Quenum

Having been active in the electronic music scene since the 1980s, first as a DJ and then as a producer and label owner (he co-founded the Cadenza imprint with Luciano, among other endeavours), Philippe Quenum has had his hands full for some time. Perhaps that's why Face to Face is only his first full-length effort, following countless singles, EPs and compilation appearances. A showcase for the producer's eclectic taste in electronic music, this LP draws on a number of seemingly disparate subgenres, but ties them all together quite nicely. Opener "5 AM" draws on the pastoral electronica of folks like Four Tet, while "My People" revels in a sense of minimalism. There are a few bangers as well (the title track and neo-electro number "Basic Solution"), but they're fraught with an unusually nervous energy or self-awareness. It's as if Quenum is playing with his audience, giving us what he knows we want rather than what we think we need, and it's a successful strategy.