MASK Records founder ZentaSkai joins forces with Berlin-based creative Laura Merino Allue for the latest chapter of Cuddling Monsters, a collaborative project that has quickly established its own identity through analogue production, tactile sound design and an appreciation for the beauty found in imperfection. Since debuting in 2024, the duo have quietly carved out a space between Detroit-inspired house, dub techno and minimal atmospherics, favouring warmth and texture over pristine digital precision.
Our premiere focuses on the A1, “Bubble Bloom”, a track that captures the essence of the project from the very first bars. There is an unmistakable feeling of flow running through the production, embracing the imperfect and the fleeting in a way that feels completely natural. Rather than chasing obvious peaks, the track gently unfolds, softening every edge as it goes. It is music that feels rounded and organic, as though every sound has been carefully worn smooth over time.
A subtle bassline quietly tugs away beneath the surface while long, weightless pads drift overhead, washing the arrangement with warmth. Warped synth tones blur into one another as aquatic textures and delicate vocal fragments gently pass through the mix, creating an atmosphere that is immersive without becoming overwhelming. The groove remains understated throughout, but there is enough movement in the percussion to keep everything breathing forward.
It is dub-inspired in the truest sense, not simply through effects or delay, but in the generous amount of space left between each element. Every sound has room to exist on its own terms, making the track equally suited to focused listening or a patient dance floor. You can already imagine Bubble Bloom filling the wooden interiors of Berlin’s Hoppetosse as the first morning light begins to spill through the windows.
What makes the track particularly effective is its restraint. There is no rush to arrive anywhere. Instead, small details gradually reveal themselves over repeated listens, whether it is the subtle modulation of a synth line, the delicate movement of the percussion, or the way the low end quietly anchors the entire composition. It is uplifting yet calm, minimalist yet full of character, balancing emotional weight with a lightness that never feels forced.
The remainder of Vol. 3 continues along similar lines while exploring different corners of the duo’s sound. Warm Waves nudges the tempo upwards with a more airy, floating energy, maintaining the same sense of openness while introducing brighter melodic flourishes. Closing the record is Secret Signal, an expansive ten-minute journey where analogue percussion, evolving synth lines and dubby rhythms slowly gather momentum before dissolving just as naturally as they arrived.
Throughout the EP, Cuddling Monsters remain committed to analogue processes and an intuitive way of making music. There is a genuine honesty to the record that reflects the project’s wider philosophy of embracing the present moment rather than striving for perfection. Bubble Bloom is the clearest expression of that approach, delivering a deeply human piece of club music that wraps itself around the listener with quiet confidence and lasting warmth.
Buy the record at Redeye Records.
More info on Cuddling Monsters
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More info on Mask Records
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