Sascha Funke Unfurls Cinematic Magic on “Barkas”

For his upcoming release on Turbo Recordings, Berlin’s Sascha Funke parsed the sounds of time to see which ones had stuck. His forthcoming IFA EP is composed not of new tracks, then, but those started long ago that seemed to demand completion. And while those sounds run the dark and electrified spectrum, none feel quite as epic as “Barkas.”

Long and lush, this piece feels as though it were the title theme to a lost soundtrack, either from the recent past or a distant future. Synth-heavy and measured in beat, it’s the kind of soundscape that seems to know exactly what it needs to communicate. Funke brings each part in with a savored, molasses temperament, letting the entire structure unfurl like a blooming tea left to steep. In this way, he is able to wring maximum effect out of a very minimal number of sounds. Each part feels coldly electronic, bearing no semblance to real-world instrumentation. Yet they come together to flow like a warm, life-affirming stream. This is simply excellent, all around—a truly deep and dark trip worth taking.

Funke speaks on the four-tracker:

I’ve been following Turbo Recordings since its very beginning, and it’s an honor for me to release IFA on the label. IFA is a selection of tracks I started quite a long time ago. I find it good sometimes to let things rest for a while, take some distance, see if the music passes the “time test.” I’m not running after the next trend. Good things take time. It’s not just about getting four single tracks done; it’s about finding the ones that work together, and ultimately, the music has to meet the right home. For me, this release ticks all those boxes.

Available February 10 via Turbo Recordings.

Preorder the IFA EP here.

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