Title: Black Noise
Artist: Pantha du Prince
Label: Rough Trade
Released: 9 February 2010
In one word: Lucid

The pace of life seems to get faster all the time, as the modern age becomes more modern with each new day, and we are forced to keep pace with it all. We hustle, we bustle, we tweet, we download. We push the needle, we touch base, we hit the ground running. Everything is on-demand; especially you. So what happens if you want to unplug yourself from the Matrix and, you know, unwind…exhale…breathe? Expediting yourself into total isolation would be a drastic solution, but short of exiting civilization permanently, temporary respite odysseys can be found for 70 minutes at a time with the chill-out sensation that is Black Noise.

Black Noise, the third album from German electronic producer Pantha Du Prince, is a record of soma-like proportions in its ability to transport you into a wake induced lucid dream. The production of the record is so flawless that the ambient sounds inspired by house, shoegaze and trance all merge together seamlessly, and at at times its hard to tell if certain elements are actual outside ambient noise or part of the mix – that’s how natural it all sounds. The vibe and pace of the album is just so mellow and relaxing. A beautiful record.

© Brian Banks, Music Vice