Applescal

Pascal Terstappen (AKA Applescal - having a pseudo cryptic moniker in electronic music circles is a bit like breathing) is an Amsterdam native who's been building his artistic reputation in a gauche, slightly  haphazard way for a few years, previously releasing three albums which have drawn praise from heavyweight luminaries such as Laurent Garnier.

Having established himself as a producer keen to flout conventions, Dreaming In Key arrives as his self-proclaimed masterpiece. Patrolling much of the same territory as James Holden or in places of the post shoegazer Ulrich Schnauss, it's a record that favours subtlety over ornament, as diverse and quietly uplifting as anything the genre is likely to produce this year.  

This may be a slight contradiction in terms but, as 'With The Sea' proves, the layers of cascading, almost orchestral melodies are full of vibrancy, optimism almost, but manage to never stray into overpowering. It's the sound of Terstappen bridging a gap between the techno and psychedelic, white noise worlds, one which he repeats to similar degrees of success on 'Brightly Coloured Wings' and the elegiac, titular closer.

Continue reading: Applescal - Dreaming In Key Album Review