Makam returns to Dekmantel Records with his first full-length album for the Amsterdam based label. Blankens 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 Makams 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. Its windy and the weather is always a bit worse compared to the rest of the isle. There are many cliffs and you cant swim because the waves are too high. Four years ago I visited Than Sadet for the first time and Ive 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.
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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.