Tomas Barfod

As drummer for WhoMadeWho, Tomas Barfod is responsible for giving the indie dance trio the same unique club backbeat that bands like Phoenix and Hot Chip are now known for. On his first solo LP, Salton Sea, the Copenhagen-born musician focuses on a less organic approach, as Barfod incorporates snap/crackle/pop programming, vocoded vocals, deep synth funk and wandering rhythms into 12-beat connectors. His collaborations with vocalists like Canadian-born film composer Lydia Ainsworth and WhoMadeWho-mate Jeppe Kjellberg give much of the music on Salton Sea a scholarly, somewhat refined feel. But it's the two-song tryst headed by Nina Kinert that acts as the LP's apex, blending Barfod's hypnotic, churning beats with the Swedish pop singer's sweet and sour delivery. Salton Sea works mainly because of the way Barfod plays with the album's energy and mood ― from warm to sterile, comforting to aching. This is the closest thing you'll get to an aural Scandinavian spa.