- Back in 2011, Todd L. Burns described The Invisible Insurrection, an album Sven Weisemann released under the name Desolate, as "among the best albums Burial never made," so similar was the aesthetic to William Bevan's sketchy, static-drenched sound. But while Burial instinctively heads for the darkened corners of any room, Weisemann, even at his most morose, can't help but gaze optimistically out the window. His latest LP, this time coming under his own name, feels like a further development of his work as Desolate, albeit housed within a brighter and more firmly structured framework.
If you only know Weisemann through his DJ sets, the languid pace of Inner Motions may come as something of a shock. For those who have been following his recent output on labels such as the über-laidback Essays, however, it will be no surprise that the LP deals more in the art of electronic tranquillity than in booming kicks and swung hi-hats. "Spectra" marks itself as an early contender for the album's best track. "Evolver" manages to balance low-end heft with a bank of synth washes so delicate they seem to dissolve when you pay too much attention to them. It's a talent of Weisemann's that he manages to inject such genuine feeling into his records—the final few minutes of "Planetary Nebula," for instance, are heartbreaking.
Space, and more specifically reverb, plays a big part in Inner Motions. Unskilled use of this most popular of effects can, in some instances, lead to a muddying grey-wash, overwhelming the production's more delicate parts, but Weisemann's hats are never less than razor sharp, punctuating the thick and gloomy swathes like fireflies dancing through woodsmoke.
Inner Motions shows the skill of a producer absolutely comfortable with his own artistic vision. Everything about the LP sounds unhurried, every sound given the time it needs to make its point without ever straying into self-indulgence. It's a beautiful, unique expression of dub techno that exceeds the sum of its unassuming parts.
Tracklist 01. Inner Motion (Initium)
02. D-Psalm
03. Spectra
04. Ridis (Embolium I)
05. Killiny Beach
06. Rejection
07. Plectra Sub (Embolium II)
08. Tikuma
09. Evolver
10. Planetary Nebula
11. Floatation Verb
12. Inner Sunset (Finis)