SORROW EP

DKJ010 | 19.08.2022

Certain sounds tend to evoke certain emotions within us. From our countless conversations with our favorite melodic producers we know that emotions are the center of their work, may it be by expressing their emotions in their music or facilitating emotional journeys through their DJ-sets. CHROMA is an artistic experiment to further explore the link between music and emotions.

We asked 10 of our favorite producers to create a track based on a certain emotion. Each EP of the five CHROMA EPs is dedicated to one emotion and contains two tracks by two different artists.
Do you feel what we feel?

Sorrow is profound sadness, its pain reaching deep into our being. Being one of the heaviest emotions humans can experience it is difficult to embrace and allowing space for it is among the biggest personal challenges for each of us. Every moment of sorrow comprises a silver lining though, as when we integrate it we can find wisdom, understanding and empathy for ourselves and others.

Our dear friend GALESTIAN embraced the whole spectrum of sorrow in his track ‘Pray’, offering both moments of deep melancholy and luminous hope. A soft groove and subtle percussion-work gently guide us into the tune, setting the stage for emotions to arise. The mellow vocals and bassline then set in, entering a back-and-forth with yearning synths and the Armenian duduk. Seemingly without ever climaxing, the track meekly washes over us, leaving traces of connection, hope and reflection.

The Cologne-based Solink celebrates his second release on our label with a deep firework of a tune, representing the energetic side of sorrow and its release from our bodies. Imagine takes us on a journey of soulful synth-modulations, showing a stark contrast between the driving first part and the beautifully imagined, calm bridge that takes us right into the heart of sorrow before culminating in a powerful drop signifying the energetic release of the emotion.

Interview

What is your personal association with the emotion of sorrow that found its way into your track?

GALESTIAN: "I think everybody has experienced some sort of deep sorrow at one point in their lives. It's part of our human experience and no more or less valuable than pleasant emotions like joy and excitement. There have been many moments in my life when I've experienced sorrow, whether it was short-lived or longer lasting.
It's not such a pleasant feeling when you're going through it, but I believe there are few other emotions that allow you to connect more deeply with yourself. Sorrow is a sort of lamenting and grieving, with an undercurrent of sadness. It's sort of like walking through a dark, rainy forest and knowing that somewhere in this forest is a place where you can take refuge to start a warm, cozy fire. With all sorrow, there's always a glimmer of hope and optimism, which only magnifies with time – if you can see it.
When I look back at the periods in my life when I was experiencing deep sorrow, it was also when I took a more introspective path, and in doing so, I've always come out better in some way. The key is remembering that there is always a silver lining, a lesson, or a new path forward, no matter how heavy the experience may seem at the moment. If you can't see it now, you certainly will in hindsight, often long after the experience is over."

Solink: "I think that sadness overcomes each of us sometimes. It is important to allow it to be a part of our lives, just as any other emotion."

How did the approach of translating an emotion into a track influence your production process?

GALESTIAN: "  The primary emotion to be conveyed for this project was sorrow, but I wanted it to be done in such a way that one doesn't get lost in that completely. Maybe it's the relaxed element of sorrow that is the silver lining, an opportunity to take it easy and try to keep the mind unperturbed. Or perhaps the introspective element of it, which allows you to block out the noise from the outside world and just feel what you're going through at the moment. Those are the core elements of sorrow that I wanted to capture. But most importantly, I wanted to make sure that the glimmers of hope and optimism translated well: the guiding light, the break in the clouds that allows the sun to shine through."

Solink: "It was a whole new experience for me to produce according to a certain emotion, because normally i just do what i feel like. However, I just let myself get inspired by other tracks that make me feel this emotion and that got me into it quickly."

If you could choose another emotion to interpret, which one would it be and why?

GALESTIAN: "That's a hard one, but perhaps gratitude, awe, or nostalgia."

Solink: "I would say Euphoria, because I love uplifting and euphoric music myself and I love all the energy coming from these kind of tracks - especially on the dancefloor!"