Ludwig A.F. – Blissful Lie - Exo Recordings International

Ludwig A.F. returns to his own Exo Recordings International this spring with a fresh four-track EP in the shape of 'Blissful Lie'. The fourth installment on the imprint sees the artist introduce his name change, shortening it to simply Ludwig A.F. The whole release, but particularly the A1, Blissful Lie'' is very inspired by classical music. It further explores the trademark feeling of Ludwig's sound: celebratory and happy but melancholic and introverted at the same time. It works with contradictions, handcrafted sound design elements intertwined with bombastic emotional atmospheres. Title-cut 'Blissful Lie' leads on the package, fusing ethereal pad textures and bumpy breaks with choppy bass plucks and cinematic arpeggios and strings to create a contemporary spin on classic IDM tropes. 'Weightless' follows next - a tripped out, high octane electronica workout employing elongated bass drones, syncopated rhythms and dynamically evolving acid-tinged synth licks. 'Psychiflux' opens the flip side, laying focus on glitched out percussion, vocal stutters, eerie atmospherics, and weighty low-end hits before 'Cloud Walker' rounds out the release on a deeper tip, dropping the tempo and fusing soft pad swells and resonant tones with metallic synth chimes and stripped-back drums.