Photek has been making waves in electronic music since the release of his first drum-n-bass singles back in the mid-90s. The release of KU:Palm marks his first full-length studio album in five years, and it was well worth the wait.
Tracklisting:
01. Signals
02. Quadrant
03. Aviator
04. Pyramid
05. Shape Charge
06. Munich
07. Quevedo
08. Mistral
09. Oshun
10. Sleepwalking feat. Linche
11. One Of A Kind Feat. Breakage & Veronika Coassolo
12. This Love (feat. Ray La Montagne)
The album starts off with "Signals" and the signal is that this album is going to be exceptional. "Signals" is a really fun brokenbeat track that sets the mood for things to come. Next up is "Quadrant". "Quadrant" has a nice funky bassline and is a great midtempo track. Here is a full streaming preview of "Quadrant":
Next up is "Aviator". Another midtempo jam, the mood on this one is lighter than on the previous two songs. The song does a great job of continually evolving. Then we get to the "Pyramid". "Pyramid" features exquisitely crafted percussive elements and some very alluring background sounds. Here is a full streaming preview of "Pyramid":
You can get a free download of "Pyramid" by joining Photek's mailing list at his official site.
"Shape Charge" is the next song, and I've also got a full streaming preview of that one for you. A minimal vibe with scattered beats and bleeps, you can feel his classic drum-n-bass sound in the elements of this track.
Next up is "Munich". "Munich" is an abrupt change of pace, starting off with nothing but piano, slowly building into an epic sounding 4/4 groove, perfect for a movie soundtrack. "Mistral" promptly returns us to the broken beat vibe, this time adding an acid line. "Mistral" is another slow burner.
Now we dive in the "Oshun". This song also sounds like a great movie soundtrack song. It's got a 4/4 back beat, and is the most uptempo song on the album so far. Next up is "Quevedo". Slowing the tempo back down, this one has some great use of vocal snippets.
The final three songs all feature collaborations. 'One Of A Kind" features Breakage & Veronika Coassolo. This one is a great 4/4 track in the house tempo, but I wouldn't call it a house track. This song is uplifting without being cheesy. "Sleepwalking" features the vocal talents of Linche. Another piano-driven track, this one has great crossover potential. A nice heavy bassline and great lyrics make this a standout track. We end with another great song allowing a good vocalist to be featured, this time it is Ray La Montagne on "This Love". I am very picky when it comes to male vocalists with electronic music, and this combination works great. Another bass heavy monster, this one should satisfy those silly dubstep loving kids.
We also have a couple of free downloads for you from Photek. First up is a track that he gave away earlier this year that was from his DJ Kicks compilation. "No Agenda" is a great track with a deep tech house vibe to it.
You can also download his recent Essential 1 mix that features several songs from the new album:
Click Here to buy the album from Beatport.
Click Here to buy Photek music from iTunes.
Photek official site
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