Japanese composer and producer aus is poised to enchant listeners once again with his forthcoming album, mere meer, set for release on October 23 via Munich’s innovative label Squama. This marks another chapter in aus’s impressive career, following a string of acclaimed releases on influential labels such as EM Records and WRWTFWW. Today, he unveils “Presence,” the album’s mesmerising first single featuring Silver Ley, alongside a captivating visualiser that accentuates its ethereal qualities.
At the core of mere meer lies an intriguing exploration of perception. Aus poses the question of how we experience environments through the intertwining of voice and memory. Instead of simply documenting reality, he crafts an immersive landscape woven from personal recollections and imaginative visions. Much of the album began as raw sketches, where synthesisers and vocal fragments coalesce into transient moments of beauty, captured in shifting textures that transport the listener.
Electric currents paint vivid scenes: the sea resonates through layers of electronic noise, while meticulously constructed environmental sounds push the boundaries of what constitutes reality. By adopting the essence of field recordings, the album subtly disrupts the notion of fixed places, inviting listeners into a rich tapestry of sound.
Rather than recreating tangible locations, aus has conjured a fictional realm borne from memories and vivid impressions. Picture light dancing on the surface of distant waters, an empty edifice that echoes with untold stories, or the allure of breathtaking landscapes glimpsed through the lens of social media. As one navigates this fluid auditory experience, there’s an unmistakable sense of traversing multiple realms, tinged with nostalgia and wonder.
Stepping away from the organic warmth that defined previous works, mere meer presents a soundscape that is simultaneously artificial and strikingly vivid. Ethereal synthesiser drones intertwine with distant, floating voices and intricate electronic textures, gradually building layers of sound that defy clear boundaries. Within this exquisite distance lies a whisper of the otherworldly—a feeling of observing the world from a perspective beyond the immediate.
Through the lens of both imagination and memory, aus reconstructs reality into a unique auditory experience. mere meer crystallises this exploration, blurring the distinctions between voice and recollection, artificial and environmental sound, reality and fantasy. In doing so, it opens up new landscapes for each listener to discover.
The album features contributions from notable artists including kindtree (Purelink), Silver Ley, Max Buzone, and Japan’s Noah, with mastering by the esteemed Taylor Deupree.
Follow
@ausmusik
@squama.rec
Pre-order meer meer here
