Patrick Zigon - Closing Circles (2023)

"It's all about Closing Circles. Circles should be closed before new ones can open. If too many circles are opened, there is no room for the next ones. It's all about Closing Circles."
Patrick Zigon is closing circles with his fourth studio album, once again on his label Traumraum. The German DJ and producer has used the conditions of recent years to reinvent himself and completely change his way of working, moving away from DAW-based production towards experiments with analog equipment, desktop synthesizers, drum machines, pedals, and freestyle jamming. Closing Circles is a collection of these jams, in chronological order, only slightly edited and mixed to retain the character of each session. Rawness, distortion, and chaos are used as stylistic tools. The tracks are accordingly wild, dark, and twisted - but simultaneously hypnotic, melancholic, and somehow redemptive. It becomes clear where Zigon is coming from musically, where he is at the moment, and where his journey is going. It's equally a conclusion, a snapshot, and a glimpse into the future.
Closing Circles is also likely Zigon's most dancefloor-oriented album to date. Deliberately eschewing downbeat interludes, a soothing intro, an ambient outro, or musical collaborations and features, Zigon focuses his skills to create a dynamic sound that oscillates between mainstays of techno, house, electro, and breaks. The tracks are accompanied of course by occasional clouds of dub, but more subtly so than on Zigon's previous albums, leaving more room for futuristic glitches and deep space atmospheres. The improvisational origin of each track is also noticeable in their lengths, eternal sequences building up and down, again and again - unpredictable, organic, and unplanned. Some arrangements are broken up to the point of complete abstraction, yet remain fully danceable - if played at the right moment.
Closing Circles is about life. It''s about returning to where you belong and falling back in love with what you've always loved - but maybe just forgot. It's about being content with where you are and who you are, and it's about being ready for what lies ahead. It's all about Closing Circles.