Colombian-born artist Juan Carlos Torres Alonso, aka https://soundcloud.com/okraa presents his third sonic exploration on A Strangely Isolated Place titled, La Gran Corriente. This album marks a profound shift in Juan's creative journey, where themes of portals, the illusion of time, and the paradoxes of self-discovery converge into a powerful auditory experience. More info and links to buy http://asip.me/asipv051

OKRAA / La Gran Corriente (ASIPV051) [Previews]

written & produced by heiko badje & markus guentner
lyrics & vocals by heiko badje
remixed by osunlade

learn how to love me (yoruba soul suite)

"All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril." (Oscar Wilde)

The two artists Markus Guentner and Heiko Badje; the latter is also known for his own project "La Grande Illusion", go beneath the surface of the musical term and symbol "Pop Ambient" with their new ep 'LEARN HOW TO LOVE ME'

The danger in which both put themselves falls upon a velvet ground. Because in their collaboration both pop and ambient equally enjoy the status they deserve. So on the one hand the result is ambient in its classical form and on the other it is the reflection of the term pop as a symbol, a symbol which seems to be shimmering in a subtle and melodical way beneath warm spherical soundscapes, structured by the vocals.

So, what makes this combination so fascinating? It is their longstanding work, which predestines both musicians for this musical experiment.

Heiko Badje as La Grande Illusion delivered songs both analog and digital, europhic and melancholic, playful and austere. Even then the big question was: If pop is pure surface – how deep must be the depth thereunder? The music itself gives us the answer, if one dares to go beneath the surface: this music sounds like life as it should be – a bit more dreamy, a bit more fragile and happier than our everyday lives. In short: let us talk about style and not hype. Music beneath the surface: this also characterizes the work of Markus Guentner, whom the music press proclaimed as the "originator of pop-ambient". His last album "Doppelgaenger" was hailed as a work of hushed sound, which is capable to enchant the listener completely. But this kind of music is not destined to be solely listened to at home: At the end of 2009 Markus Guentner gave an example of his live skills as an ambient artist when he participated in the media art project "collapsing borders" in Ann Arbor/USA.

Crossing borders in a gentle kind of way is the achievement of the first ep 'LEARN HOW TO LOVE ME' by Markus Guentner and Heiko Badje aka STAREAWAY. It sums up that pop permeates the face of ambient and ambient is floating around the surface of pop.

learn how to love me (yoruba soul suite)

stareaway

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