Oakland’s AYBEE returns to his Deepblak label for the first time since last year’s LP, The Odyssey.

The Passage EP sees the Berlin-based artist collaborate with Frankfurt’s Lars Bartkuhn for the first time as The Astral Walkers. Bartkuhn is best known for his work with his iconic Needs Music imprint, where he has won an ardent following for his blending of contemporary electronic sounds with jazz, classical, and funk.

The Astral Walkers collaboration was born out of an impromptu jam performance at the Xjazz Festival in 2015, where the seeds were planted for further collaboration. Both worked in tandem on drum programming, vocals, and synths, with Bartkuhn also contributing guitar, piano, rhodes, and live percussion in addition to enlisting the jazz/ rock bassist Helmuth Fass on bass. The resulting pair of tracks “seek to capture the spirit of the dance, the fearless freedom of the jazzfunk era and the endless possibilities within electronic music,” the label explains.

Tracklisting

A1. Passage (Full Experience)
A2. Passage (Astral Stroll)

Passage EP is scheduled for October 20 release, with clips streaming below.