Roman Flügel

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙤𝙙 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙁𝙡ü𝙜𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚-𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙀𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨.

Blurring distinctions between sylvan and blue hour feels, Flügel yields a carefully pruned bouquet of fragrant styles defined by feathered electronica melodies and seductive, ductile grooves bent between broken beat, hip hop, glimmering jungle and breezy dub. It’s nothing new to his catalogue, but it is beautiful well done and full of typical charm that will snag those who’ve followed his breadcrumb trail since Eight Miles High’s ‘Katalog’ and thru the various shades of minimal and tech house he’s pursued over the decades.

Crackly ambient bliss (‘Atmosphere’) shines the path ahead for fluttering keys and wistful IDM in ‘Home’, and the dub carousel of ‘Frei’, with something like Ghost Box gone jungle in ‘Greenhouse’, and whirring CCO-like electro-dub on ‘Dolphins’ and the naif charm of ‘Duftschulter’ at its midriff. Darker shadows cross the hazy room on ‘Goth’, triggering a moodier 2nd half of drip off synth tone with ‘Sick’ and faded tristesse for bygone times in ‘Die Hoehle’, bringing full circle to ‘Ambienteuse’ and making one wonder if that’s dawn or dusk beyond the curtains.