Lorenzo Senni: Superimpositions (Boomkat Direct)

Lorenzo Senni’s latest album of synth-based excursions starts off in style with “Happic,” a rousing, bright, galaxy of sparkling arps, an infectious and squirmy journey that remains on point from start to finish. “Elegant, and never tiring” follows it with more of a repetitive hook, again sparkling with brightness before paring down to a strong, full-bodied series of syncopated chord stabs, alternating between clearer passages and busier ones. These are curious, luminous gems, and in many cases they could almost eventually become anthems if given a more full-bodied arrangement with rhythm and bass. But thankfully Senni doesn’t honor that temptation, and these sound more unique and interesting to me as a result. The anthemic quality does occasionally shine through against the odds, especially on the intoxicating title track. It’s a powerful combo juxtaposed against “Forever Headline,” which starts off delicately before bursting into a similarly bright, sparkling arrangement of staccato arpeggios. And if it sounds good on speakers, wait until you hear it on headphones — this is pretty intense, cerebral, journey-taking listening, hypnotic and cyclical and yet on its own far-off trajectory, where my mind wanders and explores new places.

Despite limiting himself to his synth for all of these arrangements, there is often a really handsome morphing of the sound through timbre, filter, octave, and depth that gives these pieces a broader range than one might anticipate. It’s in these middle tracks that Superimpositions really excels, though all tracks are consistently good. “PointillistiC” emphasizes the stabbier staccato treatment with a more patient tempo and finite delay, sort of an epilogue to the more buzzing energy that precedes. it’s a fantastic album from an unlikely source (Boomkat is more of a distributor than a label, considering they operate Modern Love as the latter typically), very highly recommended — a favorite of mine this year.

Buy it: Boomkat