■ Tohle není pojetí, které by se mělo projevit na tanečním parketu — je to poslechové album, které vynikne v pomalé poloze letos v zimě. Je ponuré a temné, ale stále jsou chvíle, kdy se zdá, že světlo už prosvítá, ať už se jedná o arpeggiovanou syntetizační linii nebo nějaké pozitivní bicí. Alba Dwell a Hinterland jsou blízko, zejména ve skladbách typu „Leafs“ z LP 2013. Přinášejí podobné styly melodií a zvukově ladí. Dwell zní jako dobrý nápad, jak se ztratit v přírodě a ve vašem okolí. Lorenz je náladotvorný, vyrovnaný a meditativní. Dwell je pro vaše dlouhé dny a noci uvnitř brlohu.
■ Lorenz Brunner, a Bavarian producer of lean but intricate and melodic techno. Released albums on Acid Test and Ghostly.
Location: Berlin, Germany
Styles: Techno, Club/Dance, Minimal Techno, Downtempo
Album release: January 24, 2020
Record Label: Ghostly International
Duration: 18:42 + 37:37 => 56:19
Tracks:
Disc 1:
01. Dwell 6:26
02. Nobilia 3:41
03. Black Letter 5:45
04. Interlude 1 2:50
Disc 2:
05. Mirror Games 6:13
06. Cure 5:09
07. Interlude 2 2:58
08. Surface 4:57
09. Moon Pearl 6:33
10. Wire Threat 6:07
11. Equal (Bonus Track) 5:40
Review
■ By his own admission, Recondite hasn’t reinvented his sound on his second full~length for Ghostly International. The Bavarian producer continues to refine the brand of pared~down but suspenseful techno he’s been releasing since the early 2010s, with dark, ominous melodies softly swirling around icy kick drums. Not quite as dramatic as 2018’s brooding, soundtrack~like Daemmerlicht, Dwell also isn’t as energetic as earlier club hits such as “Levo” or “Cleric” — tracks that are still more downtrodden than most peak~time techno. As ever, though, he’s excellent at what he does, and the album is a cohesive collection of beat~driven mood pieces crafted with precision and attention to detail. The opening title track might not seem to have too many elements, but he arranges them in a crafty manner — the digital snares and soft, bell~like melodies subtly rotate throughout the speakers, to mesmerizing effect. “Black Letter” is another prime example of the sort of chilling, wintry techno Recondite makes. More chilling or haunting than scary, it weaves foreboding melodies around a softly insistent beat, one that seems to sharply walk forward rather than run for its life. The album contains a few downtempo cuts which point to trap as an influence, but they don’t particularly divert from the same mood as the rest of the tracks. “Mirror Games” seems a bit more club~tooled, particularly due to its deep~down bass line and EQ’d beats, and “Cure” is similar but airier and more cloudlike. Overall, Dwell is a stirring album best enjoyed at home during the middle of winter, when the weather renders venturing outdoors a fool’s task.
■ Curiously, the album’s most upbeat (and possibly best) selection, “Equal,” is relegated to digital bonus~track status.
■ https://www.allmusic.com/
Bandcamp: https://recondite-music.bandcamp.com/album/dwell
Beatport: http://classic.beatport.com/release/dwell/2780845
Label: https://ghostly.com/