The Triad is Pantha du Prince's fourth full-length for alternative institution Rough Trade (including a remix album and 2013's collaboration with the Bell Laboratory), but in some ways, it reflects the German techno producer's indie rock influences more than his previous releases. Vocals have a greater presence than before, and dreamy guitars even make a few appearances. It still sounds unmistakably like Pantha du Prince, however, with lean, steady beats framing the producer's signature crystalline melodies. The album is so ...
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The Triad is Pantha du Prince's fourth full-length for alternative institution Rough Trade (including a remix album and 2013's collaboration with the Bell Laboratory), but in some ways, it reflects the German techno producer's indie rock influences more than his previous releases. Vocals have a greater presence than before, and dreamy guitars even make a few appearances. It still sounds unmistakably like Pantha du Prince, however, with lean, steady beats framing the producer's signature crystalline melodies. The album is so named because it was actually conceived as a group effort, with Scott Mou (aka Queens) and the Bell Laboratory's Bendik Kjeldsberg co-conspiring with PdP's Hendrik Weber. Mou adds his airy, sighing vocals to two songs, including first single "The Winter Hymn," and they fit the music like a glove. Weber sings on several of the songs as well, and his vocals recall Karl Hyde's more restrained moments. Ultimately, his songs speak just as loudly and clearly without vocals. "You What? Euphoria!" is every bit as ecstatic as its title, with sparkling steelpan melodies reminiscent of Plaid dancing around a cheerful beat. "Lichterschmaus" inhabits similar territory, with another early IDM-sounding melody complementing the clapping beat, and a hint of darkness and tension creeping into the track by its end. Weber does away with beats entirely on the album's concluding song, "Wallflower for Pale Saints," which faithfully pays homage to Ian Masters' oft-overlooked 4AD-signed dream pop group, with drifting vocals, gentle guitars, and clattering delay effects. The Triad is an expansion of Pantha du Prince's otherworldly sound into a more human realm, but it still maintains its ethereal, magical qualities. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi
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