Klangwelt - Here and Why (2022) [Hi-Res]

The predecessor "The Incident" from 2018 was played extensively on the radio in America, and not without reason: Gerald Arend aka Klangwelt is known for innovative electronics, and his fifth album surprises again with fresh impulses and expressive sounds.

Noises and snatches of speech from the dark past meet cold beats and sequencers ("Cold War Child"), Mellotron choirs meet pearly piano arpeggios ("Corium") and rich bass synths meet Jean-Michel-Jarre-like sequences ("Futurist"). Vocoder pop reminiscent of Kraftwerk and OMD ("Information") alternates with stylishly alienated vocal samples ("Muse") and warm analogue pads à la Vangelis ("Ago").

Klangwelt has been inspired by the huge variety of European electronic music, but has long since found its own unmistakable signature. "Here and Why" is a mature album, unpredictable in the best sense of the word, full of details worth discovering, excellently produced and always melodic and accessible despite all the joy of experimentation.