ENERGETIC (2LP) | VINYL RECORD (LP)

Double LP version. DJ and producer Mathias Kaden has been on an energetic musical route since the beginning of his career. In his preferences he has never stuck to just one sound. From filigreed micro-house and percussive minimalism to his collaborations with Marek Hemmann and the Leipzig band Marbert Rocel (under the name Karocel), Mathias Kaden has continuously revealed new facets of his work. Six years after his widely acclaimed 2009 debut, Studio 10 (VA 004 CD/030 LP), Kaden now refers to both his musical roots as well as his current experiences as an internationally travelling DJ. With Energetic, he gives something back to the dancefloor, namely a positive and timeless vibe deeply rooted in funk and the dignity of the early house years. For Kaden, as for many others, this early house ethos forms the foundation for a classic club sound. His new warmth had already started to come through in 2013 on his Tentakle EP on Desolat (DESOLAT 020X-EP) and "Fin," an exclusive track for his Watergate mix compilation (WG 014 CD). Between autumn 2014 and spring 2015 Kaden took some time to produce Energetic. He invited the open-minded solo pianist and Karocel-partner Martin Kohlstedt to join him in the studio. The results are most apparent on the hymn-like, uplifting "Wisdoms," which also features live drums played by Kaden's longtime school friend Herby, a gifted drummer with his own studio in Gera, Germany. The bassline on "Get Phunky" is another live recording, this time from Dave Daniel of German band Lilabungalow. Kaden has also rediscovered his analog synthesizers. Juno 106, Moog Little Phatty, and Moog Minitaur shape the original sound of Energetic as much as the spoken-word elements of a number of vocalists, including American legend Foremost Poets, whose 1998 track "Moon-Raker" is one of Kaden's all-time favorites; exceptional hip hop and dancehall performer Aquarius Heaven; Zoe Xenia; Sophie Taylor; and Rocko Schamoni, star of German underground pop entertainment, who closes the album with a half-spiritual, half-laconic speech about the effectiveness of energy. Mario "Marlow" Weise, also known for his work with Sonar Kollektiv, provided the tonal finishing on the album. Energetic captures the manifold emotional billows of a club night. It concentrates on the essentials - few elements, full of energy; more soul and history than quick dancefloor effects. It is an album that is very close to Mathias Kaden as a person, which also shows in his track-by-track notes.