Get Hidden Empire's 'Mind Palace' here: 
/Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/release/mind-palace/2217411
/iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/de/album/mind-palace/1348562249

Bridging instrumental tact with melodic mysticism, live act and DJ duo Hidden Empire present their debut album Mind Palace, the fruit of their labour of one whirlwind year. On Stil Vor Talent they find a welcome home, having already gained traction with several releases on the label as well as other renowned imprints such as Suara. 

Ranging from downtempo electronica to iterative techno with groovy house incursions, the diversity of the genres explored across the 16 tracks mirror the Cologne-based artists’ own sonorous influences as well as their diverse musical sympathies.


Artist: Hidden Empire @hiddenempire
Title: Mind Palace
Label: Stil vor Talent 
Catalogue No: SVT222
Release: 2018-03-23

1. Journey into Self
2. World of Fantasy 
3. Hummus
4. Pure feat. Inga Nelke
5. Acid Flashback 
6. Asmoday 
7. Limbo in Detroit 
8. In the Woods 
9. Fafnir 
10. Black Beauty
11. Marching Whales 
12. Tornado 
13. Natural Takeover 
14. Brave of the Minority 
15. Mind Palace
16. Dejavu 

Fluid, atmospheric tracks set a consistently lush vibe overall, from the esoteric kickoff track Journey Into the Self to subtle warm-up tools like the oriental-instilled Hummus and Fafnir, or the couple’s first vocal collaboration Pure. Fellow Cologne singer Inga Nelke brings a touch of sensuality with her soft vocal chops atop a broken beat-infused melody accented with gripping piano chords.

But it’s in club tracks that the album abounds, found often in antithetical pairings, whether it’s the marriage of a Moog bassline and warm Caribbean rhythms in Detroit in Limbo or the juxtaposition of analogue and digital rhythms on In The Woods, created using sylvan recordings as percussion. It’s the title track Mind Palace, however, that reaches the apex of antipolar combinations, displaying a breakbeat-heavy lead doused in exotic vocals perched onto a steady bassline, underlining the artists’ knack for innovative rhythms.

A nod to the classic heydays of acid comes in the shape of Acid Flashback, centred around a massive synth hook courtesy of the iconic Roland 303, a tinge slightly present on the spiralling fierce cut Asmoday, albeit a fraction more subtle.

Energy is one of the key traits of the album, as Branko and Niklas conceive a copious amount of hard-hitting tracks that amplify and engage towards the second half of the record. Black Beauty oozes stamina from the get-go, its relentless groove guiding a subdued bassline and minimal elements towards the peak point. With Natural Takeover, a tech powerhouse with a tenacious lead and ominous vocals, the album reaches its darkest corner of the Mind Palace universe.

All in all, the artists showcase a plethora of straightforward tracks with heterogeneous sound aesthetics, where a closer listen can only reveal further and more elaborate depths.

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Hidden Empire - Fafnir [Snippet]

Demo submission only to: demo@stilvortalent.de 
Booking requests: booking@stilvortalent.de
General requests: music@stilvortalent.de

Hello Everyone! I blend different styles with those of Techno and Minimal Techno. Hope you enjoy my beatz.
-Isidro Verter

Come in peace or don't come at all. ▶️

Chris Plettenberg =  Dark Minimal & Melodic Techno
Plette = Juicy Minimal & Disco House
Co-Founder of https://soundcloud.com/beschaeftigungstherapie


Gigs 2023 - Plette :
11.02.  Unverschämt | Berlin
24.02. Promenaden Eck | Berlin
01.04. Ritter Butzke | Berlin
16.04. Sage Beach | Berlin
24.06. Gestrandet | Berlin
11.-13.08. Buschtanz Festival I Tutow
17.08. Salon zu wilden Renate I Berlin
16.09. Unverschämt | Berlin  
30.09. Sage Beach | Berlin
27.10. Die Kunstbar | Köln
23.11. Salon zu wilden Renate I Berlin
02.12.  Bredouille Bar | Berlin
30.12. Birgit&Bier | Berlin
16.12. Unverschämt | Berlin

Gigs 2023 - Chris :
13.01. Nachtigall | Köln | DE
14.01.  Meyers | Köln  |  DE
17.02. Engels I Berlin
25.02. Bahnwärter Thiel | München
01.04. Ritter Butzke | Berlin
16.04. Sage Beach | Berlin
30.04. KitKat | Berlin
13.05. Team Turbo | München
16.06. Station Endlos | Halle
24.06. Gestrandet | Berlin
13. - 17.07. Feel Festival | Bergheider See
22.07. Gestrandet | Berlin
28.07.  Ritter Butzke | Berlin
29.07. Praerie Festival
03.08. Salon zu wilden Renate I Berlin
27.08. KitKat | Berlin
02.09. Palais | München
08. - 11.09. Mystic Creatures Festival I Poland
23.09. Ritter Butzke | Berlin
27.10.  Die Kunstbar | Köln
11.11.  Zimmermanns | Köln
18.11. M's Club | Detmold
08.12. Palais | München
16.12. Unverschämt | Berlin

Gigs 2022 :

12.02. It's a Bar | Berlin
16.04. Velvet Monkey | Berlin
30.04. Marie Antoinette | Berlin
07.05.  Forsthaus Mühlthal | München
13.05.  Beate Uwe | Berlin
14.05. Secret | Berlin
11.06. Secret Castle Wedding | Marburg
17.-19.06. Private Festival | Brandenburg
25.06.  Gestranet | Berlin
02.07. Ritter Butzke | Berlin
03.07.  Loom Festival | Berlin
08.07. Phono Club | Berlin
19.07.  Feel Festival | Bergheider See [BRA]
06.08.  Velvet Monkey | Berlin
19.-21.08.  Buschtanz Festival | Tutow [MV]
03.09.  Kater Blau | Berlin
04.09. Kater Blau | Berlin
12.11. Mustache | Bangkok I TH
26.11. Cult Festival | Koh Phangan | TH
09.12  Palais | München
17.12.  Velvet Monkey | Berlin


Bio:

Chris comes from a small industrial city nearby Frankfurt, where he spent his weekends working long shifts at the town’s iron factory. He moved to Berlin in early 2017 and quickly fell in love with the unique vibe of the city’s techno clubs. The music, community of local DJs, and electric energy he felt while dancing inspired him to buy a controller and learn to mix — he wanted to see how it felt to be the one behind the decks leading the crowd. 

Within the next few months, he had his first gigs and co-founded Beschaeftigungstherapie with his friend Justus. After experimenting with different musical styles of progressive house and melodic techno, he found his home in dark, minimal techno. Over the past couple of years, he and his parties have become a regular act in Berlin’s finest underground clubs.
In addition to clubs such as the Mensch Maier, the Birgit and beer and the legendary bay, he played numerous other Berlin clubs and underground locations in and around Berlin.