Trentemøller

Anders Trentemøller is a slippery character, but slippery like a seasoned shape shifter more than a banana peel. Just when you think you've gotten a grasp on what he's about, he drops something like Lost in your lap and you're back at square one. Simply refusing to be pigeonholed, the Danish producer has managed to stray even further from the lively electronic style that was his making. For this release, he's taken a very minimalist approach, focusing more on vast, expansive soundscapes, rather than pounding rhythms, all while continuing to stamp everything with his trademark eeriness. Unlike previous albums, however, this one's littered with collaborations: Jonny Pierce, Sune Wagner and Low, to name but a few. Yet despite their origins, all the contributing artists are out of their element, stripped bare and left to wander the icy plains with Trentemøller — the only one with a compass. It's only on the solo ventures that the pace quickens. "Trails" is an almost avant-garde rock track that dissolves into mere particles and then reassembles itself in a tumult of colourful 16-bit loops before stomping out all your expectations with a brawny, thudding bass line. It's multifaceted, much like Lost.