Session Victim Release New Album & Announce Jazz Café Residency Throughout June

Session Victim today release their anticipated 11-track album titled ‘Needledrop’. Already picking up support from CRACK, Dummy, DJ Mag, XLR8R and Resident Advisor, Session Victim also announce a four-date residency at London’s iconic Jazz Café, playing each Friday throughout the month of June. The German pair of Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling are no strangers to releasing quality long-format albums and whilst rising through a discerning community of DJ’s have previously released three consecutive LP’s on tastemaker label ‘Delusions of Grandeur’ culminating in 2017’s ‘Listen To Your Heart’.

Their latest and fourth studio album on 'Night Time Stories’, the London based sister label to the coveted ‘LateNightTales’, marks a notable shift towards the downtempo dynamic of artists like Nightmares on Wax, DJ Shadow and Portishead. Artists that have all played a strong influence in Session Victim’s variety of output over the last decade. ‘Needledrop’ provides a suite of both uplifting and easy-listening moments, refined and understated individually, yet cohesively crafted with the honest musicianship and inarguable credentials that we know of production duo Session Victim.

As accomplished producers, Session Victim have been intent on delivering a characteristic body of work for uninterrupted play and with ‘Needledrop’, they have landed with significant inspiration from the lavishly textured and subtly layered jazz and soul compositions that found their way into late 90’s trip hop. Fusing an array of live instrumentation and organic groove through their intuitive sampling sessions, Session Victim’s fourth album succeeds in actively engaging the listener’s mood and intellect in equal measure.

Bringing a striking alchemy to the album is first single, ‘Made Me Fly’ which arrived in January. A standout track, unveiling a soothing yet expressive live vocal performance by singer songwriter Beth Hirsch, best known for her collaboration with French duo Air on their 1998 album ‘Moon Safari’. ‘Made Me Fly’ is also accompanied by a visually stunning music video, created by animator Mike Scott and tells a computer game love story inspired by 80’s and 90’s point and click adventure games.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR 'MADE ME FLY' WITH BETH HIRSCH HERE

A setting, a mood, all exposed to the almost random dropping of the stylus on a vinyl record; ‘Needledrop’ as the name suggests, positions Session Victim amongst downtempo’s most quality works by delivering a genuine feeling of intuitiveness in its production approach; entirely natural in composition yet flawlessly precise in execution.

Album opener ‘Bad Weather Mates’ sets the tone with a palette of retro soul and feel-good warmth of instrumental hip-hop that continues right through to ‘Still High’; as authentic an exhibition of their strengths as record collectors as their nuance as producers.

It takes significant commitment to do so, yet Session Victim have displayed experienced restrain to avoid the album’s tracks being lured back to a 4/4 dancefloor formula while retaining a fusion of jazz, electronica and low-slung house music for which their energetic international DJ sets have become synonymous.

Tracks ‘The Pain’, ‘No Sky', ‘Blue Sound’ and ‘Glimmer’ incorporate electronic touches where required, whilst keeping the original broken groove skilfully in-tact. Marking a further demonstration of Session Victim’s creative output, the music video for ‘The Pain’ was released last month, delivering an intimate and cinematic piece shot across London. Directed by Peter Malla, the video highlights an ever-pressing sense of perseverance, optimism and gaining strength through adversity and pain.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR 'THE PAIN' HERE

With this album, Session Victim have focused their attention on a large arsenal of influences across long forgotten vinyl, 90’s computer games and beyond, rediscovering the intuitive and playful sides of their production personalities, while also demonstrating their cherished music knowledge.

Also announced today, Session Victim’s residency at London’s intimate Camden based venue, Jazz Café will see the duo showcase the extensive range of their musical influences, following in the footsteps of former residents Marcel Vogel, Romare and James Lavelle. Taking place every Friday night this June, Session Victim’s residency will exhibit their unparalleled energy behind the turntables, traversing through a variety of genres from soul, disco, house and more.

Tracklist:

1. Bad Weather Mates
2. The Pain
3. Made Me Fly With Beth Hirsch
4. Jazzbeat 7
5. No Sky, Blue Sound
6. Waller and Pierce
7. Needledrop
8. Isle of Taste
9. Cold Chills
10. Still High
11. Glimmer

Session Victim – Jazz Café Residency Dates:

5th June – Jazz Café, London

12th June – Jazz Café, London

19th June – Jazz Café, London

26th June – Jazz Café, London

Tickets available here

‘Needledrop’ by Session Victim is out now via ‘Night Time Stories’.