Following a string of singles over the course of 2023, French electronic duo il:lo expand upon their foundation in downtempo electronic to deliver a dynamic, driving body of work in their Myriad EP. The latest EP from Dejan Dejado and Andreas Schütz is a manifestation of years of growth as artists and producers since their debut 2019 album Sloh.
Myriad dynamically demonstrates the French duo’s development across the past 4 years in both artistry and production proficiencies as they continue to rise to prominence in the space. The past few years has seen the duo collaborate with top brands in dance music, including three striking performances for Anjunadeep Live at stunning locations in Montpellier, and Canyon Du Diable.
Compared to their previous works, Myriad was produced with the stage in mind. Intended to translate to a live set, il:lo is currently in the midst of a US tour after honing their craft by supporting artists of the likes of Parra For Cuva, Stimming, Janus Rasmussen, CloZee and Zimmer.
In an exclusive track-by-track for EARMILK, il:lo illustrates in words the inspiration and creation process of each song on the Myriad EP
"BAUME"
We wanted to open the EP with a prelude and then an energetic track. we combined the two into a single piece: "Baume" which features a soaring intro with long pads and a heavy bass line. This is all about tension and waves of sounds. The goal was to give the impression that it will never end, building a crescendo in successive stages. "Baume" contains all the elements that we love in electronic music: a melodic pluck on the same notes as the percussion, a bass line both held in the subs but also "rolling", endless arpeggios, a catchy main melody and long backing pads. It is for us one of the most important tracks of this EP revealing the direction that we want to take for our future productions.
"SHIFTED"
This track marks our first collaboration with a singer. We always wanted to have vocals on our productions but we had never found a singer with a voice that blends into our music and who was able to write a melody that surprised us. When Fractures sent us his lyrics, we wanted to highlight what he was singing about, an emotional instability that ends up being accentuated, shifted. Thus, his voice is accompanied by a rise in instrumental tension to lead to a more heavy and percussive radical change. "Shifted" is the most powerful track on this EP and gently approaches melodic techno, a style we are sensitive to, when listened in the right mood, mostly late in the night.
"SOLDINER"
Our last EP on Anjunadeep was written in Montpellier with influences of brightness, sunshine, and beauty. Now we’re at our new home in Berlin. Our sound is now inspired by industrial architecture, grit, and the sounds of the city "Soldiner" stands out from previous releases and marks the beginning of a musical production resolutely turned towards deep house which is more based on electronic elements. We wanted to grab the listener with powerful leads and soulful arpeggiators. This track is very progressive, like an emotional journey with a joyful start, intense body and final resolution. When the lead is suddenly coming in the middle of the track, we have reached the sensational peak of this EP. "Soldiner" is the track that took us the least time to compose, everything appeared naturally once the starting loop was found.
"INK"
"Ink" is representative of the music we love to make, an aerial piece that mixes acoustics and electronics. Harps and pianos mingle with arpeggios and analog sequences. This downtempo track is an invitation both to dream with its hovering and nostalgic samples and to dance with groovy synths and drums.
"CYNNES"
"Cynnes" might remind some of you of our older il:lo music, but with an updated style, building with all the influences we’ve discovered along the journey. The idea was to give to the listener the feeling of being enveloped in the sound and travel int this cocoon. When we are listening to "Cynnes" we always picture ourself in a train going to a new destination. This is a special track for us because it marks our rapprochement with the German deep house electronic scene that we like a lot.
"PEAKS AND VALLEYS"
Peaks and Valleys is a collaborative track with the producer Frameworks & the vocalist Fractures, it’s probably the most accessible track on this EP for people not familiar with our music, especially because the vocal melody of Fractures is the centerpiece. This melody sticks in the head and it’s easy to sing it afterwards. Paradoxically it’s also the piece that took us the longest to compose. We began working on an idea of our friend Frameworks and tried a lot of things to develop it. The song took multiple forms before arriving at the final version. It has lots of melodic layers and we had to make many choices so that each element could find its place.
"NUEES"
We wanted to end the EP with a ballad reconnecting with our early music. We have searched & assembled many Rhodes, saxophone samples to create a soft and melancholic melody. This track was composed at the end of the lockdown in 2020, while we were still both living in Paris, it was a strange time where composing music was a way to escape. It's one of the last songs we composed there and although this song has an air of nostalgia, we have no regrets to have left this city and it allowed us to evolve.
il:lo’s Myriad EP is available now via Nettwerk Music Group.
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