Apparat

Apparat (aka Sacha Ring) has never been afraid to flirt with catchier, vocal-led tracks, as evidenced on the superb Walls in 2007, but The Devil's Walk sees him moving further away from his IDM beginnings and into even more song-based territory. Now signed to Mute, British synth pop's first home, the album evokes Depeche Mode, Radiohead and even a touch of Coldplay, especially on single "Black Water" and "The Soft Voices Die." With the move to a more accessible style, this album will be a divisive one for Apparat fans, but it's a natural and logical progression in the scheme of his work, and several tracks retain that Steve Reich-inspired repetition that made Walls so appealing. Although it may alienate some, it's a great album that proves that Apparat doesn't care about being boxed into a genre, and that alone will no doubt please many more.