Rising electronic musician DefSet announces forthcoming album

Rising electronic producer DEFSET shares Bathtime, the third cut and instant gratification track from the upcoming album Proximity, due for release via EMK – the new electronic music platform launched by Kartel Music Group on October 29th –

Stream ‘Bathtime’ here. Pre-order the album ‘Proximity’ here

DEFSET built Bathtime around a sample of an acapella of legendary Jamaican reggae group Black Uruhu he found. Talking about the creative process behind the track, he explains; I used to be the drummer in a ska/reggae band and the section at the start was something I had written for that. The Black Uruhu sample fitted beautifully and the song evolved from there.

The new cut follows recent singles ‘‘Deadlines’ and ‘Shira 2’, which have demonstrated DEFSET’s mastery in using modular synthesizers and outboard gear to create a pallet of evolving melodies over syncopated, glitched out rhythms, delivering a deeply accomplished sonic blend of immersive techno and atmospheric electronic music.

Inspired by DEFSET’s memories of the UK rave scene from the mid 80s to the early 90s, Proximity, explains the producer; it’s an homage to the incredible times I’ve had throughout the decades in the UK party scene. While making this album I rediscovered electronic music and rediscovered so many happy memories.

Written entirely in lockdown, DEFSET‘s upcoming debut album Proximity, was mixed and mastered remotely by Tim Pennells (Floating Points, Nyx, Gazelle Twins, Tourist, Honne). Talking about the album creative process DEFSET says; I started by buying some modular gear just before lockdown in an attempt to get back into creating stuff again, something I hadn’t done for about 5 years. I loved the hands on, computer free approach of modular synthesis. The lack of presets and the need to create every sound from scratch was hard to learn but completely liberating. I became obsessed with everything modular. If I wasn’t twiddling knobs I was watching YouTube tutorials or reading books and forums about it.

Through the album DEFSET experiments with dynamic loops, modular synths, special effects, EQs and filtered synth samples, creating every sound from scratch. The producer’s analog and modular approach to electronic music results in lush, energetic and enigmatic textural sounds.

The electronic dance music movement and the acid house movement are hugely important in music and youth culture and I was lucky to be around at the right time. I can’t help but be affected by those times and my music will always have one foot in a muddy field at 4am, he enthuses.