Lucy & Klock: War Lullaby (Stroboscopic Artefacts)

Stroboscopic boss Lucy teams up with Berlin techno fixture Ben Klock for this sterling collaborative four-track EP. The opening cut is aptly titled, a serene and spacey ambient number that sets the stage for what’s to follow. “War Lullaby” is leaner and meaner, starting off quietly before finally dropping a thick 4/4 kick to complement its persistent, undulating synth patterns. Eventually crisper and sharper sounds come into play as additional accents, but by and large this is minimal techno at its leanest and best.

That bleeds into the dark mystique of “Santeria,” though the beat all but fully drops out for large portions of the track, a nice late night burner. “A Ghost Lovestory” is an eerie epilogue that works as another ambient bookend to the two techno cuts, a nice diversion that not only gives the release a conceptual flow that’s both grim and haunting but also sidesteps expectations by not only playing to their respective strengths but also by being unafraid to break the formula with complete ambience.

Buy it: Stroboscopic Artefacts | Boomkat | iTunes | Amazon