With Early Reflections, Dresden based artist Oliver Hartmann opens the archives of his early work. The LP brings together eight techno tracks recorded under his moniker Insect O. between 2000 and 2003.
Tracklist:
1 Yellow Room
2 Breeze
3 New York
4 Chroma
5 Into The Loop
6 Deep Blue
7 Out Of The Loop
8 Sunday Afternoon
Cat#: ETUILP002
Format: digital audio
Street Date: 2026-01-23 (digital)
STREAM
‘Early Reflections’ is not a starting point, but an early reflection of his sound world. The recordings reveal an artist searching for his musical language – a language that begins to draw on various elements: the melancholy of dub techno, hypnotic effect of repetitive sounds and minimalist structures of techno.
Fascinated by the music technology of those years, he combines the groove of the Akai MPC2000 with the sounds of virtual analogue and fm synthesizers. Added to this are the hum and hiss of an analogue mixing desk, along with deliberately rough-sounding effects. Each track carries the spontaneous energy of a live moment and captures the atmosphere of this early production phase. These early live moments continue to influence his musical work to this day.
The artwork mirrors the atmosphere of the release itself. Built around a photograph of a half moon, it captures a quiet sense of tension and calm at once. Clouds drift around the moon, catching and reflecting its light, creating subtle movement within the stillness. The visible craters on the lunar surface add texture and depth, grounding the image in something real while maintaining a sense of distance and mystery.
CREDITS
All tracks written & produced by Oliver Hartmann
Recorded at the yellow room studio Dresden
Mastered by SALZ
Photo by Oliver Hartmann
Art direction by Daniel Madlung
Copyright by Etui Records 2026
MORE ON INSECT O.
Insect O. – Atacama
Insect O. – Sandstones
Insect O. – Fin Del Mundo – official video
