Photo credit: Felsmann + Tiley "an epic-scaled work of atmospherics and mounting tension that never breaks."
- FLOOD
“a conceptual dance album that embraces the emotional weight of cinematic scores while still practising the minimalist principles of neo-classicism” -UNDER THE RADAR
“like a deep dive into the history of synthetic sound.” - CLASH MAGAZINE“‘Protomensch’ is a demanding and rewarding achievement that captures the sound of a species in transition, affirming Felsmann + Tiley as vital architects of a new electronic frontier.” - BIG TAKEOVER MAGAZINE
“they offer an incredibly somber twist on synthpop. It’s all fantastic stuff, particularly for fans of bands like M83, Chromatics and Tangerine Dream in their film score era.” - BEATIQUE
“Felsmann + Tiley have started an exceptional music project, using only the sounds of synthesizers” - PLAYY
“Their most ambitious project, a mix of music, visuals, and ideas about life today.”
-NUMERO Following the recent release of their sublime new album Protomensch, out now via Mute, German synth-duo Felsmann + Tiley (Dominik Felsmann and Patrick Tiley) have shared a mesmerizing, emotionally-resonant video for standout track “Always You” (ft. Woodes), which is directed by AJ Meadows.
The cinematic video explores the bittersweet awareness of time moving forward and the desire to reconnect with who we once were. It encourages us to embrace the present with gratitude, reminding yourself that you are enough, it was always you.
Watch the video for “Always You” Ft. Woodes HERE.
Purchase or stream Protomensch HERE.
Speaking on the video, director AJ Meadows says: “When I first heard Felsmann + Tiley’s song “Always You” featuring Woodes, I had a strong emotional reaction to it. It immediately conjured up imagery in my mind of two individuals reaching out to each other, desperate for connection. As the concept evolved, the story developed into one about a woman who feels stuck or exhausted with life but by embracing a younger version of herself she feels newly motivated to move forward with the life she still has left to live.”
“Always You” (Ft. Woodes) follows the previous release of celebrated album tracks “God Is Lonelier” “Reset,” “OPIOID,” “Warnung,” “Warum”, “Open Fields (Ft. The Kite String Tangle)” and “Gabriel, which saw support and praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, KEXP, KCRW, Brooklyn Vegan, Flood Magazine and more.
The record marks a major step forward for the pair, refining their signature blend of emotionally charged electronic music and vocal-led songwriting. Built around a core of synthwave, trance, and introspective yet cataclysmic impending doom for mankind, Protomensch balances club-focused intensity with melodic sensitivity. Channeled through pulsing rhythms, expansive synth textures, and detailed sound design that form the foundation of the album, the carefully chosen vocal performances bring warmth, tension, and narrative depth to the music.
About Felsmann + Tiley
How long can an artist with instantly recognizable sound stay anonymous? For years, apparently. Take Felsmann + Tiley’s reinterpretation of M83’s “Solitude,” a track that has over 200 million streams to date. Very few of those listeners know the story of evolution behind the German producer-duo’s drumless synthwave melding Cliff Martinez-style maximum emotional impact with Nils Frahm’s neoclassical minimalism. Nor are they familiar with their body of work that has reached wider audiences after featuring on BAFTA-winning crime series “Top Boy” and Acne Studios fashion shows. Slated for release in February 2026, their upcoming album Protomensch is an audiovisual statement on the absurdity of modern existence.
Having met by happenstance in 2003 on a German music production forum called MyOwnMusic.de, Felsmann + Tiley soon discovered they shared a lot more than their hometown of Stuttgart. “We were attracted to the depth and melancholy of trance pads and breakdowns that always had a certain darkness to them.” Their 12-inch Ghosts under an alias Kamui was followed by a string of blistering belters by five other aliases released on different labels, all linked by thick and heavy club sound. “And then from 2006 onwards we also started touring and doing DJ gigs all around the world.”Where the visually-heightened sound reached wider audiences were sync placements for the reinterpretations of the songs by high-calibre artists: “The Most Beautiful Boy” by The Irrepressibles, the lead track on teen drama “Young Royals 2” and “Solitude” by M83 appeared on the gritty British crime series “Top Boy,” two tracks later released on Mute Records and Deutsche Grammophon that since then have racked up over 200 million streams.
Felsmann + Tiley’s passion for putting their very own stamp on vocal driven tracks is evident on the standout moments of their upcoming concept album Protomensch (Engl. “proto-human”), where the darkest shades of shimmering synthwave, pounding trance and introspective IDM are lit up with synth-pop songs by guest vocalists including London-based alternative outfit Pet Deaths, Australian solo-artists The Kite String Tangle, Woodes and Laius.
This juxtaposition between sentient beings and machines permeates the whole album, right from the Felsmann + Tiley manifesto introducing us to the highly-intelligent yet irrevocably-shortsighted and downright tragic character of Protomensch, to the cover artwork featuring a turtleneck wearing chimpanzee, futuristic music videos and stark social media aesthetics, to seated, next-level live-shows involving collaboration with dozens of visual artists.
More to the point, the release of Protomensch marks the moment their full artistic vision – as they envisaged back in 2017 – will be brought to fruition for the first time. However, at the same time it also marks the moment of realization for Felsmann + Tiley. As the Stoic philosopher Seneca put it, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”
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