The Last Resort LP

Amazon shows the picture of the 2 disc set, with the two sets of tracklistings on the back, but doesn't list it as the limited edition, or say it's 2 discs, so the initial release which came with the bonus disc may have sold through. I would make sure you seek out the limited with the second disc, or you are missing out on a full repoertoire of Trentemøller tracks.

The first disc is "The Album" and contains mostly tracks that stray from what we are used to from Trentemøller: mindwarping minimal. I'd say there are 3 that fans will warm up to right away, Nightwalker, Chameleon, and Into the Trees (Serenetti Part 3), as these closely resemble the minimal vibes from his previous work. Into the Trees continuing the variant melody of what was Serenetti and Serenetti Part 2. What we do find here is a solid blend of abstract and ambient minimal, expertly crafted into smooth scapes of electronica, that really requires the listener to pay attention. It certainly takes more than one listen, as upon my first play of the album, I was a little less than impressed, but quickly hooked by the 2nd time around. There is a lot more emotion and beauty in these tracks, which isn't necessarily found in the casual listens you could escape with in his other work. His tech house monster riffs required no part on the listener's mind, to fully engulf that body shaking sound, however you have to forget all that and finely tune your senses to this album.

Of course, this can all be chucked out the window with the second disc, as it's back to the churning tech house and minimal which made us all flock to Trentemøller in the first place. It contains nearly all of his previous singles released on the Audiomatique and Poker Flat labels. Sadly, one of my favorites was left off, Minimal Fox. Still, this 11 track disc, amazingly doubles as a 'best of' and a back catalogue, as nearly all his tracks end up becoming high end representations of the genre. Add on two excellent vocal versions of two album tracks, and you have a perfect bonus disc from start to finish.

The album itself is near perfect, except for the one track that annoyed me when it was first released, and much to my dismay, ended up on the album in the number 2 spot. It's called Vamp and was initially released on his Nam Nam E.P. along with Nam Nam and Killer Kat (both found on the second disc). It is a bass guitar chugging track that in my mind, goes nowhere. Barring that, from the epic first track which seems to just hit it's peak near the 7 minute mark, to the lullaby dreamscape of his final track, Miss You, it's apparent that we've just listened to a monumental electronic album by a Danish master of melodies. His new downtempo and ambient works require a little more warming up to, but once you're there, it's a blanket of music you just can't take off.

I was turned onto Trentemøller through my interest in house music, having it described to me as a cutting edge electro-house cd. Really, "The Last Resort" is a far more minimal, downtempo electronic affair, with greater emphasis on ambience and atmospherics rather than thumping house beats. Most of the songs showcase a sophisticated writing approach that goes beyond basic build-up play. Instead, the songs have an overt progressive structuring to them, shown especially with the sublime opener "Take Me Into Your Skin". The song starts with lifting ambient sounds, with textures gradually building to what I imagined to be a huge beat drop, but instead the ground gives way to a surprising anti-drop, a minimal beat driven by a heavy base, sounding as if you've just been plunged underwater. The song twists and turns as it re-builds steam, showcasing a deft touch for textures and layering, and a use of very organic sounds that forges a quite natural, dream-like atmosphere (this is a recurrent effect throughout the album). Gradually this builds to the final climax of a thunderous half-time full-on electro assault. The rest of the album tends to follow suit with this progressive styling, with most songs fashioning varying dynamics and sequences.

One aspect of the album I particularly enjoyed was the use of acoustic instruments. Being a guitarist and drummer myself, I always enjoy good use of acoustic sounds in electronic music. Two songs predominantly stick out for this, the first being the wondrous title track. The song evolves around a fast, swirling finger-plucked classical guitar part that is paired with a down tempo trip-hop beat, making for a trippy, trance-like groove. "Into The Trees (Serenetti Part 3)" builds its way through baselines and textural themes until it breaks down into acoustic drumming. A drum roll/march steadily builds as layers are added behind the mix, lifting the volume until a blistering drop is unleashed. This is one of the few moments on the album that showcases more traditional electro-house styling, and it works magnificently. The drumming is carried on throughout as the volume levels begin to drop and the song returns to the minimal electro groove.

Trentemøller has created a fresh sounding, exciting sound with "The Last Resort". This has become one of my favourite electronica releases in recent years. Highly recommended.

The debut effort from Danish DJ Anders Trentemøller is actually a bit of style-change for him. He is most known for his amazing remixes of various artist like Moby and Röyksopp, but his talent shines through on this album.

The Last Resort is a complete album, every song seemes to belong and the mood is just amazing. Put it on when you need to chill out, when you're making dinner, when you're chatting up your girlfriend. This could very well be the perfect soundtrack of our lives...

Every one of the stars is deserved one hundrede percent. Buy this album, you will not be disappointed!!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 29 reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars