After almost six years, Djrum returns with a work that cannot be summarized in a few words. Under Tangled Silence is a multi-layered, formally complex album – a musical diary of time, loss and transformation. The British producer and DJ, Felix Manuel, was already known on previous releases for his combination of techno, jungle, ambient and jazz, always characterized by the spirit of London’s post-dubstep era. Most recently, on Meaning’s Edge, he focused on the flute – an instrument he now incorporates even more subtly.
Created over the course of eight years and almost lost due to a hard drive crash just before the pandemic, Under Tangled Silence seems like a work that has grown in layers. Strings, piano, cello and flute form the emotional center, while uncompromising percussion, deep drones and elements of hardcore continuum create contrasts. But Djrum also leaves room for silence, for delicate arrangements, for melancholic piano reflections that comfort with ambient gloves. His musical language is more open than ever, yet precise and dramatically charged. This is not an easy album to get into – but those who do will be rewarded with a listening experience that oscillates between modern classical music and club culture. Under Tangled Silence is not a return – it is a reinvention.
Under Tangled Silence
