Deep, hypnotic grooves and blended vocal textures serve up dreamy emotions that will bring you to your knees on Katnada’s latest release “Extase” for the community devoted, Diffuse Reality Records.
The Albanian-born and Italian-raised Katnada may be a newcomer to the Techno world, but her productions certainly don’t sound that way. Coming from a musical history of piano and having composed her first piano pieces at just 16 years old, she has an innate tact for musical theory. Powered by a desire to reach new depths, she found herself delving into aspects of Techno as a form of deeper self-expression. Inspired by the sounds of Detroit and Berlin, she set forth with a new sound, quickly rising in the Italian underground.
With a few EPs now under her belt, she has found a new home in Ibiza, gracing the stage of the coveted Amnesia, and finding a sanctuary to help her signature sound flourish. Landing her release at the exploratory Diffuse Reality Records, who just celebrated their 10-year anniversary, 2024 seems like the year for Katnada to break through.
“Each track has a story behind it. But I won’t tell you. Make it yours.” exclaims Katnada about her latest release. Initially premiered by The Brvtalist, the 6-track journey “Extase” rides through the mind like a love story. The bright, glossy, deep, dark, and just simply gorgeous sonic landscape feels like a theatrical potpourri of passion, suspense, and intrigue with enough atmospheric depth to hold you close. The mild but driving pace leaves space for emotion to breathe and transform and the blended vocals add texture.
While many Techno releases help to build the fight and resistance within, “Extase” is the exact opposite—engineered to make you melt. The EP is crafted with such care and delicateness that you feel obliged to relax and marinate on the feeling. It delivers the kind of ease and elation that will bring you to your knees and make you beg for more, bursting your heart wide-open and letting it melt all over the floor while you’re reeling over the resonance.
Kicking off with the title track, the story begins, slow and sweet. The rich progressive layers of melody and harmony draw you gently into a dream-like state. Moving through, in ‘Tied up’ the pulse pushes and pulls with a stickiness creating a sense of euphoric tension. The bass moves like a pulsating tide, surging through the chambers of the heart. Following is LA local Stephen Disario’s Remix of ‘Tied Up’ and the tension grows to another level with a tunneling dark beat and raspy vocal call that inherently feels naughty. The sonic intricacies in ‘Empty Space’ unfold over time, creating stardust filled layers of atmospheric sound.
Continuing the story, ‘Lullaby’ brings more reverberation, but this time paired with sensual vocals bringing a sense of airy lightness. ‘Healing Dance’ ends the ride with a meditative quality. The lingering impression of sound bounces, shaped by its own acoustics, creating a sonic aftermath worth reveling in. An overall incredibly pleasurable release that will keep your heart reeling long after it’s over. You can find ‘Extase’ for stream and purchase on Bandcamp, Spotify, Soundcloud, Juno Download, Deezer, YouTube Music and more.
-Jen Warra
Check out Dirty Epic music recommendations here.
Listen to our podcasts here.
Find out more about our Events here.
Listen to our review picks here.
