Selections: Tristan Arp
“When I sit down to work I always try to come with a beginner’s mind,” Tristan Arp told DJ Mag back in 2019. “I’m always thinking, ‘What would I like to hear that doesn’t already exist?” It’s a mantra that rings truer than ever today for the Mexico City-based, Detroit-born producer, DJ and sound artist, who, over the past four years, has continued carving intricate sonic sculptures that explore the endless possibilities of synthesised sound.
His debut LP for Wisdom Teeth, 2021’s ‘Sculpturegardening’ is a delicate cluster of downtempo compositions inspired by flora and fauna, while his ‘Alternate Looking Glass’ and ‘Entangled Beings’ EPs conjure obscure and surrealist soundscapes through foley recordings, playful micropercussion, and lush, probabilistic melodies.
On his new EP for Martyn’s 3024 label, ‘End of a Line or Part of a Circle?’, Arp continues to colour outside of the lines. Chronicling the producer’s ongoing experiments with biomimicry — the practice of making synthesizers sound like the natural environment — the 5-tracker uses intricate breaks and experimental club rhythms to build teeming ecosystems of sound. The title track feels like the soundtrack to a lively colony of ants at work, punctuated by mischievous clicks and kick drums, while cuts like ‘Branching Streams’ and ‘Panspecies Rights’ forage new terrain through stridulating synths and polyrhythmic structures.
Arp also champions unconventional dancefloor sounds through his Human Pitch label and bi-weekly show on The Lot Radio, which has featured guests including Siete Catorce, Darwin, Debonair, and DJ Lag. His insect-inspired contribution to the Selections series reflects these eclectic sonic and naturalistic influences, spotlighting hi-frequency movers, chirping rhythms, and floaty bass gems. Dive in below.
