Today German synthesizer & producer duo Felsmann + Tiley have shared new track “Warum,” a spectral highlight that crescendoes into a thrilling, gossamer cascade.
The track, their first for Mute, is rooted in the existential question of “Why?”
In the words of Felsmann + Tiley: “Warum” is the German word for “why.” Asking why questions is the first thing we do as a child and one of the last things we do on our deathbed. Asking why is the motor that drove us to where we got to as a species. At the same time, not asking why often enough or asking the wrong questions seems to be pushing us to the brink of self-extinction. It’s absurd. And it’s beautiful.”
Listen to “Warum” HERE and closely read the mysterious embedded manifesto.
Despite their online ubiquity – sparked in part by viral reinterpretations like M83’s “Solitude” and the Irrepressibles’ “The Most Beautiful Boy” – and high-profile syncs on shows including “Young Royals” (season two), BAFTA-winning crime thriller “Top Boy” (season three), and Amazon’s “The Better Sister,” Felsmann + Tiley have lingered largely on the periphery, their origins cloaked in quiet anonymity, until now.
Having met by happenstance in 2003 on a German music production forum, Felsmann + Tiley soon discovered they shared a lot more than their hometown of Stuttgart. “We were attracted to the depth and melancholy of trance pads and breakdowns that always had a certain darkness to them.” Their 12-inch Kamui – Ghosts was the start of a string of highly-energetic club sound releases, reflecting their youth at the time. And then from 2006 onwards, they also started touring and doing DJ gigs around the world.
After a five year creative break, Felsmann + Tiley formed in 2017. “We were having a conversation over the phone and said: Let’s try something new and mix what we like best about electronic, neo-classical and film music, and give ourselves the conceptual constraint of not using drums and percussions and see what happens.” What started off as a pitch deck full of big ideas and even bigger visions would take eight years to grow into an ambitious, all-out artistic vision involving immersive live experiences and a social commentary on the current state of the world.
Looking back on the duo’s body of work, the early signs of major success were there from the start. One of the standout tracks called “October” off their debut album Tempora (2018), a 21st century take on Vivaldi’s cyclical Four Seasons, was featured on the late Andrew Weatherall’s final radio show for NTS Radio and Michel Gaubert’s set for the Swedish fashion house Acne Studios.
By contrast, their follow up EP Weltschmerz, a pitch-perfect post-mortem on clubland during Covid-lockdown, was nothing short of homecoming. “At the time we were knee deep in philosophy and reading a lot on existential nihilism,” the duo explains. “The world went dark so it was easy for us to match this with a few songs. That core melancholy goes all the way back to what brought us together in 2003. It’s in our DNA at the end of the day.”
Having purged the existential dread out of their system, there was more room for the life-affirming cinematic exploration that is front and center on the 2022 EP Retrovision, a record based on cinematic scenes. Another widescreen opus, “Arrival,” found its way onto classical powerhouse Deutsche Grammophon.
Felsmann + Tiley’s passion for putting their own stamp on vocally-driven tracks is evident on the standout moments of their new forthcoming music, of which more information will be shared imminently. The juxtaposition between sentient beings and machines permeates the new works.
“Warum” marks the beginning of a bold new era for Felsmann + Tiley, one that promises to pull them from the shadows and into sharper focus. As they push their sound further into emotionally-charged, genre-defying realms, their forthcoming work stands to not only deepen their intrigue but also define their long-awaited emergence. The quiet anonymity is fading, what comes next is poised for impact.
Purchase or stream “Warum” HERE.
