'Beyond' is the latest release of Egopusher, out on Quiet Love Records. Composed of drummer/producer Alessandro Giannelli and violinist Tobias Preisig, the duo come with an eerie approach to synth and drums. Beyond, the title track of the album invites the listener to a meditative state and, slowly, starts to unveil the different layers of electronic sensations. The track put me in the futuristic landscape of the game Horizon Zero Dawn. That combination of mechanical precision and natural emotion is a state hard to achieve.

With every track, Egopusher shows they mastered the art of construction. They are never in a hurry to reach a musical climax, so they emphasize the power of storytelling through beautifully crafted atmospheres. Their music is not to be consumed on a fast lane. It would be undressed of its sole meaning - the power to take you on a journey. Many promise such an experience, but only a few can deliver.

Eager to introduce the audience to the persons behind the name, I have asked both Alessandro, and Tobias, to come with a list of five movies they consider an inspiration for this release.

Alessandro’s choices:

The Neverending Story (Klaus Doldinger)

The Neverending Story is simply an incredibly wonderful and deep children's fantasy film. Klaus Doldinger's soundtrack consists of beautiful, almost cheesy melodies. Orchestral, but with 80s aesthetics. Even back when I saw this film, as a child, I noticed the soundtrack, and when I listen to it today I immediately have the pictures of the film in my mind. The soundtrack and the film have influenced me because this is one of the first soundtracks that I actively noticed and was truly touched by.

Moon (Clint Mansell)

I’ve seen Moon a long time ago, rather by chance, and I was thrilled by the film and the performance of Sam Rockwell! A simple but weird Sci-Fi movie. I think Clint Mansell sets the music to the film perfectly. I would even go as far as saying that he translated the film into an audio language. On the one hand, there are these beautiful piano parts, some of which end in songs with a touch of post-rock. On the other hand, there are noisy walls of sound. Simply very inspiring and it fits well into the Egopusher universe.

Tron Legacy (Daft Punk)

How Daft Punk combines classical with electronic music on Tron Legacy is simply mind-blowing! Furthermore, it is on point in relation to the film. The music was new and inspiring the first time I listened to it, and it has been a recurring theme during the production of Beyond.

Tobias’ choices

Interstellar (Hans Zimmer)

This film touched me very deeply. The endlessness and loneliness of space. The fate of mankind and the power of nature. Hans Zimmer's soundtrack plays a big part in creating this vibe. Using the church organ as the main instrument is absolutely genius! Normally, we connect the church organ with a church and the invisible voice of God. It’s mostly played with force, but Hans Zimmer's soundtrack also shows the lighter and more quiet sounds that this instrument can produce, which creates this warm tension between hope and despair. Playing with these tensions and using simple, magnetizing melodies inspired the recording process of our album Beyond.

Under the Skin (Mica Levi)

This one threw me off completely! Mica Levi only uses two main sounds: a weird string synth-like sound and a sort of electronic tom for the beat. It’s the opposite of Hans Zimmer’s orchestral work. She sticks to these limited sound colors and creates all the tension with them alone. It’s the red line that you can hold on to. The sounds are so signature and they carry such a futuristic character. Sticking to a certain signature sound and one instrument and yet trying to create all the varieties of moods always fascinated me. It forces you to explore further and go deep.

Last and First Men (Jóhann Jóhannsson)

I’ve never seen music and film melt together like this. They both have the same value. It’s not a film with a soundtrack and it’s not a record with an epic video clip, either. It’s something new. Although you hear very traditional string instruments, a lot of voices, and some organic, earthy sounding synths, this soundtrack sounds so extraterrestrial. It captivated me and yet, left me with a lot of questions.