Trentemoller - 'The Last Resort' (Poker Flat) Released 09/10/06

Of course it would be wrong to suggest that Trentemøller is doing something wholly original – traces of Boards of Canada (‘While The Cold Winter Waiting’), Aphex Twin, an amalgam of post-rock acts and of course certain seminal German electronic acts can be extracted at times. Yet, just like with his club monoliths, the man somehow injects his own vitality and individual imprint that carves the album a very unique niche.

Like many great works, this collection of songs is best listened to as a whole. Expertly constructed, the interwoven, seamless tracks play on an amalgam of base emotions – fear, happiness, despair, calm, euphoria, hope – and releases them with perfect timing. ‘Snowflake’, for example, is four minutes of layered celestial sounds before a gnawing, whirring machine noise comes out of nowhere, creating a sense of unease in direct contrast to the opening segue. It’s a sense of dizzying claustrophobia that’s continued later on perhaps the work’s darkest moment, the futuristic dubby soundscape of  ‘Into The Trees.’ Juxtaposing this tension, tracks like the intensely fragile but optimistic ‘Always Something Better’ and the ultimate minimal refrain of ‘Miss You’ tug at the old heartstrings.

Such is its emotional impact and depth the album could be dissected and discussed at great length. Put simply instead, ‘The Last Resort’ is an understated tour-de-force of sheer musical brilliance, and could well be one of the pivotal releases of 2006.