The Trentemoller Chronicles

Having first built up his considerable reputation through singles and remixes over the years and topping that off with his well-received The Last Resort album, Trentemoller took a retrospective look at things with the two-disc Trentemoller Chronicles, split between his own mix of various individual releases, including some new songs and a wide number of remixes. Given that some fans felt The Last Resort suffered from a familiar problem in techno -- less of the inventive edge of a good mix in the moment, extended explorations that went on a bit too long -- this collection serves as a good contrast of the man at his stellar best. On the first disc, new tracks include "Klodsmajor," with a brief piano loop first used and then chopped up a bit around a slowly mutating, tense glitch rhythm, a good live version of the frenetic/serene "Snowflake" and the beautiful "Blood in the Streets," a chilled, quietly majestic number that suggests the soundtrack-ready scope of In the Nursery. The one remix that appears on the first disc, of Klovner's "McKlaren," is a fine addition, with a breathtaking moment where he takes out almost everything but an increasingly higher-pitched synth note before easing back into the heavily echoed pulse of the song. The remixes collected on the second disc provide a handy take both on Trentemoller's way around the art -- often adding more space and echo to busier arrangements -- and recent dance music as a whole. Royskopp's "What Else Is There?" and Robyn's wonderfully trashy "Konichiwa Bitches" go through excellent transformations in particular. Meanwhile, giving a sense of how time really has passed, Moby's "Go" appears towards the end in what must now be its umpteenth remix. ~ Ned Raggett