Genre/Influences: Cinematographic, experimental, rhythmic-soundtrack.

Background/Info: Kai Hahnewald will always be linked to his major project S.K.E.T., but “Within And Beyond” is already the fourth full length album of his Talvekoidik project. It even becomes a double disc featuring ten new cuts at the main disc and ten remixes at the bonus disc.

Content: Talvekoidik can’t be compared in any single way with the power and energy of S.K.E.T. This is music to listen to, but each new album brings a new focus. This work clearly reminds me to a soundtrack. It’s a very cinematographic experience, which is carried by slow rhythmics.

The bonus disc is not just an album with remixes. It features songs from the different Talvekoidik albums, which have been remixed by artists such as SubtractiveLAD, Leitmotiv Rainbow, Infienity and Edgey while the other cuts have been remixed by Kai Hahnewald or are just different versions.

+ + + : The slow rhythms carrying the songs is an important aspect of the work. It’s not just a classical cinematographic or ambient release, but one, which has been empowered reaching a more accessible format. It also has something minimal-like, but it’s the right music to get merged with a visual performance. The bonus disc is an interesting way to get back to ‘older’ cuts, which have been reworked/remixed into a refreshing format. I especially enjoyed the harder and somewhat d’n’b remix of “That’s My Desire” by Edgey.

– – – : Some passages are a bit long in duration and even monotonous and that’s because this work really needs to get accomplished with a visual performance.

Conclusion: This album brings some diversity at the Hands roster, which is mainly dominated by industrial-techno music during the past few months (years…). I’m not saying this album is a groundbreaking opus, but it’s a pleasant listening.

Best songs: “In November”, “Set Sail To Gotland”, “Breathe With Relief” + “That’s My Desire – Edgey Remix”, “Atlas – Version”, “The Mobius Strip – Version”, “Rising The Tension – SubtractiveLAD Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.talvekoidik.de /

Label: www.handsproductions.com / www.facebook.com/hands.official