After the exclusive premiere of ‘Fallen’ from his ‘Sense’ album, released on Ilario Alicante’s Virgo imprint, we sat down with S-File to talk about his new album in this interview.
Techno mainstay S-File returns to Ilario Alicante’s Virgo imprint with his new album, ‘Sense’. Packed with characterful bangers, this is the Berlin-based artist’s third full-length album, featuring a collection of ten dancefloor-focused gems. The ‘Sense’ LP is available HERE.
S-File has been shaping the sound of techno ever since the 90s. He has released standout material on labels such as BEK Audio, UNCAGE and his own GND and Black Traxx Series imprints. He is a master of utilitarian and club-ready dynamite with driving low ends and plenty of character, and his music has received support from Ben Sims to Luke Slater. The German DJ and producer was last on Virgo in January with his ‘Restive’ EP but now offers up a superb ten-track showcase of his full sonic range with ‘Sense’ – his third LP that lands just after his standout remix of Dave Clarke’s seminal ‘Red 1’ on the Archive Box Set that Clarke recently assembled.
Read the interview where S-File explains why Virgo is the perfect place for his new album ‘Sense’, reveals his favorite track from the album, and talks about future plans.
Your latest album ‘Sense’ is released via Ilario Alicante’s Virgo – a label you know well, having released your ‘Restive’ EP there in the past. What made Virgo the perfect home for an album this time around?
The collaboration with the ‘Restive’ EP at the beginning of the year worked very well with Ilario and the entire Virgo team, and there was an immediate vibe. Ilario had repeatedly asked me if I could do a follow-up to the EP for Virgo. I then sent him the new album because I was convinced it would be in very good hands there and that it also fits the Virgo concept perfectly. Ilario signed the album immediately and was confident from the start. As an artist, if you immediately feel that someone is serious and they are fully behind it, it is the best thing that can happen to you as an artist.
The project has ten tracks, spanning various techno soundscapes and some wider electronic genres. We have premiered ‘Fallen’ from the LP. Tell us about the creation of the track and how it complements the other records on the album?
‘Fallen’ came about relatively quickly, and it was the last track I produced for the album in the production process. With ‘Fallen’, I produced a conclusion to the album that is different from the other tracks and is a classic closer. The track only contains the drums from the 808 and recorded synth chords, which makes it very melodic and harmonious. I think it’s a perfect ending to ‘Sense’.
Do you have a personal favourite track on the LP? And is there a track that you think may surprise listeners (and why)?
I think the whole album is completely different than my first two albums. ‘Sense’ contains a lot of melodies and is very Detroit-like. In contrast to other techno albums by other artists, ‘Sense’ does not contain any ambient tracks or only pure pad tracks. An album always has a long creation process, but I designed it from the beginning to pack songs suitable for clubs and songs you don’t play at peak time. I think the listener who listens to the album at home or in the car will be sent on a journey that will entertain them and, in the best-case scenario, catch them in their current mood. It’s hard to pick a favourite track, but ‘Function’ is already one of my favourites on the album. There’s just a lot in this track if you listen closely, from the chords, percussions, beats, various pads, effects, etc. The track took the most time to produce the album.
Lastly, what does the rest of the year look like for you? What should we be looking out for next?
In addition to my radio show, which I do every month on the Irish national and largest radio station, RTE, there will soon be releases on Tronic and my own label, GND Records. DJ gigs and the album are now my focus. Further releases are also planned for the rest of the year.
Follow S-File on SoundCloud and Instagram.
