Kölsch's new album "I Talk To Water" is the most personal statement yet from one of the most unique voices in the techno scene. It's a tribute to the producer's father, weaving intimate home recordings from his father's music archive into some of the most poetic productions Kölsch has created to date. It is a
beautiful, resonant album that trembles with emotional openness and deals with the complexities of grief and family in a profound, thoughtful way. It is his fifth album for Kompakt, following "1977", "1983", "1989" and "Now Here No Where", and it skillfully navigates a terrain that has long been a given for Kölsch's music - deeply moving, richly textured and beautifully melodic.
It's a path he's followed since his earliest productions, when Kölsch first appeared as part of Kompakt's "Speicher" series. On those early tracks, he focused on the energy and intensity of the dancefloor, a place where the producer still feels at home. As his musical style has evolved, his music has expanded into other areas, but he has always kept an eye on the fundamental structures of techno. As a thoughtful producer, he is also open to the wild moment, the spark of creativity and play, the exuberance and physicality of the genre that he still is. This has served Kölsch's music well - the blissful contours of his hit "Grey" have led to 5.5 million views on YouTube and almost 50 million plays on Spotify.
This creative versatility no doubt stems from his unusual childhood - half German, half Irish, raised in Denmark, he grew up in the hippie commune Christiana in Copenhagen; his father worked as a musician for a time, which certainly influenced Kölsch's decision to turn to the creative arts. A wise decision, then: with an international profile as a DJ who has DJed extensively and at some of the world's biggest venues (fabric, Berghain), a long, impressive run of productions for Kompakt and his own label IPSO, releasing collaborations with artists such as Michael Mayer, Tiga and Sasha, Kölsch's vision is one that is true to himself, feverishly creative, unpretentious and deeply committed.