Kris Davis - Bleak EP

UK artist Kris Davis’ “Bleak” EP is out today, April 1, 2016 on Christian Löffler’s dance label, Young Alaska. Löffler aims to make music that “combines melancholy with euphoria”, and it seems evident this vision is reflected in his own imprint with Davis’ new release.

The title track “Bleak”, which premiered this week on When We Dip, embodies that same “happysad” feel described by Löffler, with warm-sounding, tic-tock beats, crackling background atmospherics and echoing vocals. Minimal, serene and intricate, “Bleak” is a dance floor cut that’s designed to keep the floor moving in the early hours or for walking alone in a snowy forest at dusk.

If the “Bleak” EP were a landscape, Davis' B-Side “Empathy”, also premiering this week on Earmilk, would be the spacious swath of winter sky embracing the frozen earth. At once somber and uplifting, with airy tones and a gentle yet driving rhythm, “Empathy” takes the listener on a naturalistic ambient journey to the far-away reaches of sound.

Kris Davis lends an inside look into making the music, ""As an artist I like to try to be diverse in how I express myself. "Bleak" and "Empathy" are an emotional side I have wanted to express for a while. They we’re created to portray the light at the end of the tunnel, a glimmer of hope that everything will be okay in dark times. Optimism in dismay.“

Christian Löffler shares his sentiments on the release: "The first time I heard Kris Davis was when I was looking for interesting material for a podcast. He really caught my attention because of the precision and clarity in his music. Every element is super carefully chosen and arranged. Greatly reduced to its core, his work speaks much louder than the majority of current dance music.“

Kris Davis’ “Bleak” EP is the second release on Christian Löffler’s Young Alaska label. Still in its infancy, the imprint has seen past releases by Christian Löffler and Mind Against.