“Midnight Sketches” is the latest release by Luke Tangerine, a prolific German artist, musician, and producer based in Frankfurt. As usual, this exceptional songwriter and composer delivers tremendous material consisting of four incredible compositions. It’s also good to mention that “Midnight Sketches” marks his first release in 2025, arriving after several outstanding works such as a collaboration album with Robson Darker called “Synthedelic,” extended play releases such as “Synthedelic (Remixes)” and “Urban Echoes,” and comprehensive collection of singles like “ICU,” “Magic Moment (Acoustic Version), “Lights Out,” “Allein,” “Toy,” “Magic Moment, “Sonic Youth,” etc. With his latest work, Luke Tangerine continues to push the boundaries of music in so many exciting ways. Known for his synthwave, synth pop, and electronic music works, this album continues in the same tradition but more experimentations are included along the way. “Midnight Sketches” carries some of the finest elements borrowed from downtempo, chillout, chill, ambient, groove, funk, and Latin music. With experimentations like these, Luke Tangerine proves there are no music genres he’s not familiar with, as his new tracks sound like he produced in these styles for ages.
It would be such a shame if we did not mention his songwriting and composing abilities. From scratch to finish, you’ll notice how each segment of every song carries some of the finest ideas and instrumentations distilled into harmonious structures. Each composition resonates with the ambiance that immediately transports you into an entirely new dimension, an epic sonic journey through Luke Tangerine’s vision of perfect downtempo and chill music. Take the opening for an example. “Ticket To Belo Horizonte” continuously levitates between progressive synth instrumentations, funky vibes, Latin percussions, and intricate beats. It’s nearly impossible to stand still while listening to this tune, as each section carries those hypnotic synth chord progressions, harmonies, melodies, leads, and enormously progressive basslines. The vocals elevate this composition to new heights, but they do not overwhelm the remainder of the instrumentations. Quite the contrary, Luke Tangerine tastefully assembled each segment of the song, allowing listeners to soak even the tiniest details and nuances. With its smooth jazzy, funky, soulful ambiance, “Coffee Break With Jaco” stands out as one of the Tangerine’s best works so far. It really demonstrates his creative range, as he relies more on ambiance and flow than those energetic beats. With a smooth saxophone performance pairing jangly keys and warm basslines, this composition delivers a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal yet still danceable ambiance, but in a more fresh, unique, and exciting manner. The additional vocal layers contribute to the emotional depth while elevating things up.
On the other hand, “Shine” brings back the addictive danceable rhythms that define funk, disco, and soul music, but garnered with Luke Tangerine’s ideas. He breathes fresh air into this genre by stacking funky chord progressions, pleasant keys, accentuating brass sections, even more, intricate basslines, otherworldly vocal lines, and well-accentuated rhythmic sequences. It’s also good to mention that “Shine” pays homage to the seventies music, the golden years for these genres. However, you’ll notice how the eighties, nineties, noughties, and contemporary music inspired Luke Tangerine to compose such an incredible song. Like the remainder of this material, “Unfinished Self Portrait” sheds an entirely different light on all those mentioned music genres. It’s another standout track where the artist focuses on ambiance and flow with calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, catchy, memorable themes delivered through guitar and synth interplays. The comprehensive collection of themes, melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, and other sonic maneuvers never ceases to amaze on this epic sonic journey, proving that Luke Tangerine always has a completely different vision for his songs yet somehow they all work to the advantage of the entire material. This dedication to the craft is rarely seen nowadays, and his music always pushes boundaries. The sound quality also demands praise. Each vocal line, strum over the strings, pluck of the keys, punch on the bass, or beat of the drum is vividly hearable here, making “Midnight Sketches” such an organic and natural material despite its synth and electronic qualities. This material meets all these contemporary trends in music production, and this approach unquestionably elevates this epic listening experience to new heights.
Whether you’re a synth wave and synth-pop fan or you simply wanna enjoy some high-quality electronic music garnered with fundamental elements borrowed from funk, groove, and Latin music, “Midnight Sketches” is one of those records you surely don’t want to miss. With four incredible songs, this EP carries everything you dearly love about those music genres. Luke Tangerine’s musicianship, ideas, and vision never cease to amaze, and this material proves that he’s one of the finest songwriters, composers, and musicians on the synth scene. “Midnight Sketches” is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
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