Dave DK - Val Maira Out now

An epic sonic journey crossing classic Kompakt territory - from Pop Ambient to tuneful techno and house -, comes with Dave DK's long-awaited new full-length "Val Maira". Following up to the much-adored "Palmaille" 12", it's a record as delicate as it is candid, deliberately showcasing all the producer's strengths and dodges, but ultimately - magically - amounting to so much more than the mere sum of its parts - in many ways, "Val Maira" is the perfect Kompakt record, albeit one that Kompakt never made... until now. Named after a valley in the Italian mountains, the album goes beyond admittedly impressive production skills, aiming for deeply personal expressiveness and emotional impact: "I've tried to create an interlocking atmosphere of merriment and melancholy for the full duration of an album", says the producer, not withholding his intention to create something beautiful - "I hope that one can hear a little bit of hope in the tracks, like everything's going to be fine." You might be forgiven for taking this as a massive understatement, coming from someone who seems to know a fair deal about that elusive something called human warmth. One could very well describe these tracks as both intimate and sociable at the same time, a rare combination that might also account for the vivid sonic storytelling present. Heavily influenced by film soundtracks, drone sounds and organic noise, Dave DK obviously feels very close to the perpetual atmospheric hum in between sounds, finding hooks and grannies in the tiniest nooks and crannies - and to hear these eleven tracks lovingly intertwining their inspirations while seemingly creating nutrient-rich textures and meaningful melodies out of thin ether remains a riveting experience even after the nth play-back. Now available as 2xLP+CD and CD.