Esmark is a glacier on Norwegian isle Svalbard. It’s also the name Hamburg-based musician Alsen Rau—also known as V I S-affiliate Scheich in China—and sound designer Nikolai von Sallwitz choose for their collaborative project. In July 2017, the duo caught our attention with their debut(s) entitled Māra I and Māra II released via Bureau B. Almost one year later Rau and von Sallwitz sent us an update of their sound.

Compiled in an exclusive mix for zweikommasieben, consisting mainly of original new and unreleased tracks, the duo is showcasing the current state of Esmark. The coherent character of their work usually comes into full effect only when there is enough space for their music to unfold—whether on record (hence two LPs to get things started a year back) or in a live context (that can be explored when Esmark plays at Golden Pudel in Hamburg in early July, for example). For this exclusive mix however, the duo fanned out the beauty of their sounds within one hour only.

Be prepared to dive deep into complex systems of filters and effect sequences created with the help of loops and recorded tape interludes, while listening:

P.S. V I S’ Nina is featured in the current issue of our print magazine; Golden Pudel popped up a while back (in issue #10). Gear up here.