- The last solo album by Pantha Du Prince, Black Noise, was a lush expanse of Hendrik Weber's gorgeous minimal techno. It was all but a contemporary classic when it arrived in 2010, though it had one flaw: the Panda Bear-featuring "Stick To My Side." Weber's rich and rhythmic soundscape didn't work with a pop-leaning singer, who didn't complement the music so much as cramp its style.
Weber refines his approach to vocals on "The Winter Hymn," the title track of his new EP and the lead single from upcoming album The Triad. Dial-affiliated artist Scott Mou, AKA Queens, laces his voice through the majestic ambiance, twinkling chimes and thick, textured beat, his wispy falsetto mixed just low enough to be both discernible and unobtrusive. The effect it has on Weber's production, however, is ultimately superficial, like a puff of glitter punctuating a magician's reveal. As with "Stick To My Side," the instrumentation and sound design of "The Winter Hymn" might have soared without the vocal.
Two lengthy minimal tracks fill out the rest of The Winter Hymn. At nearly 11 minutes, "Post Human Palisades" relies too heavily on Weber's meandering jam session with Kassian and Bendik. Their wonky FX and punch drunk low-end make for a heady groove at first, but the energy plateaus after a midpoint breakdown and fails to find its stride again. "Dream Yourself Awake (Long Version)," on the other hand, does a better job with pace, gradually working itself into a whorl of funky bass notes and snappy drum machines. But there's a catch: Weber himself hops on the mic seven minutes in, and his flat baritone muddies the otherwise pristine mix. Thankfully, a wash of angelic harmony soon drowns him out, once again placing the focus solely on the blissful music.
TracklistA1 The Winter Hymn feat. Queens
A2 Post Human Palisades feat. Kassian & Bendik
B1 Dream Yourself Awake (Long Version)