Stärker | Smother [Aesthetical 2025]

STÄRKER, the France / Canada based duo of Frederic Arbour and Martin Dumais returns with "Spectral", their most fully realized work to date. Known for shaping a world of pulsating analog frequencies, brooding atmospherics and industrial tinged techno, the duo expands their sonic reach with a record that moves with sharpened precision, wider depth and a more deliberate sense of immersion.

Described as crafting fierce, dense, widely reverberating techno, STÄRKER established their signature tone with their acclaimed previous releases on Hospital Productions & Zhark, celebrated for their raw rhythmic focus and enveloping ambient strata. On "Spectral", the pair deepen this tension between propulsion and abstraction, refining their interplay of rhythm and drone into a more cinematic and enveloping architecture.

The album builds from tightly coiled analog pulses into vast, corrosive sound fields, creating an experience that navigates between ritualistic momentum and spectral stillness. Each piece carries a sense of physical weight, yet remains permeated by an atmospheric haze that gives the music its uniquely hypnotic character. The interplay of rhythmic sensibilities and experimental ambient continuum remains central, but evolves here into something more unified, more assertive and more evocatively textured.

Spectral stands as a culmination of STÄRKER’s ongoing exploration of industrial pressure, low frequency tension and immersive ambience, presenting a body of work that is both immediate and deeply layered. It marks a decisive step forward for the duo, reinforcing their presence within the techno, experimental and dark ambient spheres.

CD Edition of 200 copies in 4 panel Digipak.

Released December 19, 2025

Mastering by Giuseppe Tillieci at Ennislab.
Photography by Kristina Feldhammer.

https://aesthetical.bandcamp.com/albu...
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