Calcou is a Berlin-based producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. Having grown up with jazz and funk music, he has played piano since early childhood and when he isn’t making electronic music he plays in contemporary jazz band White Noise Trio.
Whilst jazz is in his roots, electronic music opened Calcou’s eyes to the world of music production. The creativity enabled by electronics represented a challenge to how he even thought about writing music, moving from focusing on theory and harmony to sound and vibe. The result is a form of music driven by ambience, mood and shape, whilst retaining an inherent sense of humanity.
On Zeitgeist, Calcou’s third release, the artist has looked to fuse elements of jazz together with deep house and electronica. The result is a highly atmospheric tech-house track that boasts soulful vocals and dark electronics in a way that feels both elegant and eminently danceable. A solid four-four hits your body, underpinned by bouncing low end bass and thick, fuzzy synths.
For this track Calcou teamed up with his long-standing friend, Romanian born singer Bastien. The resulting vocals gracefully float above the track as sampled vocals are spliced into the track itself, creating an intimate and human touch that recalls those jazz influences.
The lyrics for Zeitgeist are a warning about the level of noise and unhelpful provocation we currently experience from politics and the media. Despite this the track aims for a considered but optimistic sound, a warning that comes with a bit of hope.