What would 1992 sound like today if the sound had never changed? Paul Kalkbrenner’s new single “Ninety – Two” offers a possible answer: 130 BPM, a hypnotic groove, and a vocal sample pulled straight from the collective rave memory. It’s the perfect entry point into his new album “The Essence” and already a live favorite at his shows ahead of its release.
The sample – once featured on countless UK rave compilations in the ‘90s – is, for Kalkbrenner, a piece of scene history in a new context. “Ninety – Two” is not retro nostalgia, but a what-if scenario: “The track sounds as if that sound had simply continued evolving to the present day without interruption.”
Stripped-down, almost instrumental, grounded in the now “Ninety – Two” is a tribute to a sound that never truly disappeared. A track like a lost memory, and at the same time, a bold statement marking the start of the new album “The Essence” Kalkbrenner’s first album since “Parts of Life” (2018), set for release in September.
Created over several years inside an apartment that sits stylistically somewhere between mid-century modern and 1970s luxury, with real tungsten bulbs, vintage TVs, palm trees, and a mix of stone, wood, and fur. “The Essence” is a collection of organically grown tracks.
“Many songs were made during a time when I wasn’t even planning an album,”
says Kalkbrenner.
“I had basically moved on from making albums, but then I realized how nice it is to have something with a larger sense of cohesion again.”
The title “The Essence” may sound like minimalism – but it means something else entirely:
“It’s about the essential. This is an album I can truly stand behind. I consider it my best.”
Kalkbrenner says.
“Sure, there may be more well-known hits on my other albums, but there were always two or three filler tracks. This one doesn’t have a single filler. Not even a filler moment!”
Berlin-born Paul Kalkbrenner has had a career like no other. A techno talent who rose from the underground to the top of the charts over two decades, starred in a cult film, made headlines at festivals, and thrilled millions of fans – without ever compromising his powerful sound. Born the year the Berlin Wall fell and raised amid the first wave of ‘90s rave culture, he began producing music early – and always preferred playing live to DJing. By the time Berlin Calling and the single “Sky & Sand” were released, he had become an icon: a unique artist bridging club culture, cinema, and main stage, never swayed by trends. Eight albums, sold-out arena tours, headline slots at Tomorrowland, and an invitation from the German government to perform for 400,000 people at the Berlin Wall anniversary – Paul Kalkbrenner hasn’t just shaped electronic music; he’s redefined its boundaries.
