Sølyst Sølyst

While there's no shortage of kosmische-minded sounds flooding the electronic music landscape these days, few modern players have centred their approach on rhythm, preferring instead to let the synths do the talking. However, the same cannot be said of Sølyst, the newly minted solo project from Kreidler drummer Thomas Klein. On his solo debut, the man behind the kit comes out swinging, thumping, pounding and pummelling, with complex, hypnotic grooves venturing from Kraut to tribal to Afrobeat to spaced-out cosmosis. The beats, which come mainly via an analog kit, are complemented by a thick bed of synth-fuelled electronics, often going the minimalist route as the drums head towards maximalist terrain. It's a winning combo, easily warranting Klein's comparisons to Can's Jaki Liebezeit and Guru Guru's Mani Neumeier. More importantly, it serves as a stellar reminder that not just drones and synth-led audio tones can take you to that astral plane. (Bureau B)

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