Dave Dk - Val Maira (2015) FLAC

The omnipresent man in the background

David Krasemann is a restless wanderer in Germany’s always vital electronic music scene, it seems. He’s been around since the late 90s, released his first single back in 1998, was resident DJ at the legendary Berlin techno club Tresor and later the Panorama Bar and has been actively spinning records wherever he can. Still, DAVE DK never became a big player of the German techno game but more of a steady secret tip for all those who like their clun sounds with a bit more musical substance and depth. Val Maira, his first full-length release for acclaimed Cologne-based Kompakt Records delivers exactly that sweet mixture. It’s only his third studio album in 15 years, following Sensory Overload (2000) and Lights And Colours (2007), so you can be sure that Krasemann carefully compiled the best possible outcome for his album.

Sunny beaches, not gloomy clubs

A signing to Kompakt seems like a logical consequence once you listen to the opening tracks Fade In and Halma. The tunes deliver a gentle minimal beat, tender electronic elements swirling all around, leaving space for the sensual melodies of DAVE DK. It’s material in the tradition of other artists like ROBAG WRUHME, GUI BORATTO or even JON HOPKINS. It’s club music that isn’t specifically designed for the club only. Surely, there are some darker endeavours like We Mix At Six or Smukke who would also work at the Panorama Bar. But on the other side we’ve got tunes like Kronsee and Veira which are drenched in sunlight and deliver such a wonderful warm feeling that they would better work at a chilled-out barbecue close to a lake with the sun slowly sinking in the background. Yes, romantic images are being placed in our head while enjoying Val Maira but don’t tell us you wouldn’t fall for the sweetness of piano-driven gem like the tender Immer Gut.

Go with the flow

DAVE DK delivers music for heart, feed and your head. A well-produced variety of electronic tracks, constantly circling around techno, house, pop and even ambient music. There’s a lot of sounds to be discovered on Val Maira. Without the exception of Whitehill – which features Piper Davis on vocals – the album is an instrumental one which also really helps to create the image of a coherently flowing electronic longplayer. It works as a whole and delivers satisfying material for all lovers of Kompakt, Pampa Records or Co. Val Maira might not reinvent the wheel and it feels a bit as if Krasemann could go even further in terms of an abstract sound (Just take the latest album by EL_TXEF_A for example) but that might be a task for his next album. Hopefully, it won’t take another seven or eight years before that happens.

If you love melody-loving techno sounds with musical substance and a cert



Release-Date: 27.04.2015
Label: Kompakt

Tracklist:
01. Fade In
02. Halma
03. We Mix at Six
04. Whitehill (feat. Piper Davis)
05. Smukke Lyde
06. Naschi
07. Nueva Cancion
08. Veira
09. Immer Gut
10. Coolette
11. Kronsee