Petrichor – Narisshu

PetrichorThe moment I’ve been waiting for quite some time finally arrived. Soma just announced the second album by Simon Stokes aka Petrichor. And the best part: I was so lucky to get to listen to it already.

First of all here is the cover and the tracklist

Petrichor Narisshu Album Cover

  1. San
  2. There
  3. Valdo
  4. After Velvet
  5. 6EQUJ5
  6. Naurisshu
  7. MXT10
  8. blota
  9. Field Dub
  10. Riot Faux Pas
  11. Sapiens
  12. Last

Hardware enthusiast Simon who owns and runs a music school in Glasgow approach to music making is highly refined and over the years he has developed the soulful and unique Petrichor sound that combines House, Techno, Ambient and beyond.

Check out Soma’s Youtube and Soundcloud channel, I’m sure they’ll post teasers / previews of the Narisshu tracks soon.

There’s gonna be a double Vinyl Edition which I’m definitely gonna get :-)

Petrichor – Cloud Chamber EP

PetrichorSimon Stokes aka Petrichor makes a more than welcome return to his home label Soma with the beautifully crafted Cloud Chamber EP. After a series of well received singles and a stunning debut album under his belt at Soma, Petrichor cemented his name within the label’s ranks with his profound and delicate production style. This newest EP continues to see the talented producer go beyond the norm in his approach to his music.

Petrichor Cloud Chamber EP

Title track Cloud Chamber opens the EP in a typically stylistic way. Simon’s clean, grooving drum patterns are joined by ethereal pads that sweep effortlessly into existence, each layer adding is own particular nuance to the track all designed to deliver a unique emotive piece. Keeping the organic, beat driven feel, Rah-Koh delves even deeper. Animated percussive elements provide a background for yet more stirring synth work from Petrichor who uses spacial, dubbed out sections creating a subtle and mesmerising track. Completing the EP, Petrichor reworks the previous track creating Koh-Rah a perfect trip into the ambient stratosphere where he creates an evolving and modulating soundscape built around glistening pads and processed sound fields.

Charles Fenckler – Diving from the Void

Soma are proud to present the debut album from one of the most exiting Techno artists to spring out of the French scene in recent years, Charles Fenckler. A chance happening across his Soundcloud heralded some fine results for the Soma camp as back in 2014, the 20 year old Fenckler, exploded onto the label with the finely produced ‘Anklam’. Sporting such a mature sound for someone so young, his profile has been creeping up over the past 2 years, quickly gaining fans throughout the Techno community such as Jeff Mills, Marcel Dettmann, Josh Wink & Alan Fitzpatrick. His latest release in early 2016, Frozen Room saw him return to form after a short hiatus with the title track taking the scene by storm. With his debut album, Diving From The Void, Fenckler looks to continue his meteoric rise through electronic music.

Charles Fenckler

Fenckler takes a heady dive straight into things as opener Voices In Your Head, with it’s droning yet uplifting quality, seeps eerily through before Immersion starts to up the pace of the album, it’s pounding kicks and percussive workouts sitting atop a glistening, acidic melody. Charles continues on an old school tip as the wild Stellar Acid comes hard and fast, complete with powerful breakdown moment. The rave inspired Frozen Room, already a massive hit from the youngster, clatters in once again as Charles then give a nod to UK-breakbeat with the contemplative Estrange. Things get back to techno business quickly as Flirting with Disaster & Subject X103 come thundering through but still, Charles brings an emotive element with both tracks laden with polished, ethereal pads. Originally released in 2015, District Two makes an appearance with its straight up, driven 909 percussive workout. The Unknown brings an air of minimalism with its sparse synths and groove laden drums whilst Anxie ty’s sweeping drones and foreboding atmospheres follow before the galloping Raven closes out the album at a ferocious pace.

Charles has certainly explored all facets of Techno throughout this album and for someone still with much ahead of him, the future is certainly looking bright for this talented young Frenchman.

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SLV – Satellite / Darkness

cover of slv satellite darkness soma records
After his epic contribution to the Transmission series in spring Soma is proud to present the debut solo EP from the mysterious SLV. Characterised by tough, sub heavy percussion joined by melodic elements, SLV has crafted a very unique, mature sound in a short space of time and with Satellite he further explores the realms of deep, emotive Techno.

 

 

The sounds seem kind of familiar to me but to be honest I can’t tell who might be behind the SLV alias. But does it matter anyway as long as the sound is right?

Gemini Voice Archive – Encuentro

gemini-voice-archive-encuentro-soma
After a highly successful debut year for the Gemini Voice Archive duo returns to Soma in early 2016 with 3 more blistering Techno tracks Encuentro, Ancient Astronauts & Atmospheric Circulation.

This bold EP from the mysterious duo further cements their place within the new roster at Soma as their well produced sound goes up another notch and delves even darker. My favourites are Atmospheric Circulation and the title track

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Petrichor – Mångata

And here it is. The album I’ve basically been waiting for since Soma hooked me up with the promo of Petrichor’s first EP called “On Tides” in early 2013. Since I closed my Facebook account around half a year ago I nearly missed the release last friday, but I’m glad there are other communication channels.

I always have problems categorizing music. I can’t even do it for my own so how am I supposed to judge other people’s work? I strongly recommend you to take some time, listen to it and decide for yourself – or just not categorise at all, what’s the point anyway?

Whatever you call it, since you’re on my website I’m pretty sure you’re gonna like it. You know when you have to high expectations after a strong first and second ep and get dissapointed in the end? I was kind of sure that this couldn’t happen in this case – and I’m happy I was right. As I am writing this I am listening to it for the second time in a row and I still don’t know what to say. Is it the organic, melancholic, crisp sound? I don’t know. It is touching me on various levels, at parts it even gives me goosebumps. My biggest respect to Simon Stokes! Albums like that are the reason why I love music. If I had a category “album of the month” this would be it – and the ones to come.

@Soma: For some reason I didn’t get this one as promo but I’m glad I bought it. In case you should be in charge of Simon’s Bookings I hope that there’s gonna be a gig over here in Germany?!

Petrichor Mångata Cover

petrichor-mangata-cover