Zero Gold

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Belgian producer Benoit Franquet makes his debut under the project name Pole Folder with the luxurious downtempo electronica of Zero Gold. Little if any new stylistic ground is broken on this album, which is all slow beats, chilly electronic textures, and occasional sweet female vocals. The spacious, subtle arrangements betray an ambient influence, but these songs are poppy in the sense that Air's best material is: Franquet doesn't appear to be attempting any kind of mainstream crossover, but the catchy, obsessively repeated chorus in "Scared to Lose" would be immediately appealing even to someone who doesn't normally listen to this brand of sleek electronica, and Shelly Harland's Sarah Cracknell-like lead vocals on the tuneful "Fall in Violet" are equally memorable. Even more traditional instrumentals like the twitchy, unsettling "Morning Crow" have subtle but effective hooks. Zero Gold is that rare downtempo album that not only makes appealing background listening, but repays closer attention as well.