You sit in darkness, surrounded by metal on the ocean floor. You stare at a sonar display for what seems like days, awaiting the most minuscule indication of nearby life. Suddenly, a blip appears on the screen, accompanied by a hollow PING sound. Something is drawing closer, and it looks colossal on the display. Fifty yards away. The walls of the submarine begin to vibrate. Twenty yards away. You hear distant, watery melodies. It’s on top of you now . . .

Acid-techno is a perplexing genre for a couple of reasons. For unseasoned listeners, the squiggly, slightly fuzzy melodies, and the meditative pace at which many compositions progress can be off-putting initially. The subtlety of the style requires close examination and a focused mind. Meditations/Industry is the newest full-length from Texan producer and veteran within the acid/techno tape-swapping community, Bill Converse.

This collection of tracks was compiled from straight-to-tape recordings created at the producer’s home studio, and there’s an organic quality to each of them. Converse steadily builds towers of aqueous synths and techno rhythms, fitting each moving piece perfectly within the overall instrumentals. Each melody is compelling, and every element works in tandem to form something that’s both captivating and zen-inducing.

The environments that Converse conceives of are vibrant, and they cradle listeners in a cushiony embrace that’s effortless to submit to. It’s stunningly graceful in its fluid progression from song to song, in a way that’s rare to find any type of music, let alone techno. Lastly, it’s able to be enjoyed as either a focused listening experience, or as a gorgeous backdrop. If you’re seeking effervescent acid-techno, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)