Throughout a career spanning over 10 years, 7 albums and a plethora of singles and EPs, danish producer Kasper Bjørke is back with his new work entitled ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ released via hfn music. Totaling 7 tracks, comprising of collaborations with the likes of Toby Ernest, Justin Strauss, and Thomas Høffding, the mini-LP displays Bjørke’s eclecticism by combining retro melodies, powerful basslines, and catchy operatic melodies.
The journey starts with ‘Water’, a laid back sonic extravaganza that transports the listener to a summer pool party where sexuality and nostalgia take center stage. The tune features a dreamlike pad sound topped with a compelling groove that moves the body and keeps the feet moving. Next in line is ‘Seabird’ where funky guitar riffs blend nicely with Avant-garde organic textures and resemble a fusion between Depeche Mode and David Bowie with a modern electronic twist.
Even though in the album Bjørke brings new unheard influences to his sound, his deep roots in club music appear on ‘Venetian Blinds’. One highlight of the album which features analog low-frequency textures with arpeggiated sequences and intricate percussive patterns. The same narrative continues on ‘Oceans of Time’, where trance infused basslines move the track forward and give a nice closure to ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’.
Bjørke evolves his sonic aesthetic from his previous LP ‘Fountain of Youth’ in which influences from Miami Bass and 80s synth-pop dominate the album thematically as heard in tunes such as “Rays”, ‘Cloud 9’ and ‘Köln’. On ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’ he seeks to move the needle by combining synthetic elements with live instruments such as the electric bass, organ and the human voice resulting in a pleasant collection of tunes suitable as the soundtrack for a relaxing day at the beach.