No. 06: David August ‎- D’Angelo

David August ‎– D’Angelo
Label: [PIAS] Cooperative ‎– PIASR392LP
Released: 12 Oct 2018
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient, Experimental, Downtempo

DAVID AUGUST – 33CHANTS

The second single of David’s new album „D’Angelo“ coming on October 5th via [PIAS].

David August – D’Angelo

The first single of David’s new album “D’Angelo” coming on October 5th via [PIAS].

David August – A Golden Rush w/ Nelia Kit

Listen to David August’s ‘A Golden Rush’, released now as part of “The Spell / A Golden Rush” EP, his second for Counter Records (a Ninja Tune imprint). Representing David August’s first officially released co-written song alongside hitherto unknown singer-songwriter Nelia Kit, the track utilises her vocals to full effect. On working with the fellow Berlin-based artist, David says:

“Nelia and I have been friends for a while. She was telling me about her songwriting, so one day she came over to my studio and brought these lyrics with her. We jammed on the guitar to it and recorded it right away.”

Both tracks find David August displaying the same dynamism and classical-meets-cutting-edge sensibilities that have seen him combine performing an original composition with the 50-piece Berlin Symphonie-Orchester for three sold out nights in partnership with Boiler Room, headlining his own live show at London’s KOKO which sold out in a week, playing festival dates all over Europe including Roskilde and a rapturous set at Sonar and curating his own 15 date DJ tour with guests including Leon Vynehall, Axel Boman and Gerd Janson all in the space of six months, performing in front of over 100,000 people this year alone.

The release of the follow-up EP to “J.B.Y. / Ouvert“ on Counter Records rounds off a chapter and marks a turning point in David August’s work. “The Spell / A Golden Rush’ to me personally closes a musical chapter and sets an end to a certain way I have been approaching production and writing music in general…What the future holds will be of a different nature. One I have come to embrace, but have not fully explored yet.“

The Spell / A Golden Rush EP is out now: https://DavidAugust.lnk.to/spell

David August – The Spell / A Golden Rush EP

Having performed in front of over 100,000 people this year alone, David August is set to finish 2016 in typically trailblazing fashion. His forthcoming “The Spell / A Golden Rush” EP is the second for Counter Records (a Ninja Tune imprint) and has just been premiered via XLR8R. Lending weight to the announcement is news of August sharing the bill with electronic supergroup Moderat in Brussels (30/9) and Amsterdam (1/10) this weekend.

The 12” partners August’s previous release “J.B.Y. / Ouvert” and feels like a natural progression from where it left off. Boasting the same craftsmanship he lends to all of his productions, ‘The Spell’ track unites propulsive breakbeats and soaring pads over a lush sound-carpet of delicately arranged noise and field recordings before taking a sudden turn, a woman’s voice intruding to bind “The Spell” in words.

‘A Golden Rush’ also utilizes vocals, representing David August’s first officially released co-written song alongside hitherto unknown singer-songwriter Nelia Kit. On working with the fellow Berlin-based artist, David says:

“Nelia and I have been friends for a while. She was telling me about her songwriting, so one day she came over to my studio and brought these lyrics with her. We jammed on the guitar to it and recorded it right away.”

Both tracks find David August displaying the same dynamism and classical-meets-cutting-edge sensibilities that have seen him combine performing an original composition with the 50-piece Berlin Symphonie-Orchester for three sold out nights in partnership with Boiler Room (where he also has a DJ set with over 3.5million views), headlining his own live show at London’s KOKO which sold out in a week, playing festival dates all over Europe including Roskilde and a rapturous set at Sonar and curating his own 15 date DJ tour with guests including Leon Vynehall, Axel Boman and Gerd Janson all in the space of six months.

The release of the follow-up EP to “J.B.Y. / Ouvert” rounds off a chapter and marks a turning point in David August’s work, “The Spell / A Golden Rush’ to me personally closes a musical chapter and sets an end to a certain way I have been approaching production and writing music in general… What the future holds will be of a different nature. One i have come to embrace, but have not fully explored yet.“ says August.

Having operated in the same sonic landscape as fellow celebrated experimenters Nils Frahm, Nicolas Jaar and Jon Hopkins for a while now, David August is poised to have a big 2017.

David August – J.B.Y.

Half way through ‘J.B.Y.’ – the lead track from David August’s new release – the spiralling arpeggios, treated vocal refrain and tumbling syncopation fall away, breaking down to a swirl of freeform ambience and splintered piano, as the sounds take shape the vocal returns coupled by drums – the ear anticipates “the drop”. But this isn’t house music, this isn’t the clubs, this isn’t the places August has been hitherto. ‘J.B.Y.’ resolves not with an explosive “moment” but with delicately beautiful Erased Tapes-esque piano introspection and the evocation of tape-hiss drenched ambience.

Through this subtle act of the sort of sonic defiance noticeably absent in an increasingly conservative and by-the-rules electronic music scene, August not only marks his debut on Counter Records (the Ninja Tune imprint) but signals another new chapter in a musical journey that, at just 25 years, has continually refused to conform. Born in Hamburg, David now lives in Europe’s capital city of forward-thinking dance music Berlin. He has released music on labels spanning underground hothouse Innervisions and Diynamic; remixed the likes of Max Cooper and The Acid; won 4th place in Resident Advisor’s best live acts of 2014 and 2015; embarked on a PHD in sound design; worked on politically charged music with Greek harpist and singer Sissi Rada; and performed a Boiler Room live set that has been watched by over 2.5 million people.

Excelling in the live realm, David played a string of live band shows in 2015 including sold out dates at Amsterdam’s Melkweg and a stripped-back performance at Hamburg’s Planetarium. August also recently performed with the 50-piece Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin for 3 consecutive sold out nights. It is clear he is part of a vanguard of artists expanding the ambition of electronic music. Experimenting with form, and writing songs with real emotive depth, August’s music has something in common with fellow innovators Nils Frahm, Caribou and Jon Hopkins.

David August will headline London’s KOKO on 29th June with his acclaimed live show, tickets on sale Friday 4th March.

‘J.B.Y.’ is released 4th March, ‘Ouvert’ will follow at a later date, with a vinyl release due May 2016.

Live dates
16 June – Barcelona – Sonar Festival
29 June – Headline live set, KOKO London
1 July – Amsterdam – Pitch
16 July – Dour – Dour Festival
29 July – Diepholz -Appletree Garden Festival
30 July – Stuttgart – Stuttgart Festival
19 August – Hamburg – Dockville Festival

Buy-links: Counter | iTunes | Apple Music | Spotify | Google Play | Bandcamp 

David August – Patria feat. Sissi Rada

German producer David Nattkemper, aka David August, offers for free a great downtempo house track called “Patria” with Greek lyrics. Featuring vocals from Sissi Rada.

“Last year I met Sissi Rada. She was singing in Greek and playing the harp when I first listened to her.

I asked her to record something with me as I wanted to use her voice for my music. We sat down, I played the harmonies on my Prophet 5 and she would jam over it. Her first take is the take you’re listening to. Back then I was in my bedroom studio. We had noises from the street, roommates the next door, but the take captured the magic and the spontaneous moment of just doing music. I didn’t want to record it again.

Her lyrics are about the devastating political and financial situation in Greece and I tried – as much as I could do – to reflect that with my music.” – David August

The lyrics:

Η πατρίδα μου
μαραμένη
χώματα και θάλασσα και φρούτα
Στοιβαγμένη
σ’ αεροπορικά εισιτήρια
Μαζικά συλλαλητήρια
Αέρα σου στρωσα και λούσα

Η πατρίδα μου
αμβλώνεται και κουράζει
με αλλονών τύπους
χώματα και θάλασσα και φρούτα
συμφέρει.

The Acid – RA (David August Remix)

Minimalist electronic trio, The Acid’s new single RA (released this June via Infectious Records) has been given the David August rework.

This new rework comes from Berlin based, classically trained pianist/ producer, David August, hailing from fellow German, Solomon’s Diynamic camp (previously making his debut for Dixon’s Innervisions label).

August injects layers of atmospheric percussion into the acoustically driven original for a dreamy down tempo edit, looping in the soft vocals that coo “come on, come on”.

August’s re-work is the second in a series of remixes with more to follow from Alex Banks, Weval and Olaf Stuut ahead of The Acid’s summer gigs and festival dates including Appletree Garden Festival, DE and Secret Garden Party, UK.

David August – Her Myth

German house producer David Nattkemper aka David August shares for free a new track to celebrate hitting 100k likes on his Facebook page! Stream and download for free “Her Myth” below.

Max Cooper – Voyage Through the Analogue Womb

Ahead of the release of Max Cooper‘s latest solo effort, Kindred EP, you can stream EP cut “Voyage Through the Analogue Womb” via XLR8R below. The EP is complete with remixes from Throwing Snow and Innervisions affiliate David August and will drop on December 1st 2014 on London’s Fields label.

“Can you give me 10 minutes of your life with headphones on and eyes closed if I promise it will be worth it? Full time back guarantee – if you decide it wasn’t worth it, I will personally issue you with a 10 minute time voucher to be recouped at a moment of your choosing, at which point 10 extra minutes will be added to your day.

It’s a bit of a retro scifi synth track this one, with lots of classic pads and drums combined in with some more modern touches in the clicks and details, but it needs time to develop to get it’s proper effect, so that’s why I’ve given my totally realistic and achievable time back guarantee.”