Architect

Daniel Myer has stepped up his game with Mine. Where 2010's Consume Adapt Create took a more minimal, industrial approach to IDM, Mine moves in a more atmospheric, cinematic direction. The melodies are more developed and the soundscapes more complex; it's less of a slasher movie and more of a sci-fi thriller. Featuring collaborations with so-hot-right-now producer/composer Ben Lukas Boysen (Hecq) and engineer Paul Kendall (of Nitzer Ebb and Depeche Mode fame), Myer's sixth album under the alias Architect has a subtle, sophisticated feel. Notably, the lyrics and voice of Hungarian singer Emese Arvai-Illes (Black Nail Cabaret) help shape the record's theme and make its haunting aesthetic accessible. When she says, "It's so tiring, being undead." on orchestral, industrial, downtempo epic "Hummingbird," the physical and mental toll of the daily grind are forgiven. Bittersweet acoustic guitar track "Immaterial" could be an U.N.K.L.E. single, while sweeping, stuttering opener "Altitude" could pass for a Jon Hopkins b-side. With the level of production and evocative use of feminine vocals, Mine has the feel of a classic crossover electronic album like Resist (Kosheen) or Ultra Obscene (Breakbeat Era), albeit released about a decade after it would have been game changing. But the record doesn't deserve to be punished for being a little late to the party; its quality speaks for itself. Mine proves Myer to be in the upper echelon of contemporary sound designers.