Artist: Klartraum
Title: Void Universes Album One: Energy Void
Label: Lucidflow
Release Date: 3rd April 2017

Tracklist
1 – Sheng-Fui
2 – Vision
3 – Dystopia
4 – Void Feeling Interlude

 

There are benefits to owning your own label. Besides being able to sign friends and newcomers alike, while heading up Lucidlow, Nadja Lind and Helmut Ebritsch have also been able to exert creative control over their Klartraum project to their own exacting specifications. Their last studio album ‘Enneagram’ was a conceptual piece that spanned four releases over the course of the year. Now their fourth album ‘Void Universes’ sees a similar concept, inspired by the teachings of Dr. Stephen Wolinsky, with each a quartet of releases themed to each one of the aforementioned universes.

The first of these collections is ‘Energy Void’, which leads with a track that is the sheer epitome of the Klartraum sound. ‘Sheng-Fui’ is all things rubbery, be it the thwip of the reversed kicks or the huge elastic basslines that soars over the top. It manages to juxtaposition both driving and languid energies simultaneously, odd bedfellows that find themselves at home side by side.

Next comes ‘Vision’, which presses firmly into soundtrack territories, laden with atmosphere. There is a slight hint of bygone times James Holden about the chord progression, a beautifully light touch on the glockenspiel that dances across the soundscape in ballet shoes. A promise – just watch your finger creep back to the rewind button on this one.

Then ‘Dystopia’ lives up its name, conjuring up a vision of a utilitarian landscape shrouded the smog of industry. The percussion ticks with clockwork precision, the melodic elements that exist verge on the dissonant before being permitted to raise into a minor swell. Mood, gloom and thunderclouds, sometimes this is what we need to cocoon our thoughts.

Finishing off is ‘Void Feeling Interlude’, a breezy and drifting ambient palate cleanser, featuring smoky scattered spoke word from Victoria Scott, that will leave you hanging on for the following parts to slot into their rightful place.

Coming out on 3rd April 2017 on Beatport, keep an ear to the ground for the forthcoming ‘Mass Void’, ‘Space Void’ and ‘Time Void’ editions.