Martin Kuška returns into the waters of melodic dreamy progressive and distinctive techno under the artist name Goodbye Mirage to release EP Thrills and Maybe Ecstasy. After experimenting with ambient and soundtrack soundscapes last year, he serves up a 5-track club EP in which, while ignoring many current trends, he explores how far we can push the intensity of our experiences and passions.
Czech producer, enthusiastic selector, freelance writer, lover of vintage synthesizers and various aspects of electronic music, he began his journey more than ten years ago on the local label Krmelec, later releasing a 12-inch record on Berlin based Massimiliano Pagliara’s label Funnuvojere and a cassette albums on US Origin Peoples and Sacred Phrases. In recent years, Martin mainly released on the Lithuanian Electric Shapes, and last year’s mini-LP full of oppressive ambient was released in Japan, on Umé Records, which is run by Canadian producer Precipitation, real name Zefan Sramek. Martin Kuška signed his latest production on the border of melancholic techno and progressive house to the established European techno label Diffuse Reality. The group of enthusiasts and promoters behind Diffuse Reality is constantly expanding, whether it is organizing international Theorema festivals or opening their own record store near the central Plaza España square in Barcelona.
“I prepared Thrills and Maybe Ecstasy with quite clear symbolism, but as time goes by, it has become a much broader collage of thoughts about our lives, how we deal with them, what we pay attention to, what makes sense, and maybe even how deeply we are here for each other. I want the songs to take you to the dance floor, but also force you to think. With all the rawness and subtlety at the same time. That’s how I like it,” says the producer, adding that the long-thought-out cover by Zuzana Průchová and the meanings of the track titles themselves should also contribute to enhancing the symbolism of the new release, giving ample room for reflection.
The EP Thrills and Maybe Ecstasy, featuring tracks like No Other Sentiment Can Match or Then The Sunset Was Surreal, was created mainly on the Nord Lead 3, Studio Electronics SE-3X, Korg MS2000 and Modal 001 synths in combination with the DAW Reason 10 and its many Rack Extensions. Releases March 3, 2025.
