By – Paul Cordes Wilm

A Road Trip to Rebirth

Okay. If you are unfamiliar with the distinctive sounds of DjRum, here is a convenient and informative rundown for you.

1. About the artist :

Felix Manuel, aka Djrum (pronounced either “drum” or “dee jay rum”)  is from London, England and produces a highly ambitious form of electronic music which is a clever amalgamation of club styles such as techno, garage, and jungle, as well as his background in jazz and classical music. His compositions are often lengthy, multi-part epics which are structured more like miniature soundtracks than typical dance club songs. He’s been releasing albums since 2013.

2. DjRum sounds kind of like :

Photek, Underworld, Four Tet, Orbital, Floating Points, Flying Lotus, Dan Deacon etc.

3. Some fun & important DjRum facts :

Felix was a child prodigy as an instrumentalist and his advanced musicality has always been prominent in his music. On this latest album, he has put his talents front and center as pianist, harpist and more. He trained as a jazz pianist, and names Alice Coltrane and Keith Jarrett as two crucial influences. You can hear it in the music.

4. Some tragic & important Under Tangled Silence facts :

In 2020, a disastrous hard-drive meltdown destroyed almost all his work and sent him close to mental collapse himself. However, this catastrophe ultimately pushed him to rebuild from scratch and in doing so to confront and reevaluate every part of his musical and psychological processes. Listening to Under Tangled Silence is literally listening to the sound of musical rebirth.

Okay. Now pretend you never read any of the above! Just kidding, but really, listening to this incredible release, you basically don’t need any background information to truly enjoy and take in what DjRum has created for your ears and mind. It does however help to know and shape one’s understanding of where this music is coming from personally (for Felix Manuel), giving these emotional sounds a sort of historical context. In this day and age, a lot of us don’t know what to make of or how to handle instrumental music, because so much of what is blasted across today’s physical and digital airwaves and speakers has a prominent singing voice to guide us though a song’s journey. With this in mind, be aware that indeed DjRum’s Under Tangled Silence lets the music do all the “singing”.

Very appropriately, this is perfect music to drive to. Let me just recount to you my own personal reflections of the album, as if the experience itself is a road trip of sorts :

This work is chock-full of unpredictable and unexpected moments, yet somehow feels complete and whole as one, solid composition. There is a simultaneously soothing and fascinating feel to each song, as if a Springtime landscape is rushing by; a mesmerizing whirl of beats like wind through your hair, occasionally slowing down and pausing to take in the air and beauty of some of the natural roadside attractions. Ahhh.

Okay. Now it’s your turn.