Recondite

After turning out well-received singles on his own label, Plangent Records, delving deep into the 303 with On Acid for Absurd Recordings and remixing Scuba for Hotflush, German techno producer Lorenz Brunner (a.k.a. Recondite) offers up a careful study in streamlined melodies, muted tones and slowly evolving moods on his debut for Ghostly International. Right from the opening chords of the album, Recondite's aesthetic is established, and his attention to detail never wavers. Where "Abscondence" sparkles with stargazing synths, other parts of Hinterland project a sense of dreariness that takes over as the days get shorter, nights get longer and winter begins to set in. His spacious synth lines are usually backed up by the type of precise percussion patterns that only reinforce the impact of his stripped-to-the-bone approach in crafting tracks. Beautifully somber and melancholic at times, Recondite's vision for Hinterland is uncompromising. More than being fashionably sparse, tracks like "Stems" and "Clouded" build off the simple strength of their core elements. Brunner's sculpted techno emphasizes subtle inflections of bass, delicately constructed chords and sleek soundscapes that drape over Hinterland and make it a compelling escape into the producer's monochromatic world.