Digitalism
Mirage
It#s hard to believe that it#s been over a decade since Digitalism broke through with their anthemic #Zdarlight'. Nu-rave and dubstep came and (largely) went hip-hop morphed into trap and EDM made pop stars out of dance DJs. Back with their third album, #Mirage' # some five years on from sophomore record 'I Love You, Dude' # the German duo have wisely resisted any vogues or trends. Instead, they present a record that takes their much-loved sound and opens it up to new permutations and possibilities. #Mirage' sees Digitalism return in their most complete and coherent incarnation yet the album spanning euphoric radio-friendly electronic pop and guttural dancefloor bangers with equal aplomb. Their songwriting craft has stepped up a notch too, their vocal tracks delivered with more conviction than ever and once again firmly placing them in a position as an act with big crossover potential. With a newly focused approach, the duo put together #Mirage' in the relatively short space of six months. #This time the production felt so natural and clear,# says Isi. #Our secret is our new light-heartedness.# The album was inspired by #deprivation and travel# # a nod to both the trials of their extensive touring that has taken them everywhere from Coachella to Melt!, and their respective residences in London (Jence) and Hamburg (Isi). #Usually, the best ideas just come to us when there#s not much going on immediately around us#, Jence explains of their creative process. #When you#re forced to imagine things, that#s when inspiration is best. You know, when you switch off the light in our bunker studio, it#s really dark, and there#s nothing - until you start creating things in your head - and then as music.# Dashes of disco, French touch, prog rock, rave and hip-hop are thrown into an eclectic sound palette that colours the album. From the full-power electro-indie of #Battlecry' to the upbeat rock flavour of 'Go Time' and the euphoric melancholy of #Utopia#, their sensibility for storming riffs and melodies hasn#t waned one bit. Then there#s the scintillating epic 'Destination Breakdown' and glitchy electro-rap #Ism' showing yet more accomplished diversity. The two-part title track shows the evolution of their synth work in stunning fashion, beaming in inspiration from the greats like Vangelis and Tangerine Dream across a mesmerising twelve-and-a-half minute journey that makes for an impressive album centerpiece #First of all it#s probably a snapshot of our thoughts, like a brain scan#, says Jence on his evaluation of the new album. "It#s a soundtrack to our own world, but so vaguely put again that other people can identify with it, or come up with their own analyses. It#s meant to be something fantastic, something beautiful, yet fragile. Maybe a parallel universe that you step into, and you get stuck there. Or you get back into normality, had a hell of a ride, and count the days until you can visit it again. It#s meant to stimulate your imagination.#
Tracklist
1. Arena
2. Battlecry
3. Go Time
4. Utopia
5. Destination Breakdown
6. Power Station
7. Open Waters
8. Mirage [Part One]
9. Mirage [Part Two]
10. Indigo Skies
11. Dynamo
12. The Ism
13. Shangri-La
14. No Cash
15. Blink