Trentemoller's The Last Resort
Hailing from Denmark, Anders Trentemoller has since 2003 forged a solid reputation within the elite circles of dance music aficionados worldwide. His moody minimalist tech-house tracks and his upbeat remixing work have gathered the attention of, well, pretty much everyone involved with electronic music.
The fact that Trentemoller should use the momentum gathered during the last two years to release a full-length album is no surprise. What's shocking is how deftly the man has managed to steer clear of the beaten path, evading any attempt one could make at pigeonholing his work. Moving away from the anticipated thumping tech-house, Anders Trentemoller produced a versatile collection of moody groovers - and it all works just so wonderfully it hurts.
Emotionally charged, multilayered compositions that merge live instruments and electronic wizardry to perfection abound on The Last Resort, but perhaps Trentemoller's greatest achievement is how successfully he's managed to merge his varied musical influences into a river of songs that flows seamlessly from start to finish. Dub, folk, blues, scratching and even the occasional country-western guitar twang make an appearance, providing for a unique musical experience that's as diverse as it possibly could be. Don't worry - the tech-house inevitably shows up as the record progresses, sometimes at full speed, and at other times as subtle sonic interventions.
Highlights include "Vamp", which plays out as a sort of creepy-sexy alternate theme to Twin Peaks, complete with a distorted bass that would make Angello Badalamenti pale with envy; "Always Something Better", the album's first single and undoubtedly the it's strongest track remains indescribable in it's beauty; and "Moan", a melancholic piece propelled by a deep tech-house beat and an involving chord progression.
However, The Last Resort makes for an extremely demanding listen - the album is so dense, getting fully involved in its profound splendor can almost become physically tiring, as the listener's full focus is required to decode the album's complex musical assemblages. In the end, this is far from being a challenge or a flaw, as The Last Resort remains a wonderful and necessary addition to any electronic music lover's collection.
Last but not least, The Last Resort is also available as a 2-disc special edition. Collected on this second CD are most of Trentemoller's previous 12'' release for the Audiomatique & Poker Flat Recordings imprints, as well as the vocal versions of "Always Something Better" (featuring signer Richard Davis, who does a remarkable Bowie impression) and Moan (beautifully sung by Copenhagen's Ane Trolle). Needless to say that this edition is definitely worth seeking out.
The fact that Trentemoller should use the momentum gathered during the last two years to release a full-length album is no surprise. What's shocking is how deftly the man has managed to steer clear of the beaten path, evading any attempt one could make at pigeonholing his work. Moving away from the anticipated thumping tech-house, Anders Trentemoller produced a versatile collection of moody groovers - and it all works just so wonderfully it hurts.
Emotionally charged, multilayered compositions that merge live instruments and electronic wizardry to perfection abound on The Last Resort, but perhaps Trentemoller's greatest achievement is how successfully he's managed to merge his varied musical influences into a river of songs that flows seamlessly from start to finish. Dub, folk, blues, scratching and even the occasional country-western guitar twang make an appearance, providing for a unique musical experience that's as diverse as it possibly could be. Don't worry - the tech-house inevitably shows up as the record progresses, sometimes at full speed, and at other times as subtle sonic interventions.
Highlights include "Vamp", which plays out as a sort of creepy-sexy alternate theme to Twin Peaks, complete with a distorted bass that would make Angello Badalamenti pale with envy; "Always Something Better", the album's first single and undoubtedly the it's strongest track remains indescribable in it's beauty; and "Moan", a melancholic piece propelled by a deep tech-house beat and an involving chord progression.
However, The Last Resort makes for an extremely demanding listen - the album is so dense, getting fully involved in its profound splendor can almost become physically tiring, as the listener's full focus is required to decode the album's complex musical assemblages. In the end, this is far from being a challenge or a flaw, as The Last Resort remains a wonderful and necessary addition to any electronic music lover's collection.
Last but not least, The Last Resort is also available as a 2-disc special edition. Collected on this second CD are most of Trentemoller's previous 12'' release for the Audiomatique & Poker Flat Recordings imprints, as well as the vocal versions of "Always Something Better" (featuring signer Richard Davis, who does a remarkable Bowie impression) and Moan (beautifully sung by Copenhagen's Ane Trolle). Needless to say that this edition is definitely worth seeking out.
posted by Bruce Benson at
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
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