By: Jordan Calvano

33 year-old Martin Stääf is no stranger to the music industry. Hailing from Sweden, he has proven himself to be a force in the EDM scene for nearly a decade. In a genre where some of its biggest artists have only been producing for a few years, Liquid Stranger has been releasing solid albums and EP’s dating back to 2003, and has shown that he is not afraid to take chances. With each subsequent album, Liquid Stranger has taken on new infusions of multiple genres to create a sound that is unique and incredibly potent. He effortlessly combines diverse influences from various time periods and global regions, and like a wizard, he creates magic.

On his releases with hard hitters Rottun Recordings, we see Stääf throwing down heavy dubstep ready to shake any room, while his 2007 Interchill release evokes a completely different sound. On his record titled, The Arcane Terrain, he infuses traditional dub and reggae roots with new age hip-hop and dubstep to create hard jams that include cameos from artists like KRS-One and MC Zulu.

On his January release with Interchill titled, Cryogenic Encounters, Liquid Stranger digs even deeper into his lists of soundscapes and creates a feel like no record he’s produced before. It is a chilled out melodic journey that’s starts wherever you press play, and ends wherever your imagination chooses to take you. The album has the ability to transport the listener to new dimensions, whether that is deep under the sea, or lost in the dark reaches of space.

The opening track, “Beacon,” sets the pace and vision of the album. The cut commences the 13-track voyage with incredibly melodic vibes that continually fluctuate throughout the track, and quickly entwine the listener into a deep trance. It has an atmospheric aura that builds up into low bass tones and slow glitched-out scratches that weave together perfectly.

On songs like, “The Other Dreamers,” Stääf immerses the listener in an intelligent arrangement of guitars, light drums, and soothing melodies that gently touch the soul. It has the ability to drop the listener into a deep trance that might remind them of an eerie rainy day, or even a nostalgic winter season.

The final track of the Cryogenic Encounters adventure is titled, “Velour,” and is only available for those who buy the album. It completes the story of the album, and continues with a more than ample final chapter. It is the shortest song of the release, but does its part to keep the listener entranced with harmonious synths and otherworldly tones.

Overall, Cryogenic Encounters is a must have. Be sure to catch Liquid Stranger on Excision’s, “The X Tour,” which is making its rounds throughout Canada and The United States, and be on the lookout for his next album titled, The Renegade Crusade.