Revisiting Mudshadow Propaganda
When metaphor and symbolism complement music.
Traumprinz and his many aliases (Dj Metatron, Dj Healer, and Prince of Denmark to name a few) are shrouded in mystery earning him a cult-like following that most musicians can only dream of. The Hannover-originating artist has made his passion for identity-building through music, symbolic imagery, and carefully stylised releases clear throughout his career.
Released on April 1st 2018 under the alias Prime Minister of Doom (PMOD) “Mudshadow Propaganda” a three-record album of significant metaphorical weight entered the scene. Packed with consistent and well-crafted subtle tracks it's a masterclass in thoughtful tribal house and deep techno. Due to the scarcity of its one-time pressing copies range from €140 - €250, with fans hopefully speculating on a repress from the year of its launch. In February this year more copies entered circulation however this was a suspected warehouse clearing and not a new edition.
The album can be seen as two halves starting with a soft rhythmic collection of songs. A tentative and slightly eerie opening with “Getting Things Started” paints a picture of what's to come. We are then treated with bongo or conga-style drum sounds, effectively used with short loops throughout the next four tracks. The tribal thematic elements of this work are clear with hand-pan drums being heard in “Drumatise”.
His tracks build on this format, adding or subtracting elements keeping each of them in the same idea but evidently different. “Tribal Days II” contains a soothing almost ASMR sound, similar to a hoover heard several rooms away. These tracks belong in the warmth of a summer day, accommodating a positive and consistent energy.
These initial tracks contrast when compared to the album artwork. The creepy yet beautiful skull containing a baby in the womb can be seen to signify rebirth in the mind or the formation of a new way of thinking. Birth is used consistently throughout Traumprinz’s work seen through his use of Planet Uterus as a label, alias, and the live at Planet Uterus mixes. This image is served with the text
“not even the dreamer is wide awake”
Following this, a Shakespearean quote from Prospero in “The Tempest” is snaked within the skull filling the empty space.
“And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind we are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life, Is rounded with a sleep."
For context, it is a quote to describe the illusory nature of life, that what is reality around us will simply fade into nothingness. “This insubstantial pageant faded” could be seen as a coded message referring to Traumprinz’s departure from Giegling in 2016. This release and a second triple record album from his DJ Healer alias were dropped together and were the first physical releases we’d seen since departing the label. Both released via the All Possible Worlds site, visitors were treated to a minimalistic asterix-based design on the landing page adding to the mystery of both of these releases.
Implying meaning for every stylistic choice an artist makes can easily lead to misinterpretation. With this project, I don’t believe that's the case. He has consistently used carefully selected imagery throughout his career with themes of religion, paternity, and actively foreshadowing his own moves. At the 2017 Planet Giegling world tour art installation held in New York, he exhibited a plastic cup teasing his DJ Healer alias and the track title “everything is everything” which has still yet to be physically released.
Arriving at the second half of the album “Mudshadow Propaganda” enters new territory. Instantly recognisable with the tonal shift away from what was previously heard “Deep in Your Heart” grows deeply and organically, eventually peaking with a flood of energy. This washes over you with a bone-chilling sample from Mary J. Blige. The vocal is not aligned with the structure of the song, it’s heard as if chucked on top giving it a separation and poignant quality as if speaking to the listener directly. This styling of vocal sampling is utilised effectively in other works such as Are You Ready Ralph and We are Going Nowhere. The song is simply an absolute screamer and shows the heights you can reach by using a limited number of elements effectively.
After pushing the listener through euphoria he gently returns them to reality with a spacey comfortable landing. “Truth Inside of Me / Skit” and “The Wai” are perfect closing tracks for this album, with “The Wai” in particular having an end-of-movie soundtrack type of feel to it, kind and emotionally concluding. It features classic samples from “Bad Habit” by Lisa Millet and a chanting vocal to see the listener out.
With an extensive archive of releases, mixes, and aliases a singular album from one identity can be easily be lost to memory. This is not the case here, throughout all of these tracks, Traumprinz completely immerses the listener in a subtle but powerful journey across simple beat structures, well-sampled vocals, and reflective club music. This combined with well-crafted visual statements immortalises the PMOD identity now and for years to come.
He is a master of saying a lot by saying very little, literally and through his music. While I hope to see more releases of this alias in the future (and who knows the SoundCloud is still active) I would be content with this being a one-album release. Traumprinz knows when to pull the plug on a project and after achieving so much with the release maybe that’s all that was needed.