Afterlife Recordings Germany Schallplatten & CDs

Review: It's been three long years since Vaal's last 12", a collaboration with Italian tech-house types Tale of Us. "Wander To Hell" is an intriguing proposition. For starters, it's a song, with bittersweet vocals stretching out over sustained chords, woozy melodies, bubbly electronics and a tactile, soft touch groove. It's undeniably atmospheric, and arguably suitable for club plays despite its home listening roots. The accompanying remixes drag it further towards dancefloor territory. The Locked Groove Mix is darker, woozier and altogether more metronomic, while the Baikal Remix reinvents the original as a paranoid chunk of thrusting, late night techno.

Review: Tale of Us launch their Afterlife label in style with the Realm of Consciousness compilation. Bringing together some of the best-known names in contemporary techno as well as a group of newcomers, it moves effortlessly between esoteric moods. Tale of Us contribute the ambient intro, while Monoloc and Woo York are both in more mellow form than usual on the melodic "Phoenix" and "Poseidon" respectively. Meanwhile, Recondite contributes the sad melodies and throbbing bass of "Murphy's Law" and Locked Groove balances supernaturally beautiful hooks with powerful bass pulses on "Emeralds". Even more dance floor-focused tracks, like Obscure Shape & SHDW's "Die Wiederkehr", are filled with trancey melancholia.

Review: Woo York seem to save their best work for Tale of Us's Aftelife label. Their previous outing on the imprint, 2018 debut album "Chasing The Dream", was an underappreciated gem, and happily this EP-length follow-up is equally as impressive. Musically, all four tracks draw great influence from what some are calling neo-trance, employing riffs and arpeggiated synthesizer lines more often found in both trance and progressive house. The weightiest cut of the lot is "Dancing With Sirens", whose star attractions include squidgy bass, moody acid stabs and sustained, spacey chords, while opener "Echoes From Beyond" is sunny, summery and almost rush-inducing in its melodic positivity. "Minimalism", a deep and trippy excursion dominated by psychedelic acid lines, hoover noises and a lengthy breakdown, is also rather good.

Review: Kiev's Andrew Vanzhula and Dennis Andriyanov have been collaborating under the Woo York moniker for almost a decade. Since their first releases began to appear back in 2009, they have provided us with nothing but deep-minded electronic experiments, never tired of pushing the boundaries or exploring unchartered terrains. Chasing The Dream, which lands on Tale Of Us' Afterlife label, is actually the duo's first studio LP, but it sounds in no way like an amateur move. In fact, their quest for the deepest and most cavernous electronic sounds allows these 13 tracks to converse with one another, and to weave their magic into just about every corner. It's not really techno, it most certainly isn't house, and it isn't your typical flurry of ambient sounds. It's simply Woo York.