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LP
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KK 131LP
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Theresa Stroetges returns to Karaoke Kalk with her second album for the Berlin-based label, her fifth solo full-length with her Golden Diskó Ship project in total. Having released records with the Indian-German band project Hotel Kali as well as Painting, a group dedicated to audio-visual concepts, Oval Sun Patch sees her embrace influences from club culture, advanced electronic music, and pop more firmly than ever before. Over the past 15 years, Golden Diskó Ship has served a vessel with which the Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist has traversed a variety of genres and circumnavigated all conventions in the process. With Oval Sun Patch, Stroetges again sets sail into unknown waters with what is perhaps her catchiest album so far -- beat-driven, playful, atmospheric, and at times thoroughly anthemic. This is the sound of Golden Diskó Ship moving forward. The punchy beat and Moroder-like bassline that form the backbone of "Dolphins With Soft Helmets," the throbbing house and techno grooves underneath "Ephemeral Carnivores" and "Well-Oiled Machine," as well as the jittery IDM rhythms of "Google Your New Name" and her nods to trip-hop with "Tiny Island" do not so much follow established formulas as they use them as a starting point for wild experimentation instead. Stroetges juxtaposes complex rhythms with interlocking melodies and rich harmonies in ways that continue to surprise throughout and still leave enough space for the occasional wistful guitar or vocal passage. Oval Sun Patch is an album about change. The lyrics describe constant transformations of sceneries, relationships, physical and emotional states as well as the climate throughout its running time. Stroetges in the meanwhile leads the way as a singer, songwriter and producer who lets her music evolve constantly. This is sound, moving forward.
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CD
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KK 118CD
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Theresa Stroetges has and always will be a traveler. Under the name Golden Diskó Ship or as a member of bands like Soft Grid or the improv collective Epiphany Now!, the Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist has continuously been moving through the fringes of experimental music, but also extensively explored the possibilities of tried and tested formulas -- whether folk, rock, techno, or pop. With her fourth solo album, her first for the Karaoke Kalk label, the Golden Diskó Ship is yet again venturing into unknown territory. Araceae is inspired by environmental changes and the eerie feelings that arise when faced with natural beauty -- when everything seems perfect on the surface but something feels off underneath it all. As a whole, it is notably more focused on electronic grooves that provide the foundation for Stroetges's poetic long-form storytelling. Partially conceived during a residency in India, Araceae is the first Golden Diskó Ship record to feature two guest musicians. For "Wildly Floral, Slightly Damp", Stroetges collaborated with percussionist Dripta Samajder who with his Sri Khol contributes complex rhythms to a driving beat that wouldn't be out of place in the record bags of daring DJs. Sophia Trollmann takes over saxophone duties for "Ortolan", a riveting coming-together of intricate, IDM-flavored techno and jazz-inspired improvisation. Both are integral standout tracks on an album that clearly follows a holistic plan. Already the opener "Clouds of Neon Limelight" dips into anthemic synth pop territory, but unfolds into a great saga full of ominous undertones and Stroetges's trademark: layered vocals that at once evoke feelings of uncanniness and intimacy. It's a juxtaposition that runs throughout Araceae, thus enforcing the album's overall themes of sensual experience and alienation. "Game of Biryani" for example lends some of its musical structures from pop music, calling into question traditional songwriting conventions which here reappear as irritating echo effects rather than recycled old tropes. With the lush "Limping Over The Prairies" and the adventurous "Glow-in-the-Dark Gloves", Stroetges further challenges her audience by applying noise and a heavy dose of autotune respectively to disorientating effect. The couple makes for an impressive finale of an album that scrutinizes our ideas of what is natural -- whether in music or the world around us. Araceae was inspired by the travels of its creator, but also sets out to ascertain what lies beyond everything that eyes or ears can perceive.
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LP
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KK 118LP
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LP version. Includes download code; edition of 300. Theresa Stroetges has and always will be a traveler. Under the name Golden Diskó Ship or as a member of bands like Soft Grid or the improv collective Epiphany Now!, the Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist has continuously been moving through the fringes of experimental music, but also extensively explored the possibilities of tried and tested formulas -- whether folk, rock, techno, or pop. With her fourth solo album, her first for the Karaoke Kalk label, the Golden Diskó Ship is yet again venturing into unknown territory. Araceae is inspired by environmental changes and the eerie feelings that arise when faced with natural beauty -- when everything seems perfect on the surface but something feels off underneath it all. As a whole, it is notably more focused on electronic grooves that provide the foundation for Stroetges's poetic long-form storytelling. Partially conceived during a residency in India, Araceae is the first Golden Diskó Ship record to feature two guest musicians. For "Wildly Floral, Slightly Damp", Stroetges collaborated with percussionist Dripta Samajder who with his Sri Khol contributes complex rhythms to a driving beat that wouldn't be out of place in the record bags of daring DJs. Sophia Trollmann takes over saxophone duties for "Ortolan", a riveting coming-together of intricate, IDM-flavored techno and jazz-inspired improvisation. Both are integral standout tracks on an album that clearly follows a holistic plan. Already the opener "Clouds of Neon Limelight" dips into anthemic synth pop territory, but unfolds into a great saga full of ominous undertones and Stroetges's trademark: layered vocals that at once evoke feelings of uncanniness and intimacy. It's a juxtaposition that runs throughout Araceae, thus enforcing the album's overall themes of sensual experience and alienation. "Game of Biryani" for example lends some of its musical structures from pop music, calling into question traditional songwriting conventions which here reappear as irritating echo effects rather than recycled old tropes. With the lush "Limping Over The Prairies" and the adventurous "Glow-in-the-Dark Gloves", Stroetges further challenges her audience by applying noise and a heavy dose of autotune respectively to disorientating effect. The couple makes for an impressive finale of an album that scrutinizes our ideas of what is natural -- whether in music or the world around us. Araceae was inspired by the travels of its creator, but also sets out to ascertain what lies beyond everything that eyes or ears can perceive.
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