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Lawrence

Lowlights From the Past and Future

(Mule Electronic; US: 5 Jun 2007; UK: Available as import; Japan release date: 10 Jun 2006)

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.

Rating:

John Bergstrom has been writing various reviews and features for PopMatters since 2004. He has been a music fanatic at least since he and a couple friends put together The Rock Group Dictionary in third grade (although he now admits that giving Pat Benatar the title of "first good female rocker" was probably a mistake). He has done freelance writing for Trouser Pressonline, Milwaukee's Shepherd Express, and the late Milk magazine and website. He currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife and two kids, both of whom are very good dancers.


Related Articles
3 Feb 2010
Lawrence doesn't cast his creepy spells on Until Then, Goodbye nearly as much as one might wish, but his softer side is almost as nice.
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