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VC118A

Back To Life

On his latest album, Samuel Van Dijk applies his lush, richly rendered electro to a broad sweep of introspective machine music across the tempo range.

For well over 10 years VC-118A has cut a striking figure within the contemporary electro landscape. Van Dijk's accomplished catalogue, which also spans the Multicast Dynamics and Dialog projects amongst others, is defined by the adventurous spirit of his sound. Within the recognisable structures of machine-driven dance music, he's found space to cultivate a distinctive palette that relishes expressive sound design and melancholic emotion in equal measure. A sizeable run of albums and EPs on labels like Delsin, Frustrated Funk and Tabernacle have proven VC-118A to be a project well-suited to home-listening immersion as well as club play. Arriving on Apnea to deliver Back To Life, Van Dijk doubles down with a record that purposefully embraces a wide spectrum of tempos and varied rhythms that celebrate the full scope of the VC-118A sound.

Back To Life is not a complete departure -- 'Hide' in particular has a peppy tempo and stark mix down that could still lend itself to a deep-diving DJ set, but this is the exception rather than the rule, and mellow atmospherics still maintain the mood even when the beats are more forthright. From the low-rolling broken beat fantasies of 'Ritmo' and 'Back To Life' to the pitched-down swagger of sub-100BPM stepper 'Ether' and the seductive, slow-motion disco creep of 'Icro', Van Dijk relishes in taking VC-118A into new energetic territory. At every turn, though, the drums are cast in direct forms as an effective vessel for the dense blankets of tone and texture being woven around each track.

From slithering micro-details with an organic imperfection to gleaming shards of melody and inky blooms of distant pads, the VC-118A sound remains a nuanced feast for the senses where sonic shapes are formed so vividly you can almost reach out and touch them. The wider scope of his approach on the album manifests in the sound design, which sounds more inquisitive and accomplished than ever.

Every record reveals a new dimension to VC-118A, yet even as he heads into new atmospheres on Back To Life Van Dijk keeps a firm grip on the identity of his flagship electro project. The yearning melancholy of the compositions and the spacious reverie of the reverb decays hold true to the sonic identity he's cultivated over more than 10 years as he navigates vivid rhythmic workouts and delightfully moody downtempo zones alike. It's an aesthetic consistency that carries through to the artwork framing the release, created by renowned graphic artist Erris Huigens and typographer Tijl Schneider -- an elegant homage to space exploration that draws its strong impression from subtle details.

Driven by futuristic machine grooves and evolving textures, Back To Life moves between fluid, weightless passages and tightly constructed sequences, balancing structure with deep immersion. Each track unfolds with intention, guiding through shifting sonic landscapes that blur the line between motion and stillness.