STL - Illumination (2022)
Goldmin Music
Tags: #deeptechno #dubtechno
Out since August this year, this album has been getting more and more spins in my headphones ever since.
Berlin-based producer Stephan Laubner aka STL has released several albums and dozens of tracks over the years. Always quality and one of those artists whose every output makes it to my headsets or turntable. This album, which is a follow-up to an EP of the same name, is his best work so far.
As a producer, he hovers above conventional categorization. Something which the press release for this album describes quite well:
"Laubner has "no belonging to a specific musical movement, no proclaimed minimalism, no declared dub-techno. It is like he, as an artist, was floating all over the "scene" and only grabbing elements from one place to another, discretely, in order to convert and adapt them for his particular and exclusive use." I can subscribe to that.
'Stoner Dub' opens the album with a laid-back vibe, a subdued, underplayed kick drum, and lots of LFO-swerving dubby synth chords. A nice, minimal start to this record which gets a lovely amount of elbow space by running for almost 11 minutes. I am a sucker for tracks like this.
The title track 'Illumination' comes next. It is a lovely deep techno track that slowly builds up for even longer than the first track, 12 minutes. A lot of echo is added toward the end and lets the track ooze out nicely.
'Sunny Side Up' follows the tradition of long, slowly-progressing tracks with its 13-minute length. Super deep basslines, a kick-drum like a freight train, and classic, gritty dub techno chord samples lead this one to a soft yet mesmerizing crescendo. 'Ocean' follows suit; another 12-minute dub techno belter.
Offering noisy and intense little intermezzos, the album is sequenced by the occasional break-snippet, like 'Fast Fizzy' and 'Loop Goldmin,' which each serves as welcome breaks to the long grooves.
'Trip Trap', at almost 15 minutes in length, is a lovely unconventional track. Mixing a plethora of curious flute sounds with a pounding kick drum, it's something I haven't heard before. It's techno, for sure, but very original.
Lastly, I want to highlight 'Kingston Sunbake Chill' and 'No Sun Today,' which wrap up the album nicely with laid-back vibes. The latter is practically a trip-hop track, which is rare these days.
The album comes out on Paris-based Goldmin Music, established in 2012 as a space devoted to various types of electronic music, often rather unconventional material.
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