Perhaps in 2017 the most techno thing an artist can do is make music that isn’t even techno. Whether or not such a philosophy inspired Maceo Plex‘s latest album, Solar, it embodies a significant departure from the American DJ and producer’s signature sound.
Of the 11 songs on the effort, only “Sparks of Life” and “Lucid Dreamer” sound anything like typical Maceo Plex (whose actual name is Eric Estornel) singles. The remaining track list bounces from downtempo to ambient to synth wave to midtempo breaks. Lyrically rich top lines contributed by both male and female vocalists guide the listener along cerebral narrative, as do analogue synth melodies that manage to sound both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.
Solar, which Estornel named after his son, follows up a collection of songs titled Journey To Solar which came out at the end of last year. The seven tracks comprising the “prequel” were far more representative of the dark, brooding Maceo Plex style. Fittingly, they came out on his artist label, Ellum, whereas Solar arrived by way of his new imprint, Lone Romantic – which he hopes will provide a platform for more conceptual, experimental electronic music.
Solar is available for stream and download via Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Beatport and other services here.
