Music Spot: Andreas Kaufmann – Get On With it

From time to time, we shine the spotlight on a SoundGym member by reviewing one of their releases for our Music Spot feature. This time around we are taking an in-depth look at Andreas Kaufmann’s latest offering. We reviewed his Closing The Loop EP back in 2020, and it’s interesting to see how his sound has developed with the release of newer singles, such as Get On With It. 

We begin with a knowing nod to the past: a dry, 1970s drum sound that snaps with the clipped precision of a Steve Gadd session take. Warbling, psychedelic synths snake their way through the mix, a funky bassline struts in, and suddenly we’re adrift in a groove that recalls the slicker moments of Currents-era Tame Impala. It’s a far cry from the bedroom-bound introspection of his last EP, but it seems that Kaufmann is not one to linger in the same sonic space for long.

The production here is all gleaming surfaces and warm analogue depth, the kind of sophisticated polish that suggests the producer’s hand has grown ever steadier, his ear sharper. He drapes the track in the lush fabrics of the ‘70s - octave-spanning vocal harmonies, electric piano stabs and synth textures so idiosyncratic they feel less like programmed sequences than sounds brought to life in a smoky studio. The sheer tactility of it all is hugely enjoyable. Even the single’s cover art seems to wink towards Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life.

One of Kaufmann’s most striking strengths is his grasp of dynamics. He’s unafraid to strip things back to just bass and drums, giving the track a lean, slinky quality that refuses to be bogged down by excess. When the chorus arrives, the song blooms: a smooth stack of harmonies spilling effortlessly over the rhythmic bed, somehow recalling both classic yacht rock and the more ‘live’ sounding end of Random Access Memories-era Daft Punk. 

And then there’s the structure - meandering, with the kind of fluidity that marked the more adventurous corners of ‘70s pop; songs that didn’t just progress, but unfurled, expanded and took exploratory detours before snapping back into focus. The mix, too, is a masterclass in balance: elements are given room to breathe, creating a spacious, danceable quality in the track.

In the end, Get On With It is a work of deft contrasts - both immediate and intricate, groove-driven yet harmonically rich, reverent of the past while never tethered to it. Andreas Kaufmann continues to be that rare thing: a sonic architect unafraid to tinker with the blueprints of nostalgia, building something new in the process. And if this single is any indication, the structures he’s dreaming up are only getting more ambitious.

It's worth digging into Kaufmann’s back catalogue, which you can find on Spotify. You can also follow him on Instagram.