kobosil: we grow, you decline

Kobosil presents We Grow, You Decline, his debut album. Born, raised, and based in Berlin, the DJ and producer has been making waves at Ostgut Ton and Berghain since emerging in 2013. Kobosil made his debut with a remix of Barker & Baumecker's "Silo"; completely unknown at the time, he has since earned his stripes as a DJ on the club's main floor, eventually becoming a resident at Berghain. Following five subsequent 12" releases and his first live sets, We Grow, You Decline dares the audiences to adjust their perception of Kobosil's previous releases and listen carefully in quieter environment than the usual dancefloor setting. The album expands on Kobosil's fondness for more abstract, non-dancefloor rhythms, discomforting sounds, and mindful listening, previously manifested in "Plant 5" (RK, 2013), "Less" (RK, 2013), "Herschel" (Unterton, 2013), "There" (Marcel Dettmann Records, 2014), "Head" (RK, 2014), and "Athtar". Drawing influences from musique concrète via electronic body music toward present-day techno, these tracks combine gritty textures with melodic hints and contrast bleak, off-beat rhythms with drone passages, delving into ambient and industrial soundscapes. The steadily increasing synth pulse and constant crackle of opener "Telling the Truth" don't culminate in a maximalist floor-pleaser but segue into the field-recording-led dub techno cut "To See Land" and the hissing melancholy of "Reflection." "The Exploring Mountain" follows this vibe by asynchronously intertwining a hollow kick drum with organic percussion and distant bells; its final kicks anticipate the more techno-led middle section that begins with the hypnotic "Aim for Target." Meandering, brittle harmonies first introduced to the Kobosil sound with "Avernian" on his 2015 91 EP find their way into "The Living Ritual," topped with his trademark kick drum, alienated percussion, and a beguiling synth layer toward the end. Underneath the delicate, crackling surface of songs such as "When I Speak" and the aforementioned "To See Land" there are distant voices to be heard, while they're more prominently featured in the throbbing, atmospheric "Eihwaz" and the robotic pulse of "You Answered with Love." With nine-minute closer "They Looked On," Kobosil unchains the listener as the album's hovering suspense is dispersed into a warm, hazy horizon. We Grow, You Decline is a bold statement from Kobosil's growing musical repertoire and a reflection of his multi-faceted artistic development. Music, bright like a smile and dark as the soul. CD includes two extra tracks.