THAN SADET by MAKAM

Makam returns to Dekmantel Records with his first full-length album for the Amsterdam based label. Blanken�s ongoing search for fresh sounds, textures and rhythms has lead him to Than Sadet, a gorgeous piece of work that takes his sound into new directions.That Sadet displays a refinement of Makam�s sound. The music is highly tactile, with an emphasis on the surroundings of the environment in which it was created. Blanken: ��Than Sadet is a secluded beach on an island in Thailand. A mysterious atmosphere haunts it. It�s windy and the weather is always a bit worse compared to the rest of the isle. There are many cliffs and you can�t swim because the waves are too high. Four years ago I visited Than Sadet for the first time and I�ve been coming back ever since. At one point I decided to bring my studio equipment. For a week, I dedicated my days to making music. Those sketches formed the basis of the album.�� The inspiration on Than Sadet is obvious. From billowing percussion thru windswept strings to passages of strange bird calls, and across desolate tracts of calving synthesizers to a climax with a finale of petrifying thunder drums. The levels of dramatic suspense are ski-high, and mostly downbeat and mid-tempo grooves operate beyond the dancefloor. ��Each track is based on a particular Than Sadet aesthetic. For example, �Mr. Singh� is a masseur on the beach who uses fire while doing his shiatsus. �Buddha's Bridge� is a wooden bridge that leads to an impressive Buddha monument; Seven Kings� is an ode to a local waterfall. Tracks like �Mai Pen Rai� and �When Light Gives You Hope� are representative for Than Sadet. I tried to create an introspective album that does what the island did to me: it puts life into perspective.��