February 26 2021: Calibre will drop his 16th album – Feeling Normal.
Set for release on his own Signature imprint, and featuring collaborations with DRS and Cimone, the 13 track album follows 2019’s Planet Hearth LP as another fully non drum & bass body of work. Where his last non D&B album explored Calibre’s interests in ambient works, Feeling Normal focusses on his 140bpm explorations, his love for dub and slower breakbeat creations.
“The clear idea for this album came about after Planet Hearth,” explains the Belfast-born/Cologne-based artist. “I had been working toward this LP simultaneously and wanted to have an LP that would showcase my interest in the 140 tempo and at the same time allow me a dancefloor focus. 140 is a really interesting tempo as it delves into the world of dubstep and garage and the bits in-between. I’ve always felt that it was a tempo that could blend D&B influences together with techno, house, dub and ambient as well as the more leftfield varieties of music I love. After producing so much music over the years it’s best for me to change the basic fundamentals to retain my own interest.”
Sonically it takes off where Grow left us in 2016 on Craig Richards’ label The Nothing Special as the Signature boss guides us through his dubby, spacious canvases. It features many of the unreleased tracks he played at his unforgettable XOYO residency and other alternative sets he played before the world stopped spinning the way liked it to. Including, of course, the already cult banger Badman with longtime friend and kindred spirit DRS, which Calibre reckons is “the most complete sounding tune that we’ve done together.”
Elsewhere we hear the dreamy dulcets of Cimone on Time To Breathe and more DRS badness on Say Enough and the album will be preceeded by remixes from Berlin pioneer, Basic Channel member and Hard Wax founder Mark Ernestus. With some ideas and projects dating back over seven years, it’s another project steeped in meaning and soul from the unique auteur.
“The whole album is special to me,” explains Calibre, real name Dominick Martin. “Everything on there has import and meaning beyond for me. I have spent much time on all these and hope they are special for other people too.”
Feeling Normal is out February 26 on Signature. Pre-order it on Bandcamp. See the full tracklist below:
1 – Barren
2 – Change With Me
3 – Time To Breath (with Cimone)
4 – Has To Happen
5 – Feeling Normal
6 – Badman (with DRS)
7 – Good Times
8 – Say Enough (with DRS)
9 – Miami
10 – Predictable
11 – Man Got Sandwich
12 – Wrong
13 – Regular Bull
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