David August returns with ‘WORKOUTS’ EP

Composer, producer, and pianist David August returns to the dance floor after over two years with ‘WORKOUTS’ EP, released on June 14. This follows his sold-out multidisciplinary ‘VĪS’ shows at London’s Barbican, Berlin’s Volksbühne, Paris’s Le Trianon, Amsterdam’s Muziekgebouw, and more

‘WORKOUTS’ EP builds on last year’s ‘VĪS’ album, focusing on rhythmic elements distinct from its predecessor. While ‘VĪS’ examined movement metaphysically, ‘WORKOUTS’ makes it physical, connecting ancient drum patterns with contemporary club forms. This is August’s first dancefloor-driven project since 2020’s ‘Reminiscence of a Jewel,’ reconciling with his past and influenced by collaborations with Turkish vocalist Cansu Tanrikulu and Carnatic singer Sushma Soma, stirring rhythms that uncover instinctive bonds between humanity and technology, ancient history, and the Anthropocene

The ‘VĪS’ website is a collaboration with Egozen Collective and Moroccan visual artist Hiba Baddou, showcasing intricate patterns and symbols using procedural graphics and text-based visual filters.

David August’s evolution from classical pianist to dance music pioneer to his richer, more diverse, multidisciplinary, and cross-cultural sonic landscapes of today is marked by collaborations with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Max Cooper, and Bunita Marcus, and performances at major venues and festivals like Primavera Sound, Sónar, Montreux Jazz Festival, London’s Roundhouse, Berlin’s Columbiahalle, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and more.

David August’s label, 99CHANTS, established in 2018, reinterprets ancient and medieval poetry for today’s audiences, collaborating with artists like KMRU, Kareem Lotfy, Ron Trent, Lena Platonos, Giulio Aldinucci, and Louis Sterling. The label emphasizes environmental sustainability and representation, culminating with its 99th release.

by Damion Pell

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