Biography
From Dortmund in Germany, Martin Juhls produces deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant ambient music as Marsen Jules. His compositions typically weave acoustic loops—especially those featuring strings, guitars, and pianos—into layers of delicate reverberation, yielding tranquil yet wistful soundscapes. Although these rich, cyclical works may appear straightforward at first glance, they carry a profound affective weight, stirring recollections of the past, sensations of absence, and the passage of seasons.
Juhls launched his recording career in 2002 with spare dub-techno material issued under the aliases Falter and Krill.Minima; he would sporadically revisit the latter name over the ensuing years, yet Marsen Jules became both his most active and most celebrated project. His first full-length effort, Lazy Sunday Funerals, appeared on the Autoplate imprint of netlabel Thinner in 2003, with Yara following the next year. After joining City Centre Offices, he earned favorable notice for the albums Herbstlaub (2005) and Les Fleurs (2006). The piece “Où La Nostalgie Habite” was included on Pop Ambient 2007, establishing Jules as a recurring contributor to Kompakt’s respected compilation series. That same year he reworked Junior Boys’ “FM” and issued his fifth album, Golden, via Genesungswerk.
Once Autoplate ceased operations in 2008, Juhls established the Oktaf label in 2009 and brought Yara back into print with additional tracks. Oktaf went on to release the four-track EP Les Fleurs Variations in 2011, which revisited earlier material with assistance from twin brothers Anwar Alam and Jan-Phillip Alam under the Marsen Jules Trio banner; the solo album Nostalgia also surfaced on the imprint that year. In 2013 Jules ventured slightly outside his customary approach with the 47-minute drone work The Endless Change of Colour on Taylor Deupree’s 12k label, while Marsen Jules Trio delivered their first full-length recording, Présence Acousmatique. The following year opened with Beautyfear, among his most evocative releases, and continued with At GRM and Sinfonietta (the latter on Dronarivm). In 2015 Jules issued a USB edition containing a continuous 24-hour iteration of The Endless Change of Colour; he also put out the standard-length CD The Empire of Silence, whose digital counterpart featured the 38-minute bonus piece “Astrila.” His 2016 album Shadows in Time was conceived as a generative work, with each vinyl or USB copy presenting a distinct realization of the composition.
Juhls launched his recording career in 2002 with spare dub-techno material issued under the aliases Falter and Krill.Minima; he would sporadically revisit the latter name over the ensuing years, yet Marsen Jules became both his most active and most celebrated project. His first full-length effort, Lazy Sunday Funerals, appeared on the Autoplate imprint of netlabel Thinner in 2003, with Yara following the next year. After joining City Centre Offices, he earned favorable notice for the albums Herbstlaub (2005) and Les Fleurs (2006). The piece “Où La Nostalgie Habite” was included on Pop Ambient 2007, establishing Jules as a recurring contributor to Kompakt’s respected compilation series. That same year he reworked Junior Boys’ “FM” and issued his fifth album, Golden, via Genesungswerk.
Once Autoplate ceased operations in 2008, Juhls established the Oktaf label in 2009 and brought Yara back into print with additional tracks. Oktaf went on to release the four-track EP Les Fleurs Variations in 2011, which revisited earlier material with assistance from twin brothers Anwar Alam and Jan-Phillip Alam under the Marsen Jules Trio banner; the solo album Nostalgia also surfaced on the imprint that year. In 2013 Jules ventured slightly outside his customary approach with the 47-minute drone work The Endless Change of Colour on Taylor Deupree’s 12k label, while Marsen Jules Trio delivered their first full-length recording, Présence Acousmatique. The following year opened with Beautyfear, among his most evocative releases, and continued with At GRM and Sinfonietta (the latter on Dronarivm). In 2015 Jules issued a USB edition containing a continuous 24-hour iteration of The Endless Change of Colour; he also put out the standard-length CD The Empire of Silence, whose digital counterpart featured the 38-minute bonus piece “Astrila.” His 2016 album Shadows in Time was conceived as a generative work, with each vinyl or USB copy presenting a distinct realization of the composition.
Albums
