The New LoFi

From Mexico to the Alps: Niklas Paschburg’s Latest EP Explores Unexpected Terrain

I’m not going to lie, ambient electronic music is not my main bag. I don’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t say it’s the genre of music I normally reach out to as a first choice. That preference sometimes proves to be a big mistake when an album like Mexican Alps comes across my desk.

Released on July 18th, Mexican Alps is the brainchild of German producer and composer Niklas Paschburg. The album is a sonic journey between two contrasting worlds: the lush, warm mountains of Mexico, and the cold, rugged beauty of the Swiss Alps. The album draws inspiration from nature’s grandeur as well as the vibrancy of Mexican cultural traditions like Día de los Muertos. Niklas blends electronic textures, atmospheric samples, and innovative instrumentation to create a soundscape that is both grounded and transcendent. It’s a beautiful example of ambient electronic music.

Without relying on his normal go-to instrument, the piano, Paschburg explores new creative territories on this new EP. “It all started with an invitation to play at a festival in Oaxaca,” Paschburg admits. “Since I had never been to Latin America, I began considering how to take advantage of the opportunity to stay for a while and write something there. I started looking for houses, but I quickly realized it was almost impossible to find one with a piano—it is not a common instrument in Mexican culture. I thought, why not try immersing myself in a writing process that doesn’t involve one? I was so excited about the idea that I jumped in.”

With the absence of a piano, Paschburg was forced out of his comfort zone. The result is something very distinct compared to his previous releases that we primarily arranged around the piano.

“Not having the opportunity to write chords, harmonies, and everything else on the piano, I improvised more, focusing on the sound,” continues Paschburg. “This was the approach I used to record demos in Mexico, which I then brought with me to Switzerland, where I carried on working on the EP. In addition to my usual setup (the OB-6 by Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim and the OP-1 by Teenage Engineering, plus my ever-beloved Hohner accordion, inherited from my grandfather), I was also guided by the purchase of a new Moog Matriarch with a unique delay. All this helped me build the sound I had in mind: a spacious, abstract, 3D sound that is definitely immersive.”

On some of the compositions Paschburg included field recordings collected during the Día de los Muertos in Mexico. It was precisely from this blend of influences that the fourth track, “Oaxaca de Juárez,” emerged—a single characterized by a catchy funk procession and enhanced by the guitar work of Tal Arditi, a rising European jazz artist and singer-songwriter based between Basel and Berlin.

By contrast, the third track, “La Hormiga,” is a rhythmic exploration of life in motion. Pulsing beats and textured synths create forward momentum, echoing the journey through the winding paths of Oaxaca’s mountainous surroundings, where tradition and nature intertwine.

If you are in the mood for some laid-back ambient-electronic vibes that transport you to mountains, then you would be doing yourself a favor by listening to Mexican Alps. The album is now available on vinyl (via Nettwerk Music Group).