Rumpistol "Nebula" (2025)

Nebula

udgivet: 13. maj 2025

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[vurdering: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]

producer: Jens Berents Christiansen

selskab: The Rust Music - nationalitet: Danmark

Udvalgte numre: 1. "Ascension" - 2. "Stargazer" - 3. "Nebula" - 4. "Pale Blue Dot" - 5. "Above the Horizon" - 6. "Celestial Awe" - 9. "Silver Seed"

Studiealbum af den danske elektroniske kunster Rumpistol, som er et soloprojekt af Jens Berents Christiansen, som har overlevet i mere end et par årtier, siden han udgav sit selvbetitlede debut i 2003. Siden det har Rumpistol udgivet en lang række albums og har deltaget i forskellige samarbejdsprojekter, herunder det danske eksperimenterende world music-band Kalaha. Nebula kan vist betragtes som Rumpistols niende regulære udgivelse, og på dette album har Christiansen inviteret flere gæstemusikere med, hvilket tæller: Sven Dam Meinild på fløjte, EWI, klarinet og sax, Maria Jagd på violin og bratsch, Emil de Waal (også fra Kalaha) på trommer, percussion og 'bowed metal', Helene Tungelund på keltisk harpe, Anders Stig Møller på bas og Anna Roemer på guitar.

Nebula er et instrumentalt album, som for mig har ligheder med tidlig Trentemøller - det er idm- og micro-house-elementerne - men det er ikke 'bare' et ekko af andre kunstneres værker. Der er tydelige originale træk og facetter fra Rumpistols tidlige udgivelser, og albummet er en repræsentation af en grundlæggende stilpalette, der ikke er rent elektronisk. Rumpistol har været omkring mange forskellige genrer og stilarter gennem årene, og i den henseende fremviser Nebula elementer fra så forskelligartet musik som syrerock, ambience og hvad der normalt hører til jazzens verden, og som altsammen er spredt ud og høres i højere eller mindre grad på disse ret forskellige kompositioner. Under tiden opstår der ligheder eller fragmenter, der peger mod tidlig elektronisk synthpop og ambience, men i essensen viser det blot Rumpistols mangefacetterede styrker som en original kamæleon, der gør brug af hvad end, musikken kalder på.

Det siger næsten sig selv, at det som et instrumentalt værk er musik til fordybelse, og det udfolder sig for alvor, jo mere man lytter til det. Og givet den korte tid, jeg har kendt til dette nye album, formoder jeg kun, at det kommer til at vokse på mig. Jeg kan lide det, det er stemningsmættet musik og virkelig godt. Og hvis du ikke kender Rumpistols værker, kan jeg kun anbefale, at man tjekker det ud. Projektet er lidt af en international hemmelighed, og jeg holder af album som Mere rum (2005), Away (2014), After the Flood (2020) og Isola (2022).

Anbefalet.

[ Nebula på bandcamp ]

Trentemøller "Memoria" (2022)

Memoria

release date: Feb. 11, 2022

format: digital (14 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Veil of White" - 2. "No More Kissing in the Rain" - 4. "Glow" - 5. "In the Gloaming" - 7. "When the Sun Explodes" - 8. "Dead or Alive" - 9. "All Too Soon" - 10. "A Summer’s Empty Room" - 12. "Drifting Star" - 13. "Like a Daydream"

6th studio album from Anders Trentemøller follows 2½ years after the fine Obverse (Sep. 2019) and the album has been launched by a series of official videoes - firstly by "In the Gloaming" and later by "All Too Soon", "Dead or Alive", "No More Kissing in the Rain", and "Like a Daydream".

The album is highlighted via its melodic universe, although, the album is quite untraditional from the hands of Trentemøller as a predominantly vocal-founded album. Stylewise, it's more predictable situated in the outskirts of the 80s and 90s nostalgia linked with his very own electronic homeland. Memoria is the sound of shoegaze / dreampop à la Slowdive and Mazzy Star with drops of Robert Smith (The Cure) guitarwork as heard on the Disintegration-era mixed with Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) reverb, and in this manner he sort of continues where Obverse ended, and simultaneously he applies something new. The big difference is that the 2019-release appeared more introspective and closed on progressive instrumental variations, whereas Memoria lurks on the verge of darkness - at times jumpping straight out into the daylight floating away on light tones of Robin Guthrie-inspired loops. And just that may be the newest 'trend' from Mr. Trentemøller - that instead of finding inspiration from the murky corners of the post-punk-era, he now adds a synthpop-soundscape from other areas and by doing so, he also creates a distinct cocktail of his own. On this, Trentemøller has made use of the two Danish guitarists Silas Tinglef and Lisbet Fritze, with the latter also featuring on vocal. The end product is a more coherent collection of compositions compared to what Trentemøller normally ends up with. It's a new touch with which he combines a pervasive flair for micro house and synthwave that ultimately displays his so far best studio album to date.

Highly recommended.

[ bandcamp ]

[ Gaffa.dk, musicOMH, PopMatters 4 / 5 stars ]

Blanck Mass "In Ferneaux" (2021)

In Ferneaux

release date: Feb. 26, 2021

format: digital (2 x File, FLAC - SBR267digital)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Blanck Mass

label: Sacred Bones - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Phase I" - 2. "Phase II" - 3. "Starstuff (Single Edit)" (bonus track)

5th studio album by one-man project Blanck Mass follows 1½ years after Animated Violence Mild (Aug. 2019) (the album is released on bandcamp).

Compared to all other albums credited Blanck Mass this one is of another construct, so to say. All other previous albums contain various different compositions - most of which are of 'normal' running times going from 2 to 10 minutes, however, this contains two tracks only that basically are one composition split in two to fit traditional vinyl releases. "Phase I" has a running time just above 21 minutes and the "Phase II" a running time just below 20 minutes, but when played as digital files it's clear they appear seamless parts of the same composition - the digital album comes with a third 'bonus track': "Starstuff (Single edit)", which in essence is an edited outtake of the first part of "Phase I".

Musically, this has turned out as more complex, with greater variation, which implies both ambient moments, and bits of almost extreme white noise - and everything in between.

My initial verdict had me think of In Ferneaux ['Inferno'] as a step back and to what could sound like a minor work, but after having played it over several times, I kinda like the result, although, it's still a complex and somewhat experimental release that also bridges his more progressive work released under the moniker Fuck Buttons together with Andrew Hung and that of his solo music as Blanck Mass. In some ways because this is both more ambient and experimental in the way Fuck Buttons has styled their albums, and to some extent more upfront and 'hard', and yet, progressive bits, here and there, could point to inspiration in early techno days.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 7 / 10 stars ]

John Frusciante "Maya" (2020)

Maya

release date: Oct. 20, 2020

format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]

producer: John Frusciante

label: Timesig Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Brand E" - 2. "Usbrup Pensul" - 3. "Flying" - 7. "Amethblowl" - 9. "Anja Motherless"

[ full album ]

11th studio album by John Frusciante following a series of releases under the moniker of Trickfinger with the album She Smiles Because She Presses the Button (Jun. 2020) as his most recent album, but already as of Mar. 2020, Trickfinger released the EP Look Down, See Us; however, his most recent album under his own name remains Enclosure from 2014. Frusciante began experimenting with electronic music about a decade ago, which saw him form Trickfinger as an outlet for mostly instrumental electronic music, but at the same time electronica became a strong influence in his other solo releases, and Maya appears as his first full electronic album to be released under his own name. Apparently, Maya was the name of his beloved cat, and this album is Frusciante's tribute to her.

Maya is made with breakbeat sampling at the heart of the compositions, and they simply sound much like Frusciante's own attempt with Brittish breakbeat anno 1992-ish - say, strongly The Prodigy-inspired compositions making it a bit of a strange experience. Some of the tracks here still sound great, although, altogether it's difficult to listen to without thinking the 1990s dance scene - but then again: it was a great and influential period, so why not reminding everyone about it?! And then, I think this is bettering his idm-fused acid house debut as Trickfinger.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,6 / 10, 👍Loud and Quiet 3 / 6 stars ]

Blanck Mass "Animated Violence Mild" (2019)

Animated Violence Mild

release date: Aug. 16, 2019

format: digital (8 x Files, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Blanck Mass

label: Sacred Bones - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Death Drop" - 3. "House vs. House" - 4 . "Hush Money" - 8. "Wings of Hate"

4th studio album by Blanck Mass (aka Benjamin John Power) is the follow-up to World Eater (2017), although more recently the artist has been engaged in collaborating on the 2018 album Violence by Editors, which was released in an alternative version as The Blanck Mass Sessions (Apr. 2019).

Animated Violence Mild continues where the 2017 album ended, and in many regards it's like a new chapter to that. Here and there Power introduces something that sound like melody-lines, which could reflect inspiration from his work with the alternative rock band Editors - to me, this only adds a new dimension to his predominant industrial electronica.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, NME 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,9 /10 stars ]

Trentemøller "Obverse" (2019)

Obverse

release date: Sep. 27, 2019

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 2. "Church of Trees" - 3. "In the Garden" (feat. Lina Tullgren) - 4. "Foggy Figures" - 5. "Blue September" (feat. Lisbet Fritze) - 7. "One Last Kiss to Remember" (feat. Lisbet Fritze) - 9. "Try a Little" (feat. JennyLee)

5th studio album by Trentemøller as follow-up to Fixion (Sep. 2016) follows the near usual three years interval in between releases, and Obverse both stays somewhat on the same track and yet is its very own displaying a newfound inspiration in shoegaze and indietronica with pure instrumental compositions pointing back to ambient and minimal house and with vocal-based songs with lyrics by the featuring guest artists, and which embrace a more danceable touch in a courtship with alt. rock and darkwave without the lighter pop tones and the darker rock-influences become opposites.

The album appears as a more coherent whole than its predecessor, which seemed more divided into pure instrumental parts and, on the other hand, compositions with supporting vocals, as two opposing expressions with progressively minimal house and parts of pumping indietronica. In a way, Obverse stands as a fine extension to his second album from 2010: Into the Great Wide Yonder. Unlike Lost (Sep. 2013) and Fixion, this new outing as a whole, is a more of a muted kind with all songs in better harmony without sounding as counterpoints to other motions on the same album. The vocal-based tracks are not pure indietronica where song and melody dominate, but these are more of an unfolding-in-graceful union of instrumental ideas mixed with something reminiscent of Mazzy Star (Hope Sandoval) inspiration, e.g. on the two Lisbet Fritze tracks: "Blue September" and "One Last Kiss to Remember" - which is the album's darkwave uptempo track (I'm instantly thinking Pornography by The Cure ) - and perhaps the most obvious dream pop / shoegaze feature is "In the Garden" with Lina Tullgren. The album doesn't contain obvious hits like "River in Me" or "Complicated" - here it's the mood of the album itself that steers the direction, and in that way Obverse ultimately stands as one of Trentemøller's better ones.

[ bandcamp ]

[ 👍allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]

Best of 2018:Jon Hopkins "Singularity" (2018)

Singularity

release date: May 4, 2018

format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]

producer: Jon Hopkins

label: Domino - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Singularity" (4,5 / 5) (official shorter video) - 2. "Emerald Rush" - 3. "Neon Pattern Drum" - 4. "Everything Connected" (4 / 5) - 6. "C O S M" - 8. "Luminous Beings"

[ full album ]

5th studio album by Jon Hopkins follows five years after Immunity (Jun. 2013). Five years is quite a long time in the music business, and it hasn't been time wasted for Hopkins, who has been a much sought for producer, co-writer, and composer on various releases. He has worked for Coldplay and toured with the band, and he has made the soundtrack album How I Live Now for the drama film by Kevin Mcdonald.

The album is a different creature than the acclaimed predecessor, and it's actually impressive how varied the album is, when it's still an extremenly coherent whole. Immunity also excelled with progressive compositions and patterns that keep evolving but that's something you dsicover is taken much further here. Stylewise, it's still in the same ballgame where tech house meets downtempo and where the experimental ingredient is ever-present. All that remains, but on top of that all compositions have that ambient quality that proppels you on a forward trip into unknown territory of deep space. Listening to this, have me thinking that it's liekly the closest you can get to have an experience that equels that of tripping from Crystal Meth without actually having taken a drug. Of course you don't hallucinate, you still consciously know where you are but may have an impression of sinking into some kind of transmission and feel an out-of-body-experience. Anyway, I get it.

Singularity is Hopkin's first and only album to top the UK Dance charts and it's also his best charting album on the general albums chart list peaking at number #9, which I fully understand. His 2013 album rightfully provided him international fame and this newest album only underlines his status as one of Britain's most fascinating composers of electronic music. This is simply Hopkins' best album to date!

Highly recommended.

[ 👍Pitchfork 8,3 / 10, Mojo, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Uncut 3,5 / 5, NME 5 / 5, 👎The Guardian 2 / 5 stars ]

[ Jon Hopkins on bandcamp ]

2018 Favourite releases: 1. Jon Hopkins Singularity - 2. The Fratellis In Your Own Sweet Time - 3. Robyn Honey

Throwing Snow "Embers" (2017)

Embers
release date: Jan. 20, 2017
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,33]
producer: Ross Tones
label: Houndstooth - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Cantor's Dust (Part 1)" - 2. "Cantor's Dust (Part 2)" - 3. "Helical" - 4. "Allegory" - 5. "Ruins" - 6. "Gossamer's Thread" - 7. "Klaxon" - 8. "Glissette" - 9. "Recursion" - 10. "Pattern Forming" - 11. "Prism (Part 1)" - 12. "Prism (Part 2)" - 13. "Cosms" - 14. "Tesseract"
[ playlist ]

2nd studio album by electronic London-based project Throwing Snow aka Ross Tones is instrumental progressive, electronic or IDM, which both draws on more old-school techno as well as experimental electronic of the 1970s - I come to think of Jean Michel Jarre's early albums, and then there's a link to the works of Jon Hopkins.
The album consists of 14 individually tracks, but it's basically one long composition - moreover, the album ends the same way it starts, which makes it possible to listen to the album indefinitely.
Like with eg. Oxygène from 1976 by Jarre it's hard to pin out the best tracks as it's more one organic structure meant to be played from start to finish.
I really enjoy this.

Blanck Mass "World Eater" (2017)

World Eater
release date: Mar. 3, 2017
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Blanck Mass
label: Sacred Bones Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Rhesus Negative" (4 / 5) - 3. "Please" - 4. "The Rat" - 5. "Silent Treatment" - 7. "Hive Mind"

3rd full studio album release by the one-man project Blanck Mass, aka Benjamin John Power (from the duo Fuck Buttons).
Stylistically, this is instrumental progressive electronic like the music of Fuck Buttons where Power gets together with Andrew Hung, but that's still rather different from this as World Eater has a much stronger industrial style and perhaps tends to be more expansive in terms of exploring other stylistic grounds.
The album was generally met by positive reviews ending up on many album top lists of the year, and I can see why. Power blends styles and elements so originally that it's really a treat to listen to. It's like a bliss and it's right in your face - it's an experience where you never know where it'll lead you but the journey is exhilarating. Yes, it has drone elements, it has synthpop bits and pieces, like ordinary pop compositions, and it's very aggressive and dark hinting at post-rock and hard rock in its industrial outfit. So, yes, it's really a conglomerate of styles and genres and all in all a truly fine and well-composed album.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Needledrop 3,5 / 5, Sputnikmusic 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Trentemøller "Lost" (2013)

Lost

release date: Sep. 23, 2013

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "The Dream" (feat. Low) - 2. "Gravity" (feat. Jana Hunter) - 3. "Still on Fire" - 4. "Candy Tongue" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 6. "Never Stop Running" (feat. Jonny Pierce) - 7. "River of Life" (feat. Ghost Society) - 9. "Come Undone" (feat. Kazu Makino) - 10. "Deceive" (feat. Sune Rose Wagner) (official video)

3rd studio album by Trentemøller follows 3½ years after Into the Great Wide Yonder and is like that produced by Trentemøller and released through his own label In My Room.

His previous releases, including the DJ Mix album Harbour Boat Trips 01 - Copenhagen by Trentemøller from 2009 all have the traits of deep house electronic experimental style, building heavily on progressive compositions and all held in a primarily instrumental style. This marks a complete turn-around with Lost as 7 out of 12 tracks are composed using more traditional melody structure with vocal performances and making it all touch on synth pop in darkwave territory. Anders Trentemøller is not well-known for his vocal capabilities and therefore he has made use of various featuring vocalists. The American artists Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker (both from the band Low) feature on vocals together with their band on track #1; American artist Jana Hunter is featuring vocalist on track #2 together with Danish guitarist Lisbet Fritze; Danish vocalist Marie Fisker adds vocals on track #4 - she also featured on Trantemøller's 2009 and 2010 albums - American vocalist Jonathan Pierce (of The Drums) feature on track #6; the Danish band Ghost Society feature on track #7; Japanese artist Kazu Makino is featuring vocalist on track #9; and Danish artist Sune Rose Wagner (of The Raveonettes) is featuring vocalist on track #10. All featuring vocalists are also credited the songwriting on the songs, on which they feature.

Lost marks a considerable change of style in Trentemøller's discography. The album is not a strong coherent whole - some of his instrumental compositions could without difficulty have been included on his previous albums without stirring the whole picture, and here they could be mistaken for sound artefacts or just misplaced intermissions, but on the other hand they also contribute in binding together the various and differently sounding compositions with vocals - or at least: attempting to glue the strictly individual songs into one artistic package.

Altogether, Lost is no less than Trentemøller's so far most succesful album.

Recommended.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com, UnderTheRader 4 / 5, TheLineOfBestFit 8,5 / 10, Pitchfork 6.4 / 10 stars ]

Mogwai "Kicking a Dead Pig - Mogwai Songs Remixed" (1998)

Kicking a Dead Pig - Mogwai Songs Remixed (remix album)

release date: May 18, 1998

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC - 2001 reissue)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,88]

producer: Mogwai & various

label: Mogwai self-relase - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Like Herod (Hood Remix)" - 7. "Mogwai Fear Satan (Surgeon Remix)" - 10. "Mogwai Fear Satan (Mogwai Remix)" - 12. "Mogwai Fear Satan (My Bloody Valentine Remix)"

Remix album by Mogwai primarily of compositions from the band's debut album Young Team (1997). Originally the album was released as a ten track album on Eye Q Records, but after the label had closed the album was expanded by another two tracks and it was released as a 2-cd album with the two new remixes on disc 2 as the final version, track #12 is a 16 minute long version of "Mogwai Fear Satan" - the original being 10 seconds longer.

Most of the compositions have been heavily altered and mostly into electronic dance or with an ear for old school techno rave. You may argue that the point in making a remix album with songs that sound much like the original seems wrong, but when the end result is music of a completely other genre, it's also a natural source of criticism. It's experimental and daring and some ideas and even whole compositions are made with some success, but overall it doesn't fit that well in the band's discography - it's more of an oddity. Best remixes here are actually Mogwai's own mix of "Mogwai Fear Satan" only bettered by Kevin Shield's (My Bloody Valentine) daring but aso highly original version.

Collector's item only.

[ bandcamp ]

Jon Hopkins "Immunity" (2013)

Immunity
release date: Jun. 3, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Jon Hopkins
label: Domino Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "We Disappear" - 2. "Open Eye Signal" - 3. "Breathe This Air" - 4. "Collider" (official shorter video) - 7. "Sun Harmonics" - 8. "Immunity"
[ full album ]

4th studio album by London-based Jon Hopkins (aka Jonathan Julian Hopkins). The album is my first acquaintance with Hopkins, and definitely not my last. Musically, it's a blend of styles of pure electronica. It encompasses house elements commonly known as minimal house - a blend of house and tech house, characterised by simpler compositions with loans from IDM and glitch pop, usually without or with little focus on traditional lyrics and instead making use of vocal arrangements in the shape of musical instrumentation. The album consists of eight distinctive tracks, although, the album really works as one whole - one long progression.
Immunity is widely regarded as Hopkins' breakthrough album and in Britain it was nominated the 2013 Mercury Prize Award (handed James Blake for the album Overgrown).
I really like its organic sound(s), which makes me think of both Icelandic post rockers Sigur Rós and glitch pop band múm fusioned with a neo-classical and progressive rock approach of say Mike Oldfield despite being far from any of those, really.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Mojo, Q Magazine, The Observer, NME 4 /5, Pitchfork 8,5 / 10 stars ]

Trickfinger "Trickfinger" (2015)

Trickfinger [debut]

release date: Apr. 6, 2015

format: digital (8 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,97]

producer: Trickfinger

label: Acid Test - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "After Below" - 2. "Before Above" - 7. "100mc4" - 8. "Phurip"

Full-length studio album debut by Trickfinger aka John Frusciante, thus not really being a pure musical debut as such, but Frusciante obviously is in need of a moniker to explore an electronic playground. His name is welded into an alt. rock sphere and Trickfinger in that respect sets him free to start anew. All tracks are credited Trickfinger as composer, instrumentalist, producer, and mixer.

Although, Frusciante explored electronic music on his most recent album Enclosure (Apr. 2014) this is something different by being only electronic music. It's instrumental progressive electronica, and in the style of acid house and idm. It's a bit of a mish-mash in terms of styles. It could indicate that Frusciante has become fascinated by the history of electronic music and that he has incorporated music from various periods in his own blend. That's not to say, it's a different approach from other electronic artists, but in this case Trickfinger comes out as something less original - there's a lack of direction, which isn't to say it's of lesser value.

With his new Trickfinger project, Frusciante once again showcases his very traits as an artist who only lives in non-conformity - his very name is a guarantee of musical progression. Trickfinger is a new direction for Frusciante, and a new territory to explore. This first album is a promissing start, although, there's much inspiration from other artists - e.g. Aphex Twin, Trentemöller, and with a certain influence from Jean-Michel Jarre - but Frusciante himself is an ingenious music maker and he will undoubtedly again produce more original works.

[ Exclaim! 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 5,9 / 10 stars ]

Jon Hopkins "Insides" (2009)

Insides

release date: May 3, 2009

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,08]

producer: Jon Hopkins

label: Domino - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Vessel" - 3. "Insides" - 4. "Wire" - 5. "Colour Eye" - 9. "A Drifting Up"

3rd studio album by Jon Hopkins following five years after Contact Note (Aug. 2004) is his first album after signing with Domino Recording Co.

The album also includes the track "Light Through the Veins", which had been issued on the Coldplay album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (Jun. 2008). Hopkins also co-produced the Coldplay song "Life in Technicolor" and from hereon he was an often used co-producer and / or mixer used by the band, who also began touring with Hopkins. Before meeting with Coldplay, Hopkins had made some collaboration works with Brian Eno, who had come heard Contact Note.

Insides is mostly experimental electronica in the styles of IDM, micro and ambient downtempo, and if you happen to be familiar with his acclaimed Immunity from 2013, then this comes out as more of experimental drafts that paved a way to his more original sound later on. The album doesn't appear the same coherent whole you'll find his later albums do. It's more like single tracks pointing in many directions. Some compositions have a synthpop quality that makes you understand the idea of collaborating with Coldplay much more sensible, and others are much more in a classic electronic / Brian Eno territory.

Insides is mostly interesting as Hopkin's formative journey toward more acclaimed works and mostly fails on several parameters, which isn't the same as all bad.

Trentemøller "The Last Resort" (2006)

The Last Resort [debut]

release date: Oct. 6, 2006

format: 2 cd (LTD. - PFRCD18)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: Poker Flat Recordings - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Take Me Into Your Skin" - 2. "Vamp" - 3. "Evil Dub" - 4. "Always Something Better" - 5. "While the Cold Winter Waiting" - 6 - "Nightwalker" - 8. "The Very Last Resort" - 12. "Moan" - 13. "Miss You"

Bonus disc "The Singles": 1. "Always Something Better (Vocal Version)" (feat. Richard Davis) - 2. "Moan (Vocal Version)" (feat. Ane Trolle) - 3. "Physical Fraction" - 5. "Chameleon" - 7. "Always Something Better (Trentemøller Remix)" - 9. "Killer Kat" - 10. "Rykketid"

Studio album debut by Danish electronic musician Anders Trentemøller originally released on A:larm Music - here issued in a 2 disc limited edition - is instrumental ambient techno, microhouse and so-called IDM ["intelligent dance music"... whoever came up with that term!].

Basically, it's progressive ambient and electronic music, which draws on music by Aphex Twin, Orbital, LCD Soundsystem, The Future Sound of London - and to some extent builds on the legacy of Jean Michel Jarre, I think, although, you may ask what electronic artist who wasn't inspired by Jarre.

The Limited two disc edition contains the standard album as disc 1 and the bonus disc "The Singles" containing many of his former single and ep releases including the Physical Fraction ep (Jan. 2005), the Nam Nam ep (May 2006), the singles Polar Shift (Apr. 2005), Sunstroke (Aug. 2005) and Always Something Better (Sep. 2006).

His name had popped up on several occasions as "the new big thing" from Denmark, primarily, from single releases, working as a DJ and remixing (artists like Röyksopp and The Knife), and I sought Trentemøller and the album out. It appears to be more ambient and progressive as opposed to his more techno and dub techno single releases, which brought him fame. Despite general positive reviews from international magazines (allmusic.com and electronic online magazine Resident Advisor were more than happy about it), I haven't exactly been bedazzled over this. Frankly, at first I found it somewhat uninspiring at times. However, if you let it sink in, digest it as something organic that needs light and air, you may find it's truly great for background noise, for work or just as a wall of sound. Perhaps my reluctance has to do with my general dislike for ambient music in the first place. To me - without the most comprehensive knowledge on electronic music development and sources - I find similarities with earlier works by Aphex Twin, Autechre, The Orb and The Future Sound of London; however, and without knowing who to refer to, I also find spots and glimpses of sheer originality. Generally, it's and album one should pay attention - it doesn't just open up and spread its wings. It's something for a keen listener.

I'm glad to have found the 2-disc Limited Edition of the album 'cause I actually find the bonus disc the most interesting of the two, simply because it displays more varied and original music and generally also contains more uptempo club compositions. Tracks from the original album like "Always Something Better" and "Moan" are hardly recognisable but better in their vocal versions, I think, although, the minimal house of the original album has its distinct qualities, when you allow the tracks to flow. Should I rate the standard release alone, I would hand it around 3,4. But it's really nice to have this as a document of Trentemøller's talent for production and sound showing us where he started as a solo artist.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,2 / 100, Gaffa.dk 5 / 6, Resident Advisor, Sputnikmusic 5 / 5 stars ]

Fuck Buttons "Tarot Sport" (2009)

Tarot Sport
release date: Oct. 20, 2009
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Andrew Weatherall
label: ATP Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Surf Solar" - 3. "The Lisbon Maru" - 4. "Olympians" - 6. "Space Mountain" - 7. "Flight of the Feathered Serpent"

2nd studio album by the electronic duo-project Fuck Buttons by Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power [Blanck Mass] follows 1½ year after a promising start with Street Horrrsing (Mar. 2008).

Tarot Sport is like the predecessor instrumental progressive electronica but where the debut had a link to post-rock, this one goes bolder electronic, passing from drone to progressive and then adding elements from minimal techno and glitch pop.

Tarot Sport was met by positive reviews, thus ending up on many music magazines' top-10 lists of albums of the year.

Although, it wasn't an immediate favourite of mine, I find it much more than just ordinary and with something extra to offer. For one thing, the album appears more of an original whole than their debut, which both appeared as a fine experiment but also felt bonded to familiar inspirational sources. Tarot Sport, on the other hand, comes out even more experimental, displaying some quite interesting beats and sounds, which almost takes it into the dance arena, and then there's an industrial tone lurking as a backbone on all tracks. You could aply most of that for the debut, but where that appeared like a experiment pointing in various directions, this one appears more as a coherent work with a founding sound. It's quite spacious but also quite strict in its soundscape, which would nearly be too blatant as a soundtrack for a movie about transportation in space.

The album has proved to be a certified grower. At first I found it so-so - thinking: possibly above 3 - then, uhm, yeah... not bad, actually! - reevaluating: clearly above 3,3 to 3,5-ish - and then one day I found myself listening to it at pretty high volume driving alone in my car on a motorway, while thinking: Now, how could I miss how good this is?! It's definitely quite spectacular isn't?! I really like the bolder use of drum beats, and one day I may eventually hand it a 4.

[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, NME, Q Magazine, Uncut, Mojo 4 / 5, Spin 3 / 5 stars ]

Thom Yorke "The Eraser" (2006)

The Eraser [debut]
release date: Jul. 10, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Nigel Godrich
label: XL Recordings - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Eraser" - 2. "Analyse" - 3. "The Clock" - 4. "Black Swan" (4 / 5) - 6. "Atoms for Peace" (5 / 5) (live) - 8. "Harrowdown Hill"

Studio solo album debut by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, who has worked with the 'usual' Radiohead producer, Nigel Godrich, also credited 'extra instrumentation'. Yorke's associate from the band, multi-instrumentalist, Jonny Greenwood also features on piano on the album's title track. Aside from these two, most tracks only have music composed, programmed, played and sung by Yorke himself. The style is electronic glitch pop with hints of post-rock. It took me more than a few listens to fully appreciate the album, but I kept returning to it 'cause it just had something highly original and insisting. However, the track "Atoms for Peace" immediately caught my attention. It's a haunting and utmost beautiful composition, which needs full volume. The album was nominated the Mercury Prize in 2006 (won by Arctic Monkeys for the debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not). Great music for driving.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

múm "Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK" (2001)

Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK [debut]
release date: Apr. 2, 2001
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,40]
producer: múm
label: Tugboat Records - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 2. "Smell Memory" - 3. "There Is a Number of Small Things" - 7. "The Ballad of the Broken Birdie Records" - 10. "Slow Bicycle"

Studio debut album by Icelandic band múm (who also made the soundtrack Blái hnötturinn, aka "The Blue Planet" in 2001). The band is a quartet consisting of Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, Gunnar Örn Tynes, and the twin-sisters, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir [from 2007 solo artist aka Kría Brekkan] and Gyða Valtýsdóttir [2 men + 2 women]. The genre is electronic and stylistically it's glitch pop with a progressive and / or ambient touch of idm and folktronica [electronica fused with folk / folklore elements].
It's a small but quite interesting album that just feels like a rather warm and cute collection of somewhat longy [typically 5-7 mins running time], though never too long compositions.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, NME, Mojo 4 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars]