The emergence of ‘Protomensch’ by Felsmann + Tiley represents a profound evolution in the landscape of contemporary electronic music, positioning itself at the precise intersection of human vulnerability and digital precision. This expansive work functions as a dialogue between the synthetic and the organic, exploring what it means to possess a soul in an increasingly automated age. The duo, comprised of Dominik Felsmann and Patrick Tiley, has meticulously engineered a soundscape that feels architectural in its scope yet deeply intimate in its execution. By utilizing modular synthesis and a deliberate, self-imposed restraint (specifically the total absence of traditional drums), they build a bridge between the visceral energy of modern synthesis and the timelessness of neoclassical theory.
The album opens with the breathtaking “Open Fields,” a collaboration with The Kite String Tangle that establishes the panoramic ambition of the project. It is a track that breathes with wide-eyed wonder, setting a high bar for the technical and emotional complexity to follow. This leads into “Memory,” a piece that functions as a sonic meditation on the persistence of the past within the circuitry of the present. The atmosphere is further deepened with “Opioid,” featuring Pet Deaths, where the guest musicians bring a haunting, melancholic gravity that anchors the shimmering pulses in something profoundly terrestrial.
As the record unfolds, “Reset” acts as a structural clearing of the palate, a moment of pause and reflection that prepares the listener for the soaring heights of “Always You.” Featuring the distinctive and ethereal presence of Woodes, this track represents a high-water mark for the melodic sensibilities of the release, blending vocal warmth with the cold beauty of the machine. The narrative continues through “Seeker” and “Warnung,” two instrumental explorations that showcase the core duo’s ability to generate tension and release through purely atmospheric means, evoking a sense of ancient warnings whispered through modern wires.
The middle section of the release is characterized by a religious, almost secular-devotional quality. “Gabriel” feels like a modern hymn, a celestial transmission that finds its earthly counterpart in the tender, fragile movements of “Kind.” These tracks demonstrate that Felsmann + Tiley are not merely technicians of sound but composers of feeling, capable of evoking deep empathy through the arrangement of frequencies alone.
The thematic weight of the record reaches its zenith with “God Is Lonelier,” featuring the evocative contributions of Laius. The track is a stark, philosophical inquiry that lingers in the mind long after the music fades, questioning the isolation inherent in the act of creation. This leads into the final inquiries of the album, “Warum” and the concluding vision of “Neuzeit.” Together, these closing pieces suggest a transition into a future where the distinction between man and machine is no longer a conflict but a synthesis. ‘Protomensch’ is a demanding and rewarding achievement that captures the sound of a species in transition, affirming Felsmann + Tiley as vital architects of a new electronic frontier.
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