Full disclosure: my initial interest in reporting on what I’m about to report on stemmed from Matthew Herbert’s name attached to it. And yet…one thing led to another, and I have now spent an hour and a half educating myself on the sundry exploits of German DJ & production duo Âme, who will release an LP called Dream House next month via their own imprint Innervisions and have shared a creepy video for their song “The Line” (a song that Matthew Herbert sings on).
Composed of self-proclaimed Chicago house and Detroit techno fanatics Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann, Âme formed in 2001; and since then, the duo have basically checked all of the boxes concerning what an accomplished creative partnership in the world of electronic music should do to stay legit. Besides a steady stream of original releases and remixes straddling the lines between house, techno, and the very German Kosmische music, they have also somehow managed to find the time to start Innervisions (in partnership with Dixon), a brick-and-mortar record store Muting the Noise, a booking agency called Temporary Secretary (which may or may not be handling Paul McCartney’s 2021 all-Africa tour), and a traveling party night: Lost In a Moment. Oh yeah; and they also have Matthew Herbert singing on one of their songs.
Technically their debut full-length album, Dream House is shaping up to be an ambitious, eclectic affair — “an evocative home listening journey enacted after a decade spent crafting dancefloor weapons.” Beyer and Wiedemann have invited an array of guests to make the journey entertaining, including full-on legend Hans-Joachim Roedelius, former Einstürzende Neubauten-collaborator Gudrun Gut, Planningtorock, and guitarist David Lemaitre. Oh wait…did I mention Matthew Herbert?!?
Dream House will be on digital, CD, vinyl, and as a special box set on June 1. Stay tuned for ordering info, and check out the video for “The Line” below:
Dream House tracklisting:
01. The Line Ft Matthew Herbert
02. Queen Of Toys
03. Gerne Ft Gudrun Gut
04. Deadlocked Ft Roedelius
05. Blind Eye Ft Planningtorock
06. Positivland
07. Helliconia
08. Futuro Antico
09. No War
10. Give Me Your Ghost Ft Jens Kuross
11. Oldorado
More about: Âme