Paul Kalkbrenner shares first album in seven years, ‘The Essence’: Listen

Paul Kalkbrenner has shared his first album in seven years. You can listen to ‘The Essence’ below.

The record marks the German artist’s first full-length outing since 2018’s ‘Parts of Life’, and has been described as his most personal work to date.

A number of singles have already landed, including July’s ‘NINETY – TWO’, ‘QUE CE SOIT CLAIR’, and last month’s ‘Dreaming On’, which features a sample of Depeche Mode’s 2001 hit, ‘Dream On’.

‘The Essence’ has been several years in the making, with production taking place between Kalkbrenner’s studio and his Berlin apartment. Described in press material as “somewhere between mid-century modern and ‘70s luxury”, the space heavily inspired the mood of the project.

“I didn’t want neon lights, no screens, no tech overload,” Kalkbrenner said. “I just sat there for hours, tinkering, without a plan but with a feeling.”

“Many of the songs were made during a time when I wasn’t planning to release an album at all,” he continued. “I had actually finished with album making, but then I realised how nice it is to have something that connects everything again. Some of the stuff on here, I wouldn’t even come up with today because it’s so unfiltered.”

‘The Essence’ is out now via B1 Recordings.

In September, Berlin-based football club SV Sparta Lichtenberg changed the name of their home ground from Sportplatz Fischerstraße to Paul Kalkbrenner Sportfeld, in honour of the German producer.