For the 2015 final we asked no less than
@Kepz
for Featured Artist. Enjoy his great Top 10 album and visit his interview on Audiotool Facebook for a good read: (link is only visible to registered users)
"It is difficult to think what to write about a track that is just breathtakingly perfect in every way. Aaron Schäfer’s skillful use of his guitar combined with creativity and extensive producing knowledge result in very polished, organic and lively sounding music. Clever manipulation of samples, be it vocals, percussion or guitar recordings gives his tracks that extra depth and complexity."
"Just as with Luxior and a number of other young Audiotool talents, it is hard to believe opaqity’s age after you see his 100+ track library of some of the best music on Audiotool. Here, opaqity went in a less expected direction, deciding to ditch the beat and push the sounds of percussion into the background while focusing on the powerful pads, a gentle melody and immersive ambience. A type of music that is fairly rare on Audiotool."
"It is no surprise even Joel himself had moments of regret since deleting his main page with his work from the last 4+ years. His beautiful, experimental and expressive music, poetic and open personality made him one of the most interesting users on the website. Continuing on a new chapter ‘sky bound zoo’, predominantly with heavy manipulation of samples, he delivers incredibly rich, densely packed and complicated compositions."
"Semitama really should be the “underrated artist” of this list having just over 60 followers, but their consistently fresh, creative and quality output landed them in my top 10 inspirations. Semitama’s unique work comes like breaths of fresh air in the track feed and never fails to impress and make you ponder the mystery behind this silent user."
"To stick within such well defined boundaries of a genre and to create something so unique, alive, imagery evoking is a work of pure talent. Percussion and noise morphing into the sounds of water, deep echoing chords mimicking the feeling of distant thunder are just a few aspects making it a masterpiece. The track unpredictably but gently unravels and progresses like a passing night storm, and still remains danceable enough for a techno set in a club."
"VLTRA has been perfecting his unique sound over the last couple of years and it is no surprise he has become successful outside of Audiotool, releasing his first record as TLIM SHUG on Echovort Records and having it sold out on several online stores within days. His touch of messy lo-fi beats, deep basslines, dreamy and surreal vibes and clever ideas in every track placed him as my favourite artist this and previous year."
"Sandburgen was one of the earliest users to show why Audiotool should be taken seriously. His music sounds rich and is usually melody driven with a minimalistic structure letting the user focus on subtle changes and progressions. ‘Sandstorm’ has messier and heavier sound design than most of his work, but here it works very well. Planned to be released as part of Sandorama record, it never made the cut being difficult to re-master, becoming a forgotten classic."
"Another oldie that is still impressing me almost 4 years later. rnzr is known for pushing the boundaries of Audiotool in the early days, putting out music of mind-blowing quality. Open up his projects and you’ll see a mess of tools and timeline regions that is hard to make sense of. The hidden secret behind his well crafted and polished music with high attention to detail in every layer."
"Created by the same person behind the VLTRA alias it definitely has aspects of his recognizable style, only this time bumping the bpm up to 140 and with a careful selection of samples, he created one of his most powerful, nostalgia evoking tracks. I still can’t get enough of this piece and it is without a doubt my favorite track of 2015."
10. Box Clouds by @andremichelle
"André Michelle is probably better known for producing countless quality Techno with clever synth work and hypnotizing patterns, but amongst some of his best work is calmer and softer music. Box Clouds is a track you’d listen to while sitting in a train and looking up at the sky and letting your mind drift off with the clouds."
"He produces different kinds of music both with samples and without, but my favorites are his pure ambient tracks. I think this kind of music is quite scarce on Audiotool and has never been trendy. Absence of a beat, less focus on sound design allows for the imagination and emotions to flow freely in the creation process, and it’s exactly what it sounds like when you listen to his work."
"It’s probably the most expected answer, but I’ll be honest it is the only track that I wouldn’t go back and change. A track where the word “work” seems out of place, making it was an incredibly relaxing experience. It was late at night and I was tired, my mind just went with the flow instead of me trying to force the draft to sound like a predetermined idea and in the end I just ended up with something I really enjoyed. ‘Lost’ also turned out to become a ticket to a festival and meeting some of my Audiotool friends in person and resulted in a once in a lifetime unforgettable experience."
"Lost" was the first track that really opened my eyes (and ears) to what's possible on AT. Absolutely changed the way that I approach electronic music. Congrats, man!