Into the Great Wide Yonder

デンマークより極上のエレクトロニカ / アンビエントに眩しいサウンド・スケープを乗せて、シューゲイザー×フォー・テットな音を響かせるTRENTEMOLLER。その実力は自国は勿論、世界規模で支持されています。今回世界のTRENTEMOLLERになるキッカケとなった2010年作『INTO THE GREAT WIDE YONDER』が再発!

徹底的な作りこみとダイナミクスに富む本作は、その後のTRENTEMOLLER作品で基盤となった要素の1つ。中でも”Shades Of Marble”はクラブ・ミュージックの秩序も感じさせるグルーヴィーさとストイックさが迸るこの時期ならではなアレンジ! 横ノリと荘厳さが両立した本作でTRENTEMOLLERワールドに入って行きましょう。

Anders Trentemoller got started making albums fairly late in his career, following several years of singles released during the early 90s. His second full-length comes almost five years after his first one (The Last Resort, 2006) and after a couple of compilations and DJ mix projects. Into the Great Wide Yonder gives the impression of someone who is still searching for his own personal sound, and is willing to explore just about any musical avenue to find it. The results are predictably unpredictable, and mostly pretty enjoyable: "The Mash and the Fury" is spacious and dark, with guitars that alternately twang and splatter against a mottled gray musical background; "…Even Though Youre with Another Girl" is spooky but quite lovely, with marimba, queasy sonic effects, and guest vocals by Josephine Philip; "Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!!!" is a weird sort of science fiction surf instrumental; and "Haxam" features, believe it or not, a theremin. Those are some of the highlights on the program. Tracks that maintain the listeners interest less consistently include "Past the Beginning of the End," with its messy and eerie sound that ends up coming across as simply poorly constructed, and the OK-but-not-worth-six-minutes-of-ones-life "Sycamore Feeling." Theres a pervasive mood of 1950s-style science fiction here: lots of ah-ah-ah vocals, kettle drums, twangy guitars, and that charming theremin. Nothing on the album is less than pleasant, but only about half of it will really make most listeners sit up and take notice; however, as electronica projects go, thats not a bad batting average. ~ Rick Anderson