Monokle – Saints

St. Petersburg-based producer Monokle's fifth album, his first for Ki, a boutique label set up in 2009, is a glorious trek through glitch, IDM and experimental electronica. From the opening synth-loops of Holt Found, through the warm, deep ambient breaks of Glow, to the minimal, house-influenced Even, he maintains an atmospheric, melodic grip on the listener, the beats slowly evolving to take in future-garage (Swan), frantic acid breakbeat (Arrows) transitioning into blissed out ambient, and chilled proto-trance (Embers).

The highlight of the album is a collaboration with singer Nadya Gritskevich, Slower, which begins with a minimal broken beat and washes of ambient noise, before transforming into a syncopated 2-step rhythm with washed-out synth tones, Gritskevich's reverb-drenched vocal like a less strident version of the soaring, emotive textures in Sarah McLachlan's electronic tracks. All-in-all this is a solid, inventive and richly rewarding release, each listen revealing deeper levels of intricacy in the production.