Contributing WriterOne of techno’s most exciting contemporary acts, Joyhauser, unveil their highly-anticipated debut album In Memoro. Chartered via their staple home Terminal M, the twelve-track LP was teased in recent months with the release of its lead singles Wasted, Liberty and Bassdrone. The full-length studio album is now available to stream across all digital platforms, with its subsequent vinyl release date set to be announced shortly.
Encroaching on the pinnacle of success, the release of In Memoro marks a seminal point in the duo’s career. Having delivered a consistent stream of hit records for the underground community, the pair’s inaugural album showcases their production efforts on the global stage, expanding on their flourishing discography in conceptual style. Representing some of their most daring and progressive opuses to date, In Memoro’s collection of tracks give us a more realised impression of the duo’s unrelenting creativity and ability to not only create peak-time worthy records, but to produce with ‘the journey’ in mind. Clocking countless studio hours over the past three years, Joyhauser’s debut 12” is a record that has been eagerly awaited by the modern audience for some time, and it doesn’t fail to deliver.
The previously released Wasted, Liberty and Bassdrone welcomed huge support across the club and festival circuits, entering the touring playlists of almost every major DJ in the scape. Fuelled by unrelenting drum patterns, hearty kicks and rapturous melodies, the cuts proved to be the anthemic gems of 2022/2023 and resumed their top charting placements respectively.
To the excitement of long-standing fans, In Memoro features a whole host of domineering techno hits that champion the stylistic leanings we’ve come to know and love from the pair. LXR02 is one of these offerings. Upping the tempo, Joyhauser shine a spotlight on their signature sound, delivering high-impact cosmic synth work and a meaty kick drum; attributes that have labelled them masters of their craft. The feisty Hemera sets an authoritative tone from the off, presenting a powerful synth lead and rave stabs that celebrate the sweet spot between techno’s foundational records and its modern sensibilities. These same dynamic characteristics can be found within Roam Zwei, Pulsar, Lightbringers and A Beautiful End Of The World, making them the heroes of festival season and serving as essential additions to the duo’s impeccable back catalogue.
Woven between the album’s peak-time worthy hits are a series of ambient and crossbreed offerings that present an entirely new perspective to Joyhauser’s sound palate. The opening cut Leben welcomes the album in cinematic style, providing listeners with a deeply emotive introduction to this compelling body of work. Hints of vocal chops and an impressive synth riff enter the space, bending between old school rave and acid influences before erupting into a climactic breakbeat moment. Expanding on this alternative musical direction and showing their immense versatility in the studio, the duo treat us to another breakbeat number in Anamorphic. Cross-pollinating these percussive influences with techno-leaning synth work, world-music vocal injections and dreamy soundscapes, Joyhauser deliver a refined hybrid production that’s littered with grand apex moments. The stunning Astral Projection, gives us a moment of reflection between the bellowing techno cuts. As its name suggests, the pair provide us with serene soundscapes and high twinkling synths, introducing a warmly familiar breakbeat foundation that will leave audiences wanting more from this sound profile.
Flawlessy executed from start to finish, Joyhauser’s debut album is the result of years of hard work and dedication to the scene, as well as an innate artistry that has the scope to ensure longevity within their career. Presenting as one of the fastest rising acts on the international electronic music circuit, the Belgian outfit are leading the resurgence of timeless European techno, cementing the cardinal foundations of the genre’s storied history within their forwarded-thinking productions. A rich tapestry of opuses set within a stunning full-length record, In Memoro’s impact will be felt for years to come and will no doubt open the door to the upper echelons of dance music for one of techno’s favourite duos.
Joyhauser – In Memoro (album) is out now via Terminal M.