- To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, Brendon Moeller is one of techno's known unknowns. The New York-based South African is an established artist, but outside of the scene's hardcore geeks he remains a relatively enigmatic figure. He's never had a moment of being particularly fashionable, nor is he easy to pin down musically. Though primarily an exponent of dub techno, he's tried many different angles on his sound over the years, whether solo (as Mano Blanco, Beat Pharmacy, Echologist or under his given name) or in collaboration with artists like Pearson Sound (as Shetland).
In its classy, low-key way, Moeller's latest full-length as Echologist won't change any of that. Storming Heaven is a purist techno album whose generally downtempo feel means its tracks are more likely to be absorbed at home than on any dance floor—with the exception, perhaps, of the barrelling "M13 + DPO." At times, it's fiercely contemporary—the grainy, flickering minimalism of "Next Exit" could have been lifted off Dettmann's latest record. Elsewhere, Moeller revisits trusted techno formulas, but with aplomb. The springy, wobbly ear-worm "Tricks Of The Shade" is classic, IDM-inflected techno. Likewise, closer "Goodbye" is a pretty confection of gauzy, levitating pads and percolating 808 patterns.
Storming Heaven doesn't do anything revelatory. It won't grab you by the throat. Instead, it's one of those curious albums that you may well listen to, come to love even, far more than you expected. Its quality is insidious.
Tracklist01. The Frequency Of Love
02. Next Exit
03. Guilty Pleasures
04. Tricks Of The Shade
05. Storming Heaven
06. Even If And Especially When
07. Deep Fried
08. Lost
09. Down The Rabbit Hole
10. M13 + DPO
11. Stepping Out
12. Goodbye
13. Destabilize (Digital bonus)
14. 77 (Digital bonus)