Lawrence: Lowlights From the Past and Future

Previously available in Japan only, this hodgepodge/primer from Hamburg’s Lawrence (real name Peter M. Kersten) showcases his dreamy, “minimal” house music. With a few previously-issued singles here, a few rarities there, a few Lawrence remixes of other folks’ tracks, and a handful of new tunes, it holds together pretty darn well. Lawrence’s sound — mellow keyboards; delicate, twinkling embellishments; and lots of space and echo — has remained consistent over the five years since his debut, making this sound more like a studio album than a compilation. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is very pretty and well-constructed, especially string-laden remixes of Superpitcher’s “Happiness” and Turner’s “My Aeroplane Mania”. Of the Kersten-penned material, the hissing, Detroit-inspired hi-hats of “Lowlights From the Past” provide a new wrinkle. With some electronica, you can’t always hear the thought and emotion that went into making it. Not so here.