genre boundaries evaporate and only the groove remains. Since graduating in audio engineering in the early 2010s, FJAAK have been challenging the logic of a maddeningly conservative club scene with their hardware only live shows, DJ sets a myriad of record releases. In 2019 they launched the label and platform Spandau20 with a steady flow of records and a mixtape series featuring new talent and established artists. With their rebellious attitude and notoriously energetic live sets, the duo have brought back a crucial lost ingredient to the rave: playfulness. And if their well-loved albums 'FJAAK', released on Modeselektor's Monkeytown imprint, and 'Havel' set the scene, 'FJAAK THE SYSTEM' rises above and beyond expectations, creating a new benchmark. It's not just blood, sweat and tears either, FJAAK's advanced technical knowhow and love of synthesizers and drum machines helps them formulate a sound that's conscious of dance music history, but focused on a brighter, more equitable future. Their second single 'And You Feel' is an emotional rollercoaster combining UK breakbeat with a dubstep-influenced bassline wobler and alluring vocals, emulating the moment the mind becomes a tranquil void through the crescendo of adrenaline like a strain of physical exertion. This is reflected on their new music video which shows an unexpected ''rage room'' scene.

Colombian Sensation Felipe Gordon Drops "Phasing the Shit" Ep on Phonogramme Records Colombian Dj and Producer Felipe Gordon Is Gearing Up to Shake Up the Electronic Music Scene Once Again With His Latest Ep, "Phasing the Shit," Slated for Release on Phonogramme Records This May. Featuring Four Electrifying Tracks, "Phasing the Shit" Is a Testament to Gordon's Unparalleled Talent and Musical Ingenuity. From the Infectious Grooves of "Who’s Gonna Be"to the Soul-Stirring Vibes of "Wait on You (Say Goodbye)", Each Track Promises to Take Listeners on a Sonic Journey Like No Other. "Keep Doing What You Love" Is a Rallying Cry for Self-Expression and Authenticity, While "Phasing the Shit" Serves as the Ep's Crowning Jewel, Enveloping Listeners in a Kaleidoscope of Sounds and Emotions. With His Latest Release, Felipe Gordon Solidifies His Status as One of Colombia's Most Exciting Musical Exports, Captivating Audiences With His Infectious Beats and Genre-Defying Style....

Early Feedbacks :

Laurent Garnier : lovely bluesy tracks ... Great EP for sure
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Phasing the shit, Dope !
Nightmares On Wax (Warp Records) : Whos gonna be is great ! Wait on you is dope ! Keep doing is tuff! Phasing the shit is dirty ! Love the e.p
DJ Bone (FURTHER) : Keep Doing What You love works for me.
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Kassian (Phonica White / Heist Recordings) : keep doing is so cool
Harri (Sub Club) : liking these, will play and support
Oliver $ (Classic Music Company / Play It Down) : lovley tracks!
Cesare vs Disorder (Serialism Records) : nice! will play, thank you
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Phasing The Shit is THE SHIT :)
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love phasing the shit ,class track
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Ugly Drums (Quintessentials) : Wait on you is a jam
Jon Hester (Rekids, EDEC, Les Enfants Terribles, L.A.G.) : Title track sounding good!
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love phasing the shit ,class track

Long time Djoon club resident and one of Paris’ most prolific producers, Lucas Moinet (Groove Boys Project, Keraw, Projecture) makes his long overdue debut on The Djoon Experience. On the A side, the aptly titled "The Sounds of Deepness" (ft. Stupid Flash on bass) takes you on a raw & soulful journey - while the B side delivers two more 8mn long spiritual soundscapes, “Planet Earth” & “The Piano Ritual” - simply put, this lush, 3 track EP is nothing short of a deep house masterclass.

Brand new label from Italy with the nice well known Hardcore Sound!

2024 Repress

This was the first release of legendary dutch ESP Records! We're happy to bring you this gem back on vinyl (only)!

Not just a follow-up. Tar 23 shows the duo's distinct style and artistic progression.

Break 3000 present this special vinyl re-issue of some much sought after Electro Clash classics from the period 1998-2003.
Available now on limited Red Marbled Vinyl for the first time again since almost 25 Years ago!

After the fast selling “Emolotion EP” on Italy’s “Mondo Phase” imprint and the “The Rise of Poseidon 1” on the Argentinian label “Calypso’s Dream” released last year we present you the final chapter of the early 00’s Electro and Electro Clash gems produced by Break 3000 while living in Maastricht and Cologne.

The first track is a remix made for the legendary “Pocketgame” label from Germany in 2003 that was run by Maru & Comix, released on the “We Are He-Man EP” by “STR & Tim Tycoon” that also featured a stellar “Legowelt” remix. This one is an absolute belter of a track and to this day is one of Break 3000’s favorite tunes he ever produced. Followed by the cool, dark and Cold-Wave’esque Electro cut “The Wait” that was released on a massive Compilation on “Pocketgame” that same year called “Bonuslevel One – North and South” with such amazing artists on it like “Steril”, “Ladytron”, “Mutron”, “Nitsch and Gleinser”, “Hong Kong Counterfeit” and of course the label heads “Maru & Comix”.

The B-side looks back in time even further. “Electric Blue” and “Spacemachinenreise” were released on “Meuse Muzique” from Maastricht and were on the “Maastricht-Liege EP” and the “Electric Kingdom EP” from 2002 and 2003. Lastly “Lectrolite #2” was released on a one-off vinyl release on Break 3000’s own “Casa Nova” imprint in 1999. And especially this tune marked the start of his Electro endeavors the following years.

So get your hands on these fine tunes once more with this special packaged and limited re-release. All tracks have been carefully re-mastered from the original tapes and sound better than ever! Play it LOUD!

All tracks are re-mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Music, Photography & Art by Break 3000.

For the third label’s release, Clouzer returns to Distant Gaze with “Call of the Abyss,” a six-track EP featuring three originals alongside three remixes from acclaimed artists Damon Jee, Zakmina, and Berlin’s emerging talent, Zee Mon.

At the helm of the EP is Clouzer’s captivating journey, “Voices from the Abyss,” extraterrestrial echoes and pulsating broken beats, embarking on an exploration into the depths of the unknown. The EP’s second track emerges as a powerful stage presence, guided by the haunting vocals of Valentin Henning. Blurred and delayed textures immersing the listener in a mind-altering experience. Pulsating rave energy of “Perpetual” fuses cosmic elements, broken beats, and dark disco bassline, embodying Clouzer’s distinctive sonic identity.

Adding to the EP’s allure are three remixes, each offering a unique interpretation. Zee Mon’s rendition of “Perpetual” channels darkwave energy, infusing the track with an irresistible pulse, a primetime banger on vibing dance-floor. Damon Jee’s remix of “Stalactites” delivers his trademark full-throttle dance-floor oriented dark disco, elevating the EP to the next level of intensity. Finally, Zakmina’s broken beat journey serves as a beautiful sublime culmination of the EP, evoking the feeling of a perfect closing track for an enchanting morning DJ set.

In 2021, we welcomed Endrik Schroeder to the Bordello family with his Second Breath 12”. The memorable hooks and attention to detail that characterised his first appearance run deep in his latest. The Hope sees the French producer accompanied by a true legend of electronics, Caroline Hervé aka Kittin. Hervé’s penchant for combining brighter tones with darker shades is evident from the needle. Industrial hiss pierces swirling vocals. Clean claps, warm bass and crystalline chords give way to woe-streaked lyrics, lyrics that ascend into an arc of pulsating synthwave pain. Schroeder takes the reins on the flip. A beam of light is cast over throbbing arpeggios and a slicing snare, notes drifting ever higher as “The Dogs” takes hold. Strings swim as a spread of sounds grow, a palpable energy building under Schroeder’s watchful ear and hand in this seven minute plus odyssey into his

"The warmth of fire and the whisper of water, the magic of wind and the trembling of the earth, the melody of peace and silence to revive soul and body" – said the Queen and closed the portal behind the travellers.

On the summit of the Astral Cliff there was the long-forgotten DP-6 shuttlecraft of the Kwansi pirates. Corrosion on the hull plating had almost completely taken over the paint, which only occasionally peeked through between dense clusters of fluorescent bryophytes. The vines and wires dangling from the stern provided a perfect living dome for the lively Sivinerian millipedes goofing around on the runes engraved on the ship. The sweet scent of exotic flora created an ethereal glow. A giant stingray floated gracefully across the celestial kaleidoscope. Each flap of its shining wings gave the impression of time slowing down. One could be absorbed by this grace and lightness for hours, immersing oneself in the world of aesthetics and harmony that ufolded before the observers’ eyes while they were enveloped in the calming embrace of the gravitational massage chairs.

– Sea Devil – what an appropriate name for such a majestic creature.
– That's right, Cat... A true manifestation of multielements in all their splendour!

When all you want to do is be the fire part of fire… say it to yourself and then say it again. Repeat it like a mantra. It’s what UTO did.

Anyone familiar with the UTO’s lauded 2022 debut Touch The Lock, which Pitchfork praised for its “prismatic synth pop”, will be aware of the variegated nature of what they do. This album is just as colourful, with Neysa’s vocalwork sparking similarities to Kim Gordon’s off-kilter vocals, which they both ceremoniously jets through a post-electronica blender mixing stylized indie sleaze productions with 90s breakbeats.

While they might appear as a singular entity to others, UTO wrote large sections of this album apart, converging by the fireside to discuss the day’s work before coming together to hone and finish the songs. 2023 was, by their own admission, a difficult year, and that’s reflected in the Dantean themes expressed in songs such as the lead single ‘Zombie’, which arrived at the end of November as a taster for the new record; the latter’s dark heart is belied by the skittering beats, glitchy electronics and pummeling sequencers that elevate it from the void.

From fire, early man’s discovery, to AI, humanity’s next great adventure - with all of the wonders and complexities of human relationships in between - When all you want to do is be the fire part of fire really is about life, the universe and everything. Just remember, be the flame, not the moth.

Repress!

We’re here to put a dent in the Universe. Otherwise why else even be here?

JKriv’s long out-of-press Bukom Mashie Rework gets a king-size reboot in this tasty 7 Inch package with a fresh new acid dub! J’s original 8 min opus is nipped and tucked in all the right places to make for a streamlined A-side stomper, and a brand new version on the flip, with a tastefully reimagined arrangement, punctuated with spicy 303 acid lines and live flute performed by the inimitable Domenica (of Underground System). Big summer banger alert!

Having plied his trade around the world for more than three decades, German guitarist, bandleader and musical explorer Jan Whitefield has always instilled in his craft a natural aesthetic of authenticity, a key component which has seen him amass a sizeable and varied catalogue of material which has remained timeless where some of his contemporaries have faded away.

In the early 90s, as various UK bands were signed up by sizeable labels and enjoyed even mainstream chart success in the Acid Jazz and rare groove boom, Jan and his brother Max formed the Poets Of Rhythm, self-releasing their own uncompromisingly hard-edged take on 70s street funk on the then completely unfashionable 7" single format, forerunning the Deep Funk scene by almost a decade. 30 years on, in spite of a legion of retro-focused bands having followed in their wake, few have yet to come close to matching the energy and spirit of those early Poets 45s.

Since then, Jan has applied himself to all manner of new incarnations and innovative side-projects, releasing further funk surveys as the Whitefield Brothers before leading his own band under the pseudonym Karl Hector, with releases on labels such as Stones Throw, Daptone, Ninja Tune, Mo'Wax, Strut and more. An avid music lover, explorer and record collector extraordinaire, Whitefield's music has effortlessly absorbed his expanding interests along the way, particularly drawing influence from Ethiopian Jazz and West African funk and highlife, as well as Kraut-rock and ambient via his Rodinia alter-ego.

More recently, Whitefield has begun to venture into the astral planes of what's now commonly referred to as 'spiritual jazz', and this is very much where we find him manifesting on 'The Infinity Of Nothingness'. A set of mature, delicate and meditative orchestrations, like much of Whitefield's best work the album is studiously true to its key influences - and in this instance the twin figureheads of Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders are particularly preeminent - but also completely avoids falling into a trap of mere tribute or facsimile. With subtle yet diverse accents of Hip Hop, Library and the Avant Garde appearing wholly unobtrusively, the album is unified by a marked trance-like feel, beginning with the sparse, processional opener 'Nothingness' through to the 3 part 'Infinity Suite' of 'Time', 'Space' and 'Energy'.

As he did as a schoolboy with the Poets of Rhythm, with 'The Infinity Of Nothingness' Whitefield achieves that exceptionally rare feat of creating music that is not only worthy of sitting alongside that of his overarching influences, but will also stand up with it against the tests of time.

DSSC001 VA is made of 5 tracks across the wide electronic music scene, involving the listener in a trippy safari through the mind, with quirky musical accents. As humans have an infinity of nuances, vibrations and perceptions, eclectism is the main point of this first opus. A spicy cocktail between retro vibes, nostalgic synths, sweet trancey touches and wild electro-house.



With no boundaries, D.ssoci8 has his heart set on feeding the prism of freedom, which fluctuates in the direction of the creative genius. It’s all about the third eye, diving into an ocean of levels of consciousness and identity processes, inviting everyone to connect with the true Self, the others and the universe.

Haunted from Italy are back with their first album since 2018 and their wonderfully slow and mournful
doom is better than ever. Their songs will embrace you and sweep you away

We are proud to bring DJ Gemini onto the Vinyl Fanatiks roster with this gigantean 12" and originally released in 1993 on Liquid Wax. This release was engineered back then by Alex Reece when he was assistant engineer to Jack Smooth at his Sound Entity Studios.

repressed !

To celebrate their 30 year anniversary Peppermint Jam release a series of edits & remixes on vinyl. First up is a 7 inch version of T-Ski Valley ‘Catch The Beat’ featuring an edit of the classic Dimitri from Paris & Mousse T. Oldskool mix, flipped with the ‘Special Remix Instrumental’. Limited Edition act fast!

As Token gears up for its 126th release, the time has come to invite a label favorite - Inigo Kennedy. The Englishman responsible for Token 1 readies us for three tracks of pure grain and warbling melodies packaged as 'The Calling' - a hypnotic yet stomping club record that highlights his unique production style full of character.

Taking up the entirety of the A side, 'Magnitude Seven' pulses itself through the first part of the ep. Melodic yet dissonant as many of Kennedy's best records, the track calls on a stripped down acid line to support a saturated groove and noisy synthwork. Epic in construction, 'Magnitude Seven' comes in waves of unsettling intensity emphasized by a powerful double kick sequence. The B1 takes it up a notch as the title track appropriately named 'The Calling'. A frantic four to the floor rhythm pushes along sustained notes, settling in a certain pressure. Harmonic sections breathe more life in an otherwise nail biting record that defines the Token sound accurately and Kennedy uses this arrangement to distance himself from the classic loop based template used by most producers in his field today, confirming the ongoing relevance of a longstanding career in club music. Ending with a bit of a twist for most, longtime fans will be unsurprised by the choice to wrap things up with 'Out of the Woods' - a fitting electronica closer that departs from 'The Calling' with a focus on introspection. Drifting notes and a shuffled percussion line are reminiscent of his UK roots and fit perfectly as an epilogue to his previous techno tracks. Ethereal as ever, Inigo Kennedy offers us another masterclass in out of the box production techniques in soulful electronic music.

A group of friends go sailing and one disappears. The others start
searching for her. But it gradually becomes apparent that she won’t
be found. So the friends return home one by one. Only the missing
girl’s lover and her best friend remain.They have begun an affair.
As the lovers come together the girl’s disappearance is all but
forgotten.

From Michelangelo Antonioni — “Auteur of eerie angst”
(L’Avventura) by Richard Skinner from Vade Mecum Essays,
Reviews & Interviews (Zero books, 2015).

One of the stand-out acts on Freshly Squeezed in 2023, ELLE & THE POCKET BELLES released increasingly acclaimed singles and videos across the year. Now their full 10 track album drops showcasing the diversity and strength of songwriting, musicianship and jazz-infused production. Now available on Clear Red 12" vinyl!

Not just a singles band, the album offers real jazz sophistication on songs like OLD FASHIONED and a moving theatrical flourish on DON'T YOU WORRY. But on songs like WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO... the group really show off the many years spent on London's vintage club scene refining their sound and style into the perfect distillation of a classic retro style in a thoroughly modern way.

Since release, the album has shared a combined 1 million streams across Spotify and YouTube, and several tracks have been featured on several editorial playlists on Spotify. SEE YOU LATER was played over 25k times across YouTube and Spotify in its first weekend, now reaching 700k streams. The album was also nominated record of the week by BBC Cornwall.

The group are reminiscent of a cross between classic 60s soul and 50s girl groups given a joyful and wry modern twist. ELLE & THE POCKET BELLES are gigging across the UK's summer festival circuit in support of their album.

THE TWO CLASSIC AND HIGHLY COLLECTABLE INEVITABLE SINGES PLUS RELATED PEEL SESSION RECORDINGS. CAPTURING THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF DEAD OR ALIVE’S CAREER. ON BERRY-RED VINYL! A SEQUEL AND COMPANION RELEASE TO 2023’S CRITICALLY AND COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL ‘LET THEM DRAG MY SOUL AWAY’.


Having been ‘discovered’ working in Liverpool’s Probe Records during the punk rock explosion of the late 1970s, Pete Burns quickly found himself fronting his very own band, Nightmares In Wax, who quickly mutated into the more familiar Dead Or Alive.

A star was born. But prior to pop superstardom, tabloid-tantalising celebrity and his later revival and recognition as an icon of gay punk and pop culture, Pete led Dead Or Alive into far darker waters, as one of the earliest explorers of the post-punk Goth scene.

Captured on two remarkable 7” singles originally released on Liverpool label Inevitable, the band also caught the attention of the
ever-reliable John Peel, and recorded material for his seminal BBC Radio One programme. ‘Running Wild’ compiles those early
singles and related Peel Session highlights, bringing the latter to vinyl for the first time. Pressed on berry red vinyl,and housed in
a cover photograph by Dead Or Alive’s then manager Francesco Mellina, ‘Running Wild presents an early glimpse at the
phenomenon Pete would become, and a long overdue back story accompaniment for fans and collectors alike.

Experience the latest journey through Rabe's musical universe unfolds on her seventh vinyl release, characterized by a trippy yet propulsive sound, reflective of her distinct style. The entire 12" record is embellished with a remix by the renowned Spanish producer, Reeko. "Phonix's Ash" introduces a mystical groove, further enhanced by Reeko's hypnotic remix, focusing on immersive grooves rather than dramatic breaks. The B-side is equally intense, with "Long Nights" inducing a dizzying effect and "Drowning Rivers" creating a dreamy and harmonious atmosphere. As always, Rabe's personal works invite listeners to dive deep into her infinite universe of perception.

The Silence returns with this limited edition addendum to their debut album for the true diehards that need their darkness to be a little more complete. To sweeten the deal this EP contains an extended version of their tortured dubstep anthem 'Something Hardcore' and the already infamous 'Industrial Counter'.

Label boss El Prevost makes a welcome return to No Speakers after it's been on something of a break. Thankfully the quality levels remain high here as he kicks off with 'Catastrophizing', a brilliantly bass-heavy cut with broken beats to make you sweat.

On the flip, 'Landing' has a more inward sense of reflection with its fizzing synths and deep space atmospheres making an indelible mark. Last of all, the magic of Detroit looms large with a superb remix by Motor City mainstay Kyle Hall.

His version of 'Landing' brings some jazzy melodic vibes and one of his trademark deep house and bumping grooves. This is another essential 12" from No Speakers.

'Sounds From The Northern Hemisphere' is a collection of live-recorded takes, registered between 2021 and 2023. The Icelandic extraterrestrial scenery was the main inspiration for this work. Similarly to the nature of each landscape, every composition was crafted with a genuine and spontaneous approach, entirely avoiding digital instruments.

A methodical sound research was enacted, exploring the analog behaviours of classic and modern machines. The result is a minimalistic and intense merge of sounds: simple, but meaningful.

Trailblazing a new wave of House hero, from the heart of Techno-dominated, Berlin - LOVEFOXY here delivers a dynamite 3 tracker for NYC's Nervous.

Opening up proceedings, with a defiant, smile-inducing, soliloquy - is ˙Sluthouse˙; a track that truly wears the artist's roots on its sleeve. With it being a pure celebration of heyday, US House music at its material core; whilst at the surface - a proud embrace of that inimitable Berlin attitude, atmosphere and desire to always be pushing things forward.

With its stripped back garb and distinct sense of purpose - ˙Freakfest˙ is pure club-born fire... its booming kicks, skating rides and racing hats delivering an invigorating sense of urgency that's hard to resist.

Summed up beautifully by her latest bio - LOVEFOXY's sound is often epitomised by its 'warm punch'; something that EP closer ˙Buisness First˙ showcases brilliantly. It's muted stabs, reverberating chords and hazy strings providing an almost palatial level of warmth; whilst the resonant bass, galloping kicks and incisive snares pack an almighty, sucker-punch.

2024 Repress

Straight in the wake of their eponymous debut LP released on the label back in 2016, Weval return to Kompakt this year with their sophomore album, 'The Weight', breaking their pop-mellow, nostalgia-friendly facet further out in the open as they arrive "at this place again were everything felt spontaneous, new and exciting, like we had in the beginning". Orbiting around that ever luminous yet wistful melodic halo that surrounds their music, this second full-length effort sweeps an extra-wide and languidly woven palette of emotions and moods, making for a uniquely ambitious and generously coloured mosaic of sound. If the recording sessions "often started grumpy and emotionless" by Harm and Merijn's own admission, the pair was "surprised by the joy it gave us, which can be compared to the emotions we felt back in the first days of making music together"; subsequently reconnecting with that fresh, naïve feeling of "absolute creative freedom" they were after. The album is also the fruit of a whole new working process for them - more playful and unpredictable - which saw them switch from "guitars lying around to piano, onto our own synths and the most cheap quirky toys synths you can imagine", and involved "recording all of our own samples, voice and almost every instrument out of the box - which for us was a totally new way of working". "We've always wanted a narrative for the album, and finding the right order perhaps took the most effort" they explain; "we felt anxious, felt insanely positive, felt heartbroken again, felt in love again, and there was death, and even suicide around us. It was quite chaotic. As a whole, 'The Weight' breathes with that transformative richness, free of limits and rules, except perhaps to "do quick and not think too much". Amidst this collection of songs and instrumentals that live by Weval's singularly positive take on music - one that can "lift you up, and make you feel hopeful without being necessarily straight out 'happy'" as they define it, the title-track and lead single stays true to the duo's dynamic approach, putting on a fine balance of floor and dream inducing adaptability that sound engineer David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The XX, FKA Twigs, Caribou… etc.) subtly made palpable. There's heavy showers of funk drops pouring from endless bars of thunderstorm clouds and laid-back riffs beating a restrained poolside-party kind of pulse, but also sensual vocals rising from beneath the sheets and rueful polaroid-filtered ambiences to soundtrack all possible moments in life - from the most euphoric to those when music seems the only viable healing potion. More on the post-KLF, BoC-inflected electronica side of things, 'Are You Even Real' takes its listener for a round-trip across the star-studded dome and beyond, before songs like 'Someday' and 'Same Little Thing' head back down to a state of pulsating, earthly organicity, tense and mercurial as get. An arpeggiated slice of piano-strewn kosmische, 'Heaven' is another invitation to an epic-scale odyssey from the inner-spheres into the distant fringes of the outer-world. Weightless and airy, yet texturally dense and widely magnetic overall, Weval second LP is a synthesis of the duo's multi-angle take on electronics: blissed-out, heartening and infinitely free.
Nur zweieinhalb Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung ihres selbstbetitelten Debutalbums finden sich WEVAL zurück "an jenem Ort, an dem sich alles spontan, neu und aufregend anfühlt - so wie als wir anfingen zusammen Musik zu schreiben". An diesem Ort entstand "The Weight", ihr zweiter Longplayer, auf dem Weval sich ganz den Pop-verliebten, Nostalgie-freundlichen Facetten ihres Sounds öffnen. Stetig um den sehnsuchtsvollen Strahlenkranz ihrer Melodien tanzend, legt diese Platte noch vielschichtigere, mit feinster Präzision gewobene Gefühlswelten frei.

Obwohl die Aufnahmesessions nach eigenem Bekunden oftmals "miesepetrig und emotionsarm" begannen, so war das Duo überrascht darüber, wie schnell sich bei der Arbeit jene Freude einstellte, die sie aus ihren künstlerischen Anfangstagen kannten, eine Woge des frischen, naiven Gefühls der "absoluten kreativen Freiheit". Dieses Album ist die Frucht eines verspielteren und unvorhersehbareren Arbeitsprozesses innerhalb der Band, in welchem alles zum Einsatz kam, was ihnen in die Finger kam - von der ollen Gitarre, die in der Studioecke stand, über ein Piano und den bandeigenen Sythesizern und den sonderbarsten Spielzeuginstrumenten, die man sich vorstellen kann. All dies sowie zahlreiche Vocalaufnahmen dienten als alleinige Samplequelle - "was für uns eine völlig neue Arbeitsweise war". "Es war uns wichtig für das Album den perfekten Erzählbogen zu spannen. Die richtige Reihenfolge zu finden war ein extrem aufwendiger Vorgang", erklären Harm und Merjin. "Uns war bange, wir fühlten uns total selbstsicher, uns zerbrach das Herz und wir verliebten uns erneut. Wir waren sogar von Tod und Selbstmord umgeben. Alles war Chaos. Insgesamt atmet "The Weight" die Reichhaltigkeit dieser sich ständig verändernden Gefühlslagen, frei von Einschränkungen und Regeln - außer vielleicht "mach es schnell und zerdenke die Dinge nicht." Inmitten dieser Ansammlung von Songs und Instrumentals, die aus Wevals einzigartiger, von Zuversicht geprägter Herangehensweise entstanden sind - "Musik, die dich hochzieht und Hoffnung spendet, ohne dich notwendigerweise happy zu machen. Der Titeltrack "The Weight" steht exemplarisch für Wevals ambivalenten Ansatz, die feine Balance zwischen Dancefloor und Traumzuständen, perfekt in Szene gesetzt von Soundengineer David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The XX, FKA Twigs, Caribou… etc.).

Der schwer aus gewaltigen Gewitterwolken tropfende Funk, die eine verhaltene Poolparty suggerierenden Riffs, die sinnlichen, geisterhaften Vocals und ein verwaschenes Ambiente, das wie ein Album alter Polaroidaufnahmen alle erdenklichen Momente des Lebens festhält - von den euphorischsten bis hin zu jenen, in denen Musik der einzige Trank ist, der Linderung verheißt. Das post-KLF und Boards of Canada evozierende "Are You Even Real" führt den Hörer auf einen imaginären Flug ins Sternenzelt, während organisch-klingende Songs wie "Someday" oder "Same Little Thing" wie Quecksilber am Boden haften. "Heaven" ist eines jener "kosmische" Stücke mit wilden Arpeggios und Pianosprengseln, die Weval in den vergangenen zwei Jahren zu einer Live-Sensation werden liessen. Wevals Musik ist schwerelos und luftig, aber gleichermassen von dichter Struktur und von einer magnetischen Anziehungskraft. Ihr zweites Album "The Weight" ist eine Synthese aus dem multi-perspektivischem, kaleidoskopischen Verständnis von elektronischer Musik: Herzerwärmend, alles umschmeichelnd und unendlich frei.