il:lo

French electronic duo il:lo are pleased to announce a brand new track with the arrival of ‘Cynnes’, lifted from the upcoming debut EP 'Myriad' released through Nettwerk later this year. Comprised of producers Dejan Dejado and Andreas Schütz, il:lo create an angular, yet airy deep house blend with expansive builds and mesmerising textures.

About the song: “Cynnes is an atmospheric slow deep house track, with a blend of pianos and soft voices. The enigmatic atmosphere in the background and the resonant synth gives the feeling of a recording in a subway tunnel, like an urban cocoon we are evolving in.”

The best way to describe il:lo is as a conversation. Formed over a decade ago in Prague, the duo work across borders, time and space (one lives in Berlin while the other currently lives in the south of France), sending snippets and tracks back and forth until they’re happy with them. The way they both work means that they need the space to let the project breathe; in this way, it becomes more than both of them together.
 
Following on the heels of 2019’s Sloh and their recent collaborations with Anjunadeep (2021 EP release Meliadi and a live session recorded in Canyon Du Diable in France) is Myriad, an EP that gently pushes at the boundaries and expectations of what il:lo is and can be. Generally, the pair have been entrenched in the downtempo scene from some of their earliest releases; with Myriad, the aim was to make something that still had that undeniable il:lo essence, but that pushed them slightly further into a more deep house, danceable sound.
 
This was a deliberate move and consisted of taking more time in the production of the tracks for Myriad, which meant poring over synth presets to find exactly the right sound for the release. Once found, this sound carried over into several of the tracks, creating a coherency that unites the EP’s varied influences. The result is a sound that’s distinct from their earlier, largely sample-based productions, a sound that they describe as “not as dirty as before”.
 
This philosophy carries through to the cover art; the architecture that features on the covers of Myriad and its singles are also as integral to the project as the music itself. Though their music isn’t necessarily minimal, built from hundreds of different tracks and samples and layered synths and effects, the architecture as photographed by Matthias Heiderich conveys a simplicity of form that translates to how they have approached their productions for Myriad. While sending their work back and forth between each other, they were engaged in a process of stripping out the excess so that they were left with only the most essential and emotive parts of the track; similarly, the architecture that adorns their covers is powerful in its simplicity and makes you stop and consider it from another angle. Stripping things back most often reveals their power.
 
Myriad was also produced with a mind to translating the release to a live set. Il:lo have been touring more recently as support for artists like Parra For Cuva, Stimming, Janus Rasmussen, CloZee and Zimmer, and have found the experience of connecting with crowds an exhilarating one. It’s a constant surprise that people can be there specifically to see them, and they want people to experience the live iterations of Myriad as an atmospheric journeying, empowering their audience to enjoy the view rather than focus on the destination.

The beauty of il:lo is that it couldn’t exist in any other form. It’s not a question of whether Dejado and Schütz are able to produce on their own, but it’s the magic that sparks between them when they come together. They balance out each other’s impulses and tendencies and are genuinely excited when the other adds something particularly brilliant to a track. It’s a creative partnership that bears witness to the fruitfulness of collaboration and creative community, and Myriad is proof of it. It’s a release that’s testament to their ability to grow and learn together, and help each other in this process.