Double trouble time. First, because today’s release is about German duo Frankey & Sandrino, renowned for their mastery at electronic music production. And second, because they’re releasing a two-track EP, Memories. This new record is the third label outing with Innervisions, the world-famous, long-standing Berlin-based imprint working at the highest level within innovative electronic music. The icing on the cake is that Memories EP is also the first of a new series by Innervisions titled Vertical Farms, which aims to transform abstract concepts into tangible visual experiences.
EP opener is Memories, which gives the record its title. Elegant, subtle, beautiful, and somewhat nostalgic, this piece of house music features the powerful performance of London-based vocalist Charlotte Riby, which gives the song an aura of grandeur as well as intimacy. “How does it feel when the music makes you high? / How does it feel when my beat makes you fly?,” her vocals wrapped around us like a strong scent. It’s emotive, introspective, and creates in the listener a sense of longing and reflection.
On the other hand, there’s Blue Flash, the second and last song of the EP. This one is more upbeat and up-tempo, and through pulsating rhythms, we are transported into a complex sonic world created from many different layers in the studio. It has a unique depth to it, creating a soundscape that traps listeners in another dimension. The dynamism and progression of the melodies keeps us on our toes, surprising us with new sounds and variations.
Memories is, as we were saying before, the first work within the Vertical Farms project. Speaking of it, Innervisions label manager Michael Quack says: “The idea for this year's series was based on the development of a concept and its independent realisation, as close as possible to our ideas with the help of currently available technology. To transform our personal preferences for design, architecture, fabrics and science into models and textures that absorb these influences from the inside out. We approached the topic of Vertical Farms from the starting point of flowerbeds. Incorporating nature with its beauty, colors, scents and the general atmosphere of the space and its inhabitants; a haven for the senses! Yet, we have differentiated between two levels of these flowerbeds – a scenario that takes place above the earth, designed and manipulated by humans, and beyond that a network below the earth, a world that lies in darkness with all its living creatures and structures such as fungi or roots.”