Charlotte de Witte's KNTXT sub-label RPM welcomes Austrian trance tastemaker Alpha Tracks for his superb new Thrife Life EP. Across four cuts he blends ethereal vocals, widescreen synth craft and deep hypnotic power.
Says Charlotte: "I fell in love with Alpha Tracks' productions many years ago. His deep, trancy, moody sound has always grabbed my attention. It's after meeting each other in Vienna early 2024 that we agreed on doing this out of the ordinary EP for RPM by KNTXT. I'm very honoured to have such a talented artist on board."
Vienna's Felix Benedikt is the man behind this vital alias and is one of Europe's most fascinating acts right now. He has released his evocative sounds on several influential labels and often produces his music live on analogue machines which lend them a dynamic edge. He ignores all rules and tempos and explores across a wide range of subtle in-between styles, as he shows here.
This new record brings together his most diverse musical influences of recent years and explores brand new sonic territory by overcoming existing genre boundaries. It was produced in a small secluded fishermen’s village in Greece and experiments with a new aesthetic in terms of vocals and various genre references.
First up is 'New Forgiveness' with its tightly woven layers of gurgling bass and loopy percussion. Ghoulish voices are offset by super sweet female tones and suspensory chords that keep you floating above the dance floor. 'Secrets' picks up the pace with rubbery and smooth drums and bass and angelic vocals all working you into a trance. Then the superb 'Collect The Sun' has a dubby and driving undercurrent with future synth lines and richly atmospheric pads making for a cinematic trip.'Insomnia' is an eerie and alluring blend of deep, urgent drums and bass and pitched up vocals that bring an ethereal and otherworldly edge.
These are four fresh tracks that have a personality all of their own.
