DER ASSISTENT — Ultramarin LP

Berlin lo-fi crooner Der Assistent returns with "Ultramarin", a sun-faded suite of soft-focus pop, Balearic grooves and late-night yacht moods drifting between languages, moods and references – slightly surreal, and quietly melancholic. Following the tropical haze of its predecessor "Amnesie am Amazonas", his third album makes a slightly bigger splash: classic late-80s digital pianos, downbeat grooves and flashes of dub-reggae intertwine with subtle soprano and alto saxophone lines that drift between lounge melancholy and nocturnal jazz. Laid-back opening cut “Wenn der Scirocco weht” pays homage to Japanese lovers rock, while the dubby downbeat title track celebrates the color blue in French, English, Italian and German, echoing situationist slogans and painter Yves Klein’s idea of “the invisible becoming visible.” Lead single “Mann am Telefon” dives into hazy yacht-pop and lo-fi soul, gradually unfolding into an instrumental outro that recalls the early synth romanticism of Vangelis. Across the album, Der Assistent traces a playful tale of split personalities – with subtle nods to Fight Club and Blade Runner – culminating in the lush closing 80s R&B ballad “Total Confusion”. Written, recorded, produced and mixed entirely by Der Assistent, Ultramarin also inaugurates his new imprint of the same name. RIYL: Fishmans, Eddie Chacon, The Zenmenn.HouseBalearicDubPopElectroIndie