Seams – Quarters

The debut LP from James Welch, a Berlin-based British producer, moves beyond the understated tone of his previous work towards a more explicitly dancefloor-oriented approach. While the BPMs on Quarters are at the slower end of the 4/4 techno spectrum, Welch’s deft use of shuffling snares and high-hats generates an air of restless enthusiasm; and his ear for dreamy, Nathan Fake-esque melodies (particularly on Constants and Sitcom Apartment) also contributes to the record’s playful vitality.

Quarters has no pretensions to grandiose themes – Welch himself explains that he was not concerned with any ‘overarching concept’ in the process of composition – and each track feels self-contained, the realisation of a specific, isolated vision. As a result, the LP can feel slight, and lacking in narrative direction; yet it’s impressive in both its consistency, and its integration of a dancefloor sensibility with a characteristic emphasis on melody and texture.