Helemental doesn’t shout; it glides. It evokes connection not through force but through familiarity—like stumbling upon a memory long tucked away, warm and faintly glowing. This is an album that hums gently with presence, a quiet reminder that something beautiful still lingers, waiting to be heard.
A soothing sonic balm in uncertain times
Galaktlan, the moniker of Estonia’s Taavi Laatsit, steps away from the rigid frameworks of early Detroit techno on Helemental, favoring instead fluid contours and gently unfolding rhythms. Rather than demanding attention, this collection quietly fills the room—a soft signal from some far-off satellite, distant but compelling, a soothing sonic balm in uncertain times.
Over the course of 11 tracks, ambient, IDM, downtempo, and dreamlike pulses drift in and out of focus. “Storm” crackles with sputtering synths buffeted by digital winds, while “A Friend Is Waiting” dips into haunting theremin curves and warm, understated percussion, evoking a kind of melancholic futurism. There’s a reverence for classic IDM forms (ref. Arovane, Christian Kleine, Yasume, Isan) throughout—especially in “Tuleöö Pimedus” and “Commando,” where shadowed motifs gradually reveal glimmers of brightness beneath. “Laupe” also showcases jagged, hyper-kinetic, technoid forms of braindance and ambient tropes, never holding back on nostalgic blur. “Locked” and the final piece, “Prince To Be,” swirl with data-like echoes, hypnotic in their movement, each loop folding into the next like a signal tracing its path home. Elsewhere, “Sauna Laava” explores dub-tinged depths, where each echo feels organic, patiently blooming in the background.
Helemental doesn’t shout; it glides. It evokes connection not through force but through familiarity—like stumbling upon a memory long tucked away, warm and faintly glowing. This is an album that hums gently with presence, a quiet reminder that something beautiful still lingers, waiting to be heard.
Helemental is available on Touched Music. [Bandcamp]
