The French deep-rave & tech-naturalist imprint Virtual Forest Records gives us a masterclass of synth-tailored mental bass & IDM from the Swiss producer Fels. Hear the EP’s title track getting a peak-time remix treatment by Nostro Hood’s boss Galtier.
After putting out a handful of strong EPs and compilations during the last three years, the French label Virtual Forest Records is returning with a ninth project that will surely bring some pings to all exigent sonic heads. The collective was born in 2021 to make some connection between nature-focused club efforts and hi-tech sound design, launching a monthly residency on the cherished Toulouse-based web radio Egregore with their Profondeurs series, as well as releasing material from two out of three core members Solma and Fluid Matter.
They are now blessing our hungry bass ears with a following four-tracker by Swiss producer Fels, who just got wider public attention by composing outta mind EPs for Berlin’s Crux and London’s Stoneground. With Sirens, the Switzerland breakbeat knight pushes the sound deeper into synth-driven club arrangements, with a true sense of melancholy and drama that reminds the work of artists from Wordcolour, Lanark Artefax or Ilian Tape’s wizard Andrea. Gently moving from pad paradise composing on “Actually” and “Extase Rush”, Fels goes harder on the wobble duties with the title track “Sirens”, bringing drum & bass energy to his signature melodic track writing.
Hear now “Sirens” reshaped by the one and only Galtier, boss of the Nostro Hood label and familiar with the Infinite Machine crew with whom he released his first long-length Pulchra back in 2021 too. His remix keeps the original track’s rushy feeling and adds to it his rhythm crafting science, with hot drops and even some double-timed dembow groove into it. Another unmissable stellar club heater from the Bristol space captain.
Pre-order Sirens by Fels on Bandcamp, to be released on Virtual Forest Records on March 28th.