Vakant was at the forefront of this whole German minimal thing, starting life a few years ago with an astounding string of twelves which further explored sounds which favoured dubbed-out space and dark, gentle magic over thumping techno bangers. Mathias Kaden was one of their foremost producers, unleashing unearthly gems like ‘Pentaton’ and ‘Synkope’. He’s still with the label now, having reaped acclaim as an innovator and now about to drop a startling new album. The shadowy techno presence is still there but Mathias has taken his sound on with different elements including vocals and a distinct avant-jazz influence – both coming together beautifully on tracks like the smokey ‘Panic Stricken’, featuring words and lyrics by Ian Simmonds. ‘Mascleta’ emphasises the tribal percussion webs which underpin much of the album – forming a complimentary backdrop for Gjaezon’s conscious lyrics, while, Tomomi Ukomori’s ethereal vocal over the lustrous deep house of ‘Kawaba’ makes for one of the sexiest tracks of the year. Meanwhile, ‘Ikenga’ shows he can pull a large techno bouncer out of the bag if so inclined. But this whole set is crafted into a multi-faceted journey where genres don’t matter, just wherever he chooses to alight next. Definitely an album of the year.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs