Sool

iTunes Review

Taking a leap from her reliable, fist-pumping techno beats to the world of ambience and art galleries, the slick and sometimes inscrutable Sool is quite a change for Berlin electronica artist Ellen Allien. Some fans may be put off by the stark, minimalist feel of many tracks here, but repeated listens often allow the pieces to open up and connect. Tracks like “Bim” and “Zauber” feel more playful, and slightly warmer, the more time you spend with them, and even quirky, experimental excursions — like “Sprung” and “Ondu” — become more engaging and less opaque. Synthesized embellishments such as twittering flutes, chattering castanets and meandering oboes are used with careful restraint, and encountering those small touches is half the fun. “Elphine” is engaging and almost sweet, but morphs toward the end to something darker, while “Caress” does the opposite, hinting at menace the first few minutes but lightening up with airborne synths and fairy-dust whooshes. Sool is certainly an interesting detour for Allien, and worth following as the artist chases her muse.