David Douglas & Applescal - Demarrage (2024)

Long-time musical friends David Douglas and Atomnation label head Applescal have come together on a new concept album, Démarrage. The 10-track project focuses on their love of cycling and the gamut of emotions the sport involves, all distilled into vibrant electronic sounds.

This pair has been working together on and off for 12 years DJ-ing and putting out tracks on Atomnation. Producer, film and video editor Douglas was the first artist signed to Atomnation back in the earliest days of the label and has since put out several critically acclaimed EPs and LPs, while Applescal aka Pascal Terstappen has been entrenched in the scene for over 15 years. In that time he has platformed not only his own innovative sounds but plenty of fresh artists across the electronica and techno landscape.

Both men have long shared their love of cycling, which is often called the purist of sports and as such was a source of fascination for Kraftwerk whose cult Tour de France album was dedicated to the coming together of man and machine in perfect harmony. Douglas and Applescal first indulged their idea of writing music inspired by cycling in 2023 and after writing one track, they developed their work into the full-length album presented here.

Démarrage embodies everything that makes cycling great - the power of the riders, the entrancing rhythm of the peloton, the landscapes which fly by, the pain of the hill climbs, the euphoria of the stages wins and the speed of the sprints. The album also smartly incorporates plenty of found sounds and samples to bring it to life and is utterly immersive as a result.

'Ritual' kicks off with sleek rolling rhythms that hint at the sound of turning pedals, 'Breakaway' captures the excitement of a rider racing off the front of the pack with its more urgent drum loops and glistening synths, while 'Oxygen' is a suspensory track with rising synth tension that allows you to catch your breath before 'Trial of Truth' takes it away again. After the sound of the starting gun, lurching beats capture the pile-up of pressure as heavenly chords lock you into the moment.

'The Descent' is a time to enjoy the ride and soak in the moment as pensive pads shapeshift all around. Team radio transmissions open up 'Galibier', which is named after a famous mountain pass in the Alps, and lend it a sense of reality while inspiring and transcendental chords wash over you before 'Galibier (Gruppetto)' is a loser's lament that's contrasted with joyous crowd noises and celebratory horns. After a raw, jarring blast of textured noise awakens you once more on 'NRG', 'The Final' builds to an intense peak with turbulent synths and prickly percussive drums before all the energy dissipates and the race is over and you're left to reflect on the whole experience amidst the serene synth-scapes of 'Dreams of Euphoria'.

Démarrage is a thrilling soundtrack and evocative musical narrative that takes you on the ride of your life.