A first of many to come.
Circles & Stones release their debut EP „Various Gems
I" with four various artists who, at first glance, hail from
varying corners of the music spectrum.
The EP opens with "Cloud 9", an ode to summer by
Thomas Atzmann. Born in the morning at a time when
the world is just waking up and creativity flows freely, its
joyful tune and catchy breakbeat set the tone for an
uplifting kind of melancholia, tugging at your heart
strings all the while. "Kabale & Liebe", in which O/Y
interprets Robosonic's original version with his own
recipe for organic grunginess, combines euphoric synth
lines with organic percussions and haunting vocals,
finally releasing the tension that builds gradually within
the track's own story.
Side B begins with Arutani's slow burner "Back in Time",
a track that conveys a flavour of darkness that's never
heavy and always intriguing. The groove is easy, almost
playing with a lightness that permeates the whole track,
all the while alternating with a bassline that gives a
contrasting twang and reminds us of his individual,
pervasive sound. And last but not least, Midas 104
delivers a multi-layered, textured production for a perfect
close called "Quixotopia". The melody cascades into
waves of throbbing synthesisers, complex percussive
patterns and static sounds that are characteristic of his
style, and gives weight to an otherwise floating track.