As the duo unveil their highly anticipated second album, the record marks a major step forward for the pair, refining their signature blend of emotionally charged electronic music and vocal-led songwriting.
Built around a core of synthwave, trance, and introspective yet cataclysmic impending doom for mankind, ‘Protomensch’ balances club-focused intensity with melodic sensitivity. Channeled through pulsing rhythms, expansive synth textures, and detailed sound design that form the foundation of the album, the carefully chosen vocal performances bring warmth, tension, and narrative depth to the music.
“like a deep dive into the history of synthetic sound.” – CLASH MAGAZINE
“Felsmann + Tiley have started an exceptional music project, using only the sounds of synthesizers” – PLAYY
“Their most ambitious project, a mix of music, visuals, and ideas about life today.” – NUMERO
Sonically, ‘Protomensch’ draws influence from film scores and neoclassical composition, alongside the wide spectrum of electronic dance music. These elements give the body of work a cinematic quality, where tracks unfold with a strong sense of progression, atmosphere, and emotional arc rather than relying solely on traditional club structures. Moreover, alongside the music, ‘Protomensch’ is underpinned by a broader conceptual framework, with the project exploring humanity’s paradoxical nature, an idiotic genius caught between innovation and destruction, empathy and violence, love and absurdity. This core idea guided the duo long before a single note was written, lingering as a quiet but insistent thread throughout the entire creative process.
First conceived in 2017, ‘Protomensch’ represents the most complete realisation of Felsmann + Tiley’s musical direction to date. It captures the duo at a point of clarity, distilling years of experimentation into a cohesive, confident body of work. What’s more, their work has previously been supported by influential tastemakers including the late Andrew Weatherall, who featured the duo on his NTS show, and Michael Gaubert, who included their music in a set for Acne Studios. Alongside this, the duo have also had a strong presence in the sync world, with their music featuring in the Top Boy trailer, the title song in Your Royals, and many others.
Featuring a strong lineup of vocal collaborators, ‘Protomensch’ includes London-based alternative outfit Pet Deaths and Australian artists The Kite String Tangle, Woodes, and Laius. Each brings a distinct voice and emotional register, helping shape the album’s dynamic range, from introspective and restrained moments to more euphoric, driving tracks. Talking on the collaborative process, the duo explain:
“We were first drawn to their voices, each collaborator has a tone and delivery that immediately stands out. They instinctively understood what we were trying to do, which meant we could focus on creating rather than over-explaining the process.”
With ‘Protomensch’, Felsmann + Tiley deliver an album that is immersive, emotionally resonant, and grounded in strong musical identity, positioning them as one of Europe’s most conscious and compelling contemporary electronic acts.
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