“like a deep dive into the history of synthetic sound.” – CLASH MAGAZINE
“Felsmann + Tiley have started an exceptional music project, using only the sounds of synthesizers” – PLAYY
“Their most ambitious project, a mix of music, visuals, and ideas about life today.” – NUMERO
Today signifies an exciting milestone for the electronic duo Felsmann + Tiley, as they unveil their new project, Protomensch, through ORiGiN Music. This sophomore album not only heightens their artistic endeavors but also reflects their growth as musicians, offering a refined exploration of emotionally resonant electronic soundscapes paired with vocal-driven storytelling.
At its core, Protomensch embodies a fusion of genres including synthwave and trance, interwoven with a sense of existential tension about humanity’s fate. The album strikes a balance between pulsating club rhythms and melodic sensitivity, showcasing their unique ability to blend intensity with nuanced emotional depth. This juxtaposition is artfully achieved through expansive synth textures, dynamic sound design, and meticulously crafted vocal performances that breathe life and narrative into each track.
Delving into the sonic landscape of Protomensch, Felsmann + Tiley take inspiration from film scores and neoclassical compositions, layering these influences over the broad spectrum of electronic dance music. The result? A collection of tracks that unfold like cinematic stories, rich with progression and atmosphere, eschewing conventional club formats in favor of emotional arcs that resonate deeply with listeners. This expansive vision of music aligns perfectly with a conceptual framework exploring humanity’s dichotomy—the foolish yet brilliant human caught between the forces of innovation and self-destruction, empathy and violence, love and absurdity. This overarching theme was a guiding force in their creative process, manifesting itself even before the first note was composed.
What further enriches Protomensch is its impressive array of vocal collaborators. The album features contributions from an eclectic mix of artists, including London-based alternative collective Pet Deaths and Australian talents The Kite String Tangle, Woodes, and Laius. Each collaborator brings their own unique sound and emotional texture, enhancing the album’s dynamic range—from introspective and introspective moments to euphoria-inducing tracks. Reflecting on this collaborative process, the duo stated:
“We were first drawn to their voices; each collaborator has a tone and delivery that immediately stands out. They instinctively understood what we were trying to do, which meant we could focus on creating rather than over-explaining the process.”
Initially conceived in 2017, Protomensch epitomizes Felsmann + Tiley’s most comprehensive assertion of their musical direction thus far. It captures the duo at a significant juncture in their artistic journey, distilling years of experimentation into a unified and confident body of work. Their evolution has not gone unnoticed in the music industry; influential figures such as the late Andrew Weatherall have showcased their work, and esteemed supervisors like Michael Gaubert have featured them in campaigns for prominent brands. Their reinterpretations have also achieved fruitful sync placements, with tracks like Solitude accompanying trailers for Netflix’s Top Boy Season 3, while their reimagining of The Irrepressibles’ Most Beautiful Boy became synonymous with Season 2 of Netflix’s Young Royals.
With Protomensch, Felsmann + Tiley carve out a space for themselves as one of Europe’s most influential and thoughtful contemporary electronic acts. The album represents an immersive and emotionally charged exploration grounded in a distinct musical identity.
TRACKLIST
1. Open Fields (ft. The Kite String Tangle)
2. Memory
3. Opioid (ft. Pet Deaths)
4. Reset
5. Always You (ft. Woodes)
6. Seeker
7. Warnung
8. Gabriel
9. Kind
10. God Is Lonelier (ft. Laius)
11. Warum
12. Neuzeit
For more info on Felsmann + Tiley, visit;
INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD | SITE | FACEBOOK | X
