Synth lords Extrawelt and hardware genie DeFeKT team up for a collaborative release on the Legendary Cocoon Recordings label with their latest “Damage & Repair” EP.
The 10” release on the label follows their “Field Day” EP released back in August of 2020 for Feel my Bicep. The “Damage & Repair” EP brings us arrangements and drums from the darker end of the spectrum and comes at a special time as Cocoon Recordings has just announced its 25 Year Celebration of Events happening around the globe.
Extrawelt’s music production cannot be categorized or held by any conventional boundaries. You can hear influences in their production from all sorts of Electronic Music genres—traces of Ambient, Trance, Psy, and even UK Breakbeat to name a few. The darker cuts and meticulously arranged drums of DeFeKT naturally complement the Hamburg-based duo.
Extrawelt and Cocoon have a long history together as the German group’s first appearance on the label dates back to Cocoon’s earlier days. Between the four LP’s together from 2008 to the latest one published in 2018, there have been more than 50 tracks released for the label, giving us direct insight into Extrawelt’s musical progression throughout the years.
The recent commemorative compilation, “Extrawelt Hits,” truly resembles the longevity of both the label and the producers. It is safe to say that they have full support from the label boss, which is none other than the Techno pioneer, Sven Väth. DeFeKT has a phenomenal solo track on “Compilation T” as well as one on “Dots and Pearls 7” that is also a recent collaboration with Extrawelt.
The two-track “Damage & Repair” EP takes you to an underworld ruled by deep kicks and looping notes. Both tracks put out a very sinister mood and generate a similar vibe on the dancefloor. The songs are quite different from each other, however they still manage to take you to the same place and compliment one another quite well with grounding hypnotic rhythms that are guaranteed to mesmerize anytime. “In the Space Of…” is the more gradual track on the EP. The evil keys precisely placed throughout the song bring a gloomy and murky atmosphere to the mix. Its downtempo beat constructs a malevolent and ominous sound that surrounds the 10” release.
Music labels pop up and disappear all too often in the modern day era. With streaming sites flooded and saturated with new music, it is impressive to say you have been at it for more than 10 years. Cocoon has been releasing music since 2000—that is almost 25 years of innovative music production. And this label has brought all-time classics like Villalobos’ “Taka Taka,” Extrawelt’s very own”Soopertrack,” as well as Papa Sven’s legendary “Dots & Pearls” compilation releases that ruled the Amnesia dancefloors during those unforgettable Monday nights.
The label and its curator show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Announcing 25 Years of Events on the 12th of December. If you have ever been to a Cocoon showcase, you know exactly what to expect: a night guaranteed to bring exquisite track selections and an aura that is hard to recreate in today’s party scene.
We hope to hear more collaborations between Extrawelt & DeFeKT. Whether that be another release on Feel My Bicep or returning for a 2nd release on the mythical Cocoon Records. We also want to see the 25th year of Cocoon dates, lineups, and locations. It is notable for Cocooners all over the world.
-Gene Sañudo
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