As always with our releases, we thought it would be a nice bonus feature to compile some background information. So, here’s Sneaker giving us some insights into the inspirations that shaped “The Flow”.
How and when did you produce the tracks?
I had "The Flow" for a few consecutive days in between Christmas and NYE 2020 when I locked myself in at the TailOut Studio, Dresden to work out an idea combining the yet-to-be-explored Emulator II with the 909 (both kindly provided by Jacob Korn). A highly distinctive combination I haven't heard before! But one that sparked creativity to come up with two ten-minute trips inspired from the historical perspective of 25 years of DJing - timeless, deep, and loving.
Was there a musical premise or sounds you wanted to approach?
The Flow is the sound of tomorrow! The Flow is the sound of the 90s. But elevated to the next level. Yeah, progressive! The Flow is the sound of our heros. The Flow is the sound of NY and Boccacio wrought into DEEP BEAT.
The Flow is the mellow of LB and the trip of Andrew. May they rest in heaven's glory on the wings of eternity! The Flow is the endless vibe of Josh’s groove ensouled with celestial angels. The Flow switches paradigm into the extravaganza synthesis of Dazzle Ships.
The Flow is an utopia, where clubs exist. - And flourish!
How did the record come about?
"The Flow" and "Voices In E Minor" (the track on the flipside) are all TR-909, an Emulator II and a Studer A-820. Cream of the crop. Plus the immersive soul of Yvonne Leybold drawing from half a century of light, heat, strobe and sweat. And the vision of a continental producer, whose perspective is timeless, deep and loving.
I cherish Yvonne's singing since I discovered her acapella singing on a record of her Orange Sunshine project from the mid-90s. She didn't mind to use it again on"The Flow".
"The Flow" is for the working DJ. "The Flow" has two stripped-down tools on each side. It is meant for the crate with ‘90s maxis bearing three mixes on each side. Plus, "The Flow" and "Voices In E Minor" each have a short 909 track and a shivers-down-the-spine synthapella. Work hard! Dream harder!
And how did it end up in Uncanny Valley?
After 10 years full of contributions on the label's compilations, sub-labels and with several side projects (GOTT, Serial Error), it felt overdue to return to the Valley with a full Sneaker EP. Also, the house tracks were closer to the label's initial sound 12 years ago compared to my mixed bag of productions in the past years. I value their professional and economically fair ethos. And our friendship.
What is the idea behind the artwork?
Obviously the inspiration for the cover artwork is the cultural context of the music, hence the flyer culture of the 90's house scene. Also we adopted the aesthetics of the 80s scene in Chicago (as it is represented in the two volumes of the Beyond Heaven flyer compilation books) and New York. Carl from Uncanny Valley developed the idea towards a modern, neon Pantone artsy fart. Plus nonsense trying to be funny.
