Spektre will release their first studio album this April on their own Respekt Recordings.

Entitled Casting Shadows Without Light, the two-disc package shows the British duo fully embracing the album format. On the first disc, each track flows into the next just as it would in a DJ set, creating a listening experience that's meticulously paced from beginning to end. For DJs eager to use these tunes behind the decks, the second disc consists of 11 unmixed, extended selections from the album.

Earlier this week, RA caught up with Spektre's Paul Maddox to talk about influences, the creative process, and the challenges of tackling a debut album.

When and where was the album recorded?

It was put together over the course of about nine months at our little home studio in Sheffield. Although a lot of the samples and ideas are things we had been collating and thinking about for a while before that. It has definitely been our most demanding and ambitious project to date, but hopefully it will be our most rewarding.

Why did you choose the album title Casting Shadows Without Light?

The aesthetic for Spektre has always been about dark, spooky atmospheres, so we thought Casting Shadows Without Light summed up that idea nicely.

What kind of challenges did you face recording your debut album? How was your creative approach different?

The main challenge was that we wanted to create something that was more than just a collection of dance floor tracks, so striking the balance between home and club listenability was the tricky bit. We tried to incorporate a wider range of our musical influences than we would for a single release too, which was great fun, but also more work to tie all the disparate ideas together.

How do you two split responsibilities in the studio/creative process?

I am usually at the controls as I'm more experienced on the technical side of production, and Rich coming from more of a DJ background usually has a lot of ideas from the arrangement side of things. That said, over the years of working together the lines have become increasingly blurred so we both do a bit of everything really!

Casting Shadows Without Light plays out in one continuous stream. Can you tell us a little bit about why you recorded it that way?

When we were first brainstorming ideas for the album, we referenced a few of our favourite electronic albums (BT's Movement in Still Life being a huge influence) and noted that this kind of sequencing of the tracks was something that really made them an absorbing listen. We wanted the album to flow like a continuous musical journey. Never staying in one particular genre, but still linked together with certain themes and our signature Spektre production.

What's next for Spektre?

We're hoping to tour the album with a new and improved live show including visuals and live vocals, as well as working hard on producing and signing new material for our label, Respekt Recordings.

Tracklist
CD 1
01. Static Motion
02. Cloud Bending
03. Descent
04. Casting Shadows Without Light
05. 95 Below
06. Memory Effect
07. Always Too Much
08. Distant Fever
09. Flux Aerterna
10. Half Life
11. Seq & Destroy
12. Harpoon
13. Quantum Hope

CD 2
01. Cloud Bending (Extended Mix)
02. Descent (Extended Mix)
03. Casting Shadows Without Light (Extended Mix)
04. Memory Effect (Extended Mix)
05. Always Too Much (Extended Mix)
06. Distant Fever (Extended Mix)
07. Flux Aeterna (Extended Mix)
08. Seq & Destroy (Extended Mix)
09. Harpoon (Extended Mix)

Respekt will release Casting Shadows Without Light on April 26th, 2010.