October Albums previews

by Irina Kotik

The turning of the seasons means cooler weather, longer nights and more time to listen to new records filled with mesmerizing beats, hypnotic hooks and intricate textures.

Fall will see the most talented underground electronic music producers release their notable full-length albums. In anticipation of what is to come, we handpicked some exciting upcoming albums from Roman Flügel, Tuff City Kids, Michael Mayer, Jimi Jules and Pablo Bolivar.

Roman Flügel
'All The Right Noises'
Dial Records

Roman Flügel will be making his highly anticipated return to Dial Records with the release of his new full-length album, "All The Right Noises". Release day is set for October 28th.

With over two decades of music craftsmanship, two excellent solo albums under his own name through Dial Records, and numerous EPs and remixes, the iconic electronic producer continues to turn heads with his brand new album, "All The Right Noises". The undeniably beautiful ten-track offering steps away from the dancefloor and focuses on textures and sounds. As the album’s press release suggests, ‘All The Right Noises’ is made for empty hotel rooms, “a place where no beats are banging and euphoric party energy absent. A place where only heartbeats call the tune.” Here's what Roman Flügel said about the new album: “In addition to the contrast to the weekend business, I focused on the freedom of structure. Nothing needs faction. Some tracks are simply recorded live and never for quantized. It is an attempt to dissolve the musical pulse, or blurring it at least.”

Tracklist:
1. Fantasy
2. The Mighty Suns
3. Dead Idols
4. Nameless Lake
5. Warm And Dewy
6. Dust
7. Believers
8. All The Right Noises
9. Planet Zorg
10. Life Tends To Come And Go

Michael Mayer
‘&’
!K7 Records

Kompakt boss Michael Mayer is set to release his third full-length album ‘&’ on October 28th through !K7 Records. The album will serve as a follow-up to 2012's Mantasy. 

One of the leading producers behind the thriving German underground scene, Michael Mayer has produced four albums, 23 EPs, around 170 remixes, and legendary DJ mixes such as the Immer series and his contribution to the Fabric mix series. Inspired by a slew of back to back performances last year, Michael Mayer has joined forces with some good friends and incredibly talented producers for a collaborative new album, entitled “&”. The collection of 12 tracks features Roman Flügel, Prins Thomas, Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, Barnt, Gui Borrato, Agoria, Hauschka, among others. Here is what Michel Mayer had to say in a press release: 

“All of those involved are good friends of mine and not random choices selected from some Top 100 list. These people mean a lot to me - and by that the music we produced together is heart driven and emotionally powered. I felt we had a mutual privilege to share time together in the studio creating what you hear.”

Tracklist:
1. Michael Mayer & Roman Flügel - We Like To Party
2. Michael Mayer & Burger / Voigt & Voigt - Disco Dancers
3. Michael Mayer & Gui Borrato - State Of The Nation
4. Michael Mayer & Ed Macfarlane - Mind Games
5. Michael Mayer & Kölsch  - Germination
6. Michael Mayer & Miss Kittin  - Voyage Interieur
7. Michael Mayer &  Joe Goddard - For You
8. Michael Mayer & Agoria - Blackbird Has Spoken
9. Michael Mayer & Hauschka - La Compostela
10. Michael Mayer & Prins Thomas / Irene Kalisvaart - Comfort Me
11. Michael Mayer & Barnt - Und DaStehen Fremde Menschen
12. Michael Mayer & Andrew Thomas - Cicadelia

Take a listen to few tracks that have been premiered already:

Tuff City Kids
"Adoldesscent"
Permanent Vacation

Tuff City Kids, an outstanding collaboration project between two successful German artists, Running Back co-founder Gerd Janson, and Frankfurt-based producer and musician Philip Lauer, are set to release a new album on Permanent Vacation.

The new album, entitled " Adoldesscent", is a follow-up to the long line of singles and remixes released via well-respected labels such as Unterton, Delsin, Internasjonal, Permanent Vacation, and Life at Robert Johnson. The 10 track package is a testament to their musical partnership, their magical talent as producers, and their admirable discipline. Once a week, the artists would meet up at Lauer's studio to work on tunes together for an entire day. (Janson joked that "his role in the arrangement was limited to making coffee and looking at his cell phone.")

"Adoldesscent" is a reflection and taste of the broad spectrum of dance-floor oriented sounds and moods from 80's pop to the breakbeat techno. 

Tracklist:
1. Ophamar
2. Wake People
3. Tell me ft. Joe Goddard
4. Nordo
5. R-Mancer
6. Labyrinth ft. Annie
7. Asks ft. Kelley Polar
8. Boilered
9. Scared ft. Jasnau
10. Farewell House

Jimi Jules
‘Equinox’
Zukunft records

On October 10th, the incredibly talented Zurich-based producer, jazz musician, and DJ, Jimi Jules released his impressive debut full-length album “Equinox” via Zukunft Recordings. 

“Jimi Jules is a very unique character in the electronic music scene which you will immediately see and feel then you listen to his productions and DJ sets” says the Watergate Agency. “He sparks with joy and passion for his work in the club and the studio, which led to a Residency at Watergate in Berlin, Hive Club in Zurich, and various Gigs at Ushuaia, Ibiza during the summer.”

Without a doubt, he is one of the most promising upcoming artists in the international underground music scene. The album's 13 tracks masterfully balance the diversity and sophistication of Jimi Jules's unique kaleidoscopic sound, creative energy, and musical identity. Jimi Jules describes the creation of the album like this: “I don’t even know what came what came over me when I did it. ‘Equinox’ was the title I produced the fastest - basically in one flow. Altogether I produced around 100 demos and 35 tracks…. I enjoyed ‘Equinox’s vibe and event the title, which is funny because I did not know what that meant. Later on In googled it of course and thought 'that’s it.'"

Tracklist:
1. Bullshit People
2. Camel
3. Equinox
4. Fate
5. Graphic Iration
6. It’s Me, Music feat. Anouk feat. Jesaya
7. Moon
8. Paul
9. Running Away
10. Sirup
11. Truth Light
12. Too Young For Me feat. JAW
13. Lost Love feat. Tobias Carshey

Pablo Bolivar
'The Obscure Figure'
Seven Villas Music

Pablo Bolivar returns to his own imprint, Seven Villas Music with the new compilation album “The Obscure Figure”, released on October 3rd. 

Known for a high quality, elegant, deep, and soulful tunes that previously found their way onto labels such as Curle, Regular, Absurd, Avantroots, Desolat, the Cantabrian producer Pablo Bolivar has evolved his sound further by exploring the deeper, darker, more intricate and emotive shades of house music.

The album consists 5 new and exclusive tracks: ‘Probably Never’, ‘Cleaning the sky’, ‘Leaves without shadows feat. Upercent’, ‘Void’ and ‘Vacumn’.

Seventh Villa self-describes the album as such: "'The obscure figure' is a choral work in which the producer from Cantabria takes a chance on futuristic, sensitive and abyssal electronics. It is as deep, minimalistic and ambient as is intelligent and sophisticatedly clubbing when required. We are facing a record which seeks for, overall, auditory dreaminess, which craves for the listener’s reaction to the impact, or the cuddle from every beat on their inside. Pablo’s production is meticulous, velvety, it seems perfectly tempered. Sometimes, he lets himself go with the mild darkness of the summery twilight and some other times he dances to the sound of hopeful Autumn sunsets, both synthetic and flashing. No wonder, Bolívar keeps on deepening down the soul of his signature sound - which goes from house and techno to IDM and dub, always from a deep approach- and which plays, experiments and enjoys along places he only knows but we all indulge in."

Tracklist:
1. Probably Never
2. Black Mamba
3. Frequency
4. Cleaning the Sky
5. Leaves without Shadows feat. Upercent
6. Void
7. Vibrations
8. The Spark
9. Vacumn
10. Escape from Galaxy Five feat. Dosem