Buy Link: bit.ly/3eZT7KH
Cult Berlin mix engineer, live act and producer Hannes Bieger steps out with his hugely anticipated latest album, ‘Pele’. It lands on Carl Cox and Christopher Coe’s Awesome Soundwave on May 1st and features six expertly designed tracks of deeply atmospheric techno.
Bieger is renowned for his track, ‘A Million Souls’ on Bedrock, as well as being one of the first people in the world to own a Moog system 35 Modular Synth, which features heavily in this album and lends it such a singular and space age feel. The album comes after some high profile EPs on the likes of Poker Flat and Flying Circus and features lead single ‘Poem for the Planet’ with acclaimed U.S. poet and vocalist Ursula Rucker. That track has a strong social and environmental message and arrives in tandem with World Environment Day on April 22nd, with proceeds from the track being donated to land repatriation and tree-saving projects through justdiggit.org and treecreds.com.
Bieger’s fascination with volcanoes and geological activity is explored in this beautiful body of work. The title ‘Pele’ is name of the goddess of volcanoes in Hawaiian religious mythology, and Hannes continues with this concept throughout the album. A deep, rumbling and almost meditative work, this album evokes feelings of majesty and brings to mind images of ever flowing magma in the bowels of the earth. Sometimes erupting in spectacular ways throughout.
The album kicks off with the 13 minute epic that is ‘Pele’, a deep space voyage with rubbery kicks and lots of sci-fi details that occupy the mind while the grooves get you in a trance. ‘Semeru’ is a track that simmers and bubbles, with plenty of suspense in the rippling chords and wavy basslines that sink you ever deep into the cosmos. ‘Vent’ is a cinematic and hugely evocative ambient track that casts you adrift somewhere amongst distant planets, and then the lead single speaks about the importance of our environment and looking after it while a lead synth and tense beats keep you locked.
‘Miocene’ then sinks you into more smooth and seductive deep techno drums and bass, with a vamping chord sequence always keeping you on edge as the keys twinkle up top like stars. Last of all, ‘Pluton’ is a screen and widescreen track with a gorgeous lead that is filled with melancholy and hope. This is an expansive and all consuming album that really takes you somewhere special.
Album credits: Written, produced and performed: Hannes Bieger // Vocals and Lyrics: Ursula Rucker // Mastering: Calyx
Release date: May 1st, 2020.