Stephan Bodzin proves once again why he is one of the most innovative techno artists in the world with his new album Boavista. The expressive 17-track full-length is released on Herzblut Recordings, and is preceded by the Afterlife label’s lead single ‘Boavista.’ Stream and download here.
Stephan Bodzin is a global icon on several levels: his live show is one of techno’s most lauded, and his productions are constantly pushing the genre forward with his own distinct sound. Under various aliases, he has released well-received solo long-players such as Liebe Ist and Powers of Ten, as well as worked on a slew of other iconic projects.
Boavista album story.
Stephan had the opportunity to look back on the vast archives of music he had recorded but never finished in the previous year. While in Brazil, he selected his top 25 favorites and completed them properly, with the best 17 forming Boavista. With each track, his simple goal was to tell a story, to paint musical pictures that evoke very real emotions in the listener. Throughout the recording process, Bodzin kept the idea of performing the album live in the back of his mind. This means that each track is a powerful piece that is both emotional and honest, physical and direct while remaining true to the Bodzin sound. Stephan has long done his own thing and has never tried to conform to expectations, so his lack of DJ gigs and club experiences had no effect on his music.
As it turns out, this is correct. The lush ‘Earth‘ opens the album, paying homage to all the elements of life – water, fire, wind, as well as time, light, and the planet’s rotation. ‘LLL‘ is an electronic lullaby track inspired by Stephan’s love for the people in his life, and ‘Astronautin‘ features a lead synth inspired by Stephan’s daughter’s declaration that she wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. It truly takes you to the stars before the simple but effective melodic patterns of the title track light up a night sky with real hope.
Elsewhere there ‘Infinite Monkey‘ which was a freeform jam that was lead by the music itself, the epic pads of ‘Dune‘ and interstellar explorations of the more thoughtful and melancholic ‘Cooper Station’. ‘Nothing Like You,’ written in a hotel room before Stephan’s last pre-lockdown show, is followed by ‘Isaac,’ a powerful journey through space and time, different worlds, and alternate realities.
Further hypnotizing highlights come from the soft melodies but powerful basslines of ‘Collider‘, the expansive synths of ‘Trancoso‘, and the delicate beauty of ‘Ataraxia‘, which references German composer Klaus Doldinger who was a huge influence on Stephan’s understanding of melodies and harmonics. Next to ‘Nothing Like You,’ there’s ‘Breathe,’ a second spindling vocal track featuring Luna Semara, and ‘Rose,’ a heartbreaking piano piece.
Boavista is yet another beautifully crafted album of lush, synth-heavy electronic music that transports you to new realms of emotion and leaves you speechless.
