Ellen Allien, 'Sool' (Bpitch Control)

Mixing found sounds, slinky beats, and a touch of romance.

Blippy but biofueled, this Berlin DJ/producer's latest opens amid voices of field-recorded commuters and staccato keyboard ("Einsteigen") before segueing into the ingenious "Caress," which, among myriad stomping beats, features 3-D Ping-Pong-ball percussion. "Its" shares DNA with the creepy, cerebral funk of early Talking Heads, but about the time inevitable minimal techno ennui begins to set in, Allien uncorks "Frieda," an unabashedly soulful song about her grandmother that sails past arresting into breathtaking. Seductive and smartly sequenced, Sool serves up electronica with a human face and a beating heart.

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