Martyn's latest album, 'Music for Existing,' represents a profound artistic evolution, deeply influenced by a life-altering event. Following a heart attack in 2017, Martyn Deykers, the Dutch-born, D.C.-based producer, experienced a heightened auditory perception, describing it as "3D hearing." This newfound sensitivity to musical space permeates his new work, marking a significant departure from his earlier dubstep and techno hybrids. The album showcases a vibrant fusion of jazz and bass music, developed through collaborative sessions with instrumentalist friends. It's a testament to his ability to harness personal transformation into a unique sonic experience, creating a self-contained, multidimensional musical world that challenges genre conventions.
This record not only highlights Martyn's personal growth but also redefines his artistic direction, moving beyond the club-centric sounds that previously defined his career. 'Music for Existing' is an introspective yet expansive body of work that invites listeners into a richly textured soundscape, demonstrating how life experiences can deeply reshape an artist's creative output. The album's intricate compositions and collaborative spirit offer a fresh perspective on electronic music, demonstrating a masterful blend of organic instrumentation and electronic production. It's a compelling example of an artist embracing maturity and using their unique life journey to craft deeply resonant and innovative music.
A New Chapter: Martyn's Sonic Evolution
After a significant health scare in 2017, Martyn Deykers discovered an extraordinary auditory phenomenon: an enhanced perception of musical depth and space. This profound experience ignited a new creative phase, leading to his album, 'Music for Existing.' This release stands as a testament to his artistic courage, as he deliberately moves away from the rigid structures of his past dubstep and techno productions. Instead, he ventures into a fluid fusion of jazz and bass music, incorporating a wide array of acoustic instruments like keyboards, cello, guitar, and live drums. This shift isn't merely stylistic; it reflects a deeper connection to his music, embodying his personal journey and evolved understanding of sound. The album's dynamic and almost extrasensory depth showcases a master at work, redefining his own boundaries and offering a fresh, mature sound to his audience.
Martyn’s journey from a key figure in the dubstep/techno crossover to the innovative sound of 'Music for Existing' is a compelling narrative of artistic growth. His early work, characterized by lush chords and robust percussion, laid the groundwork for a career steeped in hybridization. However, his latest offering transcends these foundations by embracing a more organic and collaborative approach. Rather than relying solely on electronic production, Martyn engaged with a network of instrumentalist friends, sending them sketches to build upon and then intricately weaving their contributions into a cohesive tapestry. This methodology results in an unusually loose and human rhythmic feel, where improvisational elements blend seamlessly with electronic precision. Tracks like “Heavy Sound” exemplify this, commencing with an explosion of live drums before settling into a jazz-infused groove that blurs the lines between dance music and exploratory jazz. This album represents not just a stylistic change, but a complete artistic rebirth, reflecting Martyn's philosophy that music should evolve with the artist's life experiences.
Collaborative Mastery and Innovative Soundscapes
'Music for Existing' showcases Martyn's innovative approach to music creation, emphasizing collaboration and intricate sound design. The album is an epistolary collage, where Martyn initiates ideas in his studio and then invites instrumentalist friends from around the world—including drummer Mischa Porte, trumpeter Cees Bruinsma, keyboardist Duval Timothy, and cellist Lucinda Chua—to contribute their unique talents. This method allows for a rich tapestry of sounds, blurring the lines between electronic and acoustic. The resulting compositions possess a remarkable rhythmic fluidity, free from arbitrary grids, allowing for human imperfections and dynamic interplay. This collaborative spirit not only enriches the album's sonic palette but also underscores Martyn's ability to orchestrate diverse musical voices into a harmonious and groundbreaking whole.
The complexity of 'Music for Existing' is evident in its meticulously crafted tracks, which blend traditional dance music elements with groundbreaking sound design. Songs like “Whiplashed” demonstrate a sophisticated polyrhythmic matrix, where drum patterns, saxophone riffs, and subtle bass pressures intertwine to create a vibrant, seemingly live performance. Even tracks inspired by traditional jungle sounds, such as “Hypnotoxic Laser,” are reinvented with diamond-sharp cowbell sounds and carefully re-pitched breaks, giving new life to classic samples. Martyn’s mastery extends to creating immersive auditory experiences, as seen in “Phantom Jazz,” where he sculpts the sound of a standup bass to evoke a tangible sense of vibration and texture. This album is a testament to Martyn’s philosophy that music should reflect an artist’s life journey, moving beyond youthful fantasies of dancefloors to create a profound, self-contained three-dimensional world of sound. It is through this exploration of musical space that Martyn truly finds his renewed artistic identity and pushes the boundaries of electronic music.