Review Summary: Into the Great Wide Yonder proves that Trentmoller can expand on the sound he had perfected on The Last Resort with ease, and more importantly, can do so without sacrificing his ingenuity.
My first experience with minimal techno producer Trentemøller left me in awe. His melancholic debut
The Last Resort was able to strip me down to my base emotions, and oftentimes its underlying feeling of disconnect brought me to the place on the cover – a bleak, dead forest glazed in a smoky mist – evoking a calming state of despair and loneliness. Cards on the table, I was pretty baked at the time. The point is, you can really feel the passion behind Trentemøller's music, even though it was completely instrumental (sans some tracks on the second disc). He had no need for lyrics – the music itself was the journey, taking you through sensations of distress (‘Miss You’) or restless paranoia (‘Nightwalker’) without the need for words.
Into the Great Wide Yonder takes Trentmøller’s minimalistic approach and expands on it. Four of the ten tracks have vocals and repeating choruses are not uncommon, yet it manages to be just as atmospheric as its predecessor. Here, Trentmøller proves he can take listeners on a blissful aural experience through different and equally successful means.
The scope of influences on
Into the Great Wide Yonder are far broader than those on
The Last Resort. Trentmøller drifts from progressive house to minimal techno with ease, but the more experimental tracks here are the highlights. ‘Tide’ is reminiscent of what Interpol would sound like if they tried shoegaze, lavish ballad ‘Even Though You’re With a Girl’ would sound right at home on a mainstream interpretation of
Kid A, and vocal melodies on ‘Neverglade’ invite the comparison of The Beatles going electronica. While industrial progressions drive the first half of the album, the second is where most of the branching out takes place, the glitchy take on the Pulp Fiction theme ‘Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!!!’ being by far the most interesting of the bunch.
The Last Resort was brilliant for what it was, but here Trentmøller flaunts parts of his sound never heard before. It's is infectious but never shoddy; gripping and generously tasteful. Above all else,
Into the Great Wide Yonder proves that not only can Trentemøller expand on his already perfected sound with ease, but can do so without sacrificing his ingenuity.
