Glenn Astro – Nothing Is Real

Label: Tartelet Records – TARTALBO20
Format: Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition
Country: Germany
Released: 4 May 2023
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient, Broken Beat

Taking his cue from seminal mix albums of days gone by, Glenn Astro is back with a compilation of original productions from a cast of fictional artists on 'Nothing Is Real'. Spanning 13 tracks, the Tartelet Records mainstay moves between head-nodding downtempo, ambient techno, broken beat and all manner of chill-out room delights.

“I had the idea to do a mixtape, preferably with unknown dance tracks that also reflect that whole 90s/early 00s vibe,” Astro explains. “Instead of digging for some records that haven’t been sourced yet or trying to find those ‘forgotten’ treasures, I made the tracks myself. That way I had full control over BPMs, feel and the whole arrangement of tracks. I thought of a few alter egos and started producing the tracks in the order that I intended to play them in a mix. In the end a whole compilation of tracks emerged.”

While the concept might suggest you’re going to hear a lot of over-familiar sounds, don’t be fooled. Astro is inspired and inquisitive, channeling the experimental spirit of the 90s and early 00s when electronic music was still continually being redefined in all kinds of micro-scenes. In many cases, Astro’s productions slip into the cracks between genres rather than specifically mimicking a style.

“In terms of dance music, the 90s and early 2000s are pretty much the blueprint for everything that I’ve later on made myself,” Astro admits. “At the same time, I don’t want to be overly nostalgic about it. We often look at those times, specifically the Y2K years, as being a lot simpler, realer, more honest, which in some cases might even be true. Simultaneously, it's insanely naive. Everything plastic isn’t necessarily futuristic, you know?”

A1. Mental Trance - Intro Track
A2. Crystalline reality - The Growl [Crystalline Mix]
A3. Eye Soul8r - Autumn Subs
A4. Brain Liquor - Blame It On
A5. DJ 1999 - The Abyss
B1. Brain Liquor - Jaque?
B2. Crystalline reality - The Growl [Night Mix]
B3. Mental Trance - Metall Trance
B4. The Foundation - Steppers Worldwide, Untite!
B5. DJ 1999 - Almost Pleasant