Joris Voorn is finally presenting us with another album through ‘////‘ (Four) which is out via his Spectrum imprint. This marks his fourth album as a follow-up to all the acclaimed ‘Nobody Knows‘, ‘From A Deep Place‘ and ‘Future History‘. The body of work draws inspiration from mid-’90s European electronic scene which Voorn noted on.
“I believe the mid-90s was the most inspiring time to be listening to electronic dance music. Artists were discovering new sounds and genres every single day, never again has there been so much innovation in such a short time. Where in the very early-’90s it sounds like most producers were still using their equipment in quite a basic way, around ’94/’95 the same artists mastered their instruments and studios to create masterpieces that still sound inspiring 25 years later. I’m glad to have entered my musical journey in just the right time.”
Tracks & Features
‘////’ (Four) spans 14 tracks holding ‘Messiah‘, ‘Antigone‘, ‘Dark‘, and ‘Ryo‘ which were released earlier. Topping that off, you’re in for a treat with the broken rendition of ‘District Seven‘. That one happens to evoke a dystopian future world essence which you’d see in the likes of Blade Runner according to the producer. Beyond the tracks, the album marks the pinnacle of Joris Voorn’s studio work establishing his sound beyond the dance floor. This has been something which the artist has been chipping away at, but he’s clearly arrived at his destination. Being an act he looks up to, Underworld are a special collaboration on the album alongside Lazarusman, Haelos, and Michiel Borstlap.
While ‘////’ (Four) maintains percussive and dance elements, the magnetic force behind it lies in the cinematic ethos. Joris implemented alluring synth-work which takes analog gear to heart. More on that, he spoke on what his production equipment means to him on an interview with Music Radar. Reverting back to the album, you’ll find a sweet balance between melancholy, brooding, and ethereal moods. Overall, it runs a deeply rooted seed in diversifying sounds granting a textured and compact body.
Tracks 1-8
Going through, ‘Never‘ presents a foundation in early IDM which transitions into the dystopic ‘District Seven’. From there, ‘Ryo’ (dedicated to his son Ryoma) centers on being uplifting subsequently driving into the heavily stringed ‘Life‘. Trailing, ‘Polydub‘ takes a more percussive deep approach with bouncy synths as ‘Antigone’ steps up to play. From there, ‘Mano‘ recluses into a quieter atmospheric track with underlying pianos led by a dotting pluck. This builds into ‘This City‘ featuring Lazarusman who emphasizes loneliness from an outlook of perseverance.
Tracks 9-14
Moving forward, the previously released ‘Dark’ borrows into its introverted nature striking an uncanny balance between dance rhythms and melancholic strings. This leads to possibly one of the best songs on the album, ‘Too Little Too Late‘ with Underworld. On it, atmospheric strings nether short kicks integrating mellow roboticized vocals. While the track took this deeper sound as time passed, the original version will be released early 2020. Onward, ‘Messiah’ brightens things up for the upcoming plucky and cinematic ‘Planet Nine‘. ‘Blanky‘ leads towards the end setting its name through warm melodic tones and Michiel Borstlap’s piano. Finally, ‘Shallow’ clamps the album back into a recluse state as strings guide to the exit.
Free Prints
Giving back to his fans, Voorn is celebrating his album launch by giving away special free prints based on his Spectrum events.
Joris Voorn currently has some tour stops lined up, and you can find the schedule and tickets linked here.
Listen to Joris Voorn ‘////’ (Four) on his Spectrum imprint below!