With the short crisp chill of early spring moving into longer hazy days, we were desperate for something new to while away the time spent dreaming of summer bliss. As if by magic this new self-titled record turned up from Vermont – a collaboration of Danilo Plessow (MCDE) and Innervisions’ Marcus Worgull. This is the debut of each of these artists on well established label Kompakt, released this week.
The LP gives a familiar slice of the sleek, chilled out German pop we have come to expect from Kompakt. These two familiar artists have teamed up to produce an album, which sounds as cool as the German city of Cologne, where it was recorded in Danilo’s former studio. The tracks were produced using vintage synthesizers and analogue equipment giving the release a soft, warm sound.
Arpeggiated melodies and sustained keys create encapsulating introspective dreamscapes, which you can really lose yourself in. The album has strictly avoided sampling and the result is a record which sounds like exactly what it is – two great producers jamming together and getting their ideas down to create slices of skilfully crafted sonic imagery. ‘Majestat’ featured above gives a perfect example of their mindful wanderings. Notable contributions come from Can’s Jaki Liebezeit on percussion, Dominik von Senger (Phantom Band, Dunkelziffer and New York’s Golf Channel) on guitar, Ireland’s Dermot O’Mahony on violin and Cologne’s Lena Willikens (DJ and member of the noise duo Titanoboa) playing the theremin.
This is the kind of thing you could listen to at any time of the day, perfect for sitting down with a nice cup of herbal tea and sinking into a comfy sofa.
Go buy the album and treat yourself to an uninterrupted evening of self-indulgent listening: http://www.juno.co.uk/artists/Vermont/
To delve into the Kompakt world visit their site here: http://www.kompakt.fm/
