A metal monolith of a door glides from the floor into the ceiling, and you step through the opening left in its absence. It’s dark, with a dim, solitary spotlight illuminating the words “GRAVEYARD OF TECHNOLOGY” on the wall opposite you. Containers adorned with plaques surround you completely. This is a mausoleum of steel, and you’ve heard that the tenants speak their stories to visitors. You walk to the middle of the room, close your eyes, and listen.

Surrender to the robots! Presentism is the newest full-length from Conforce, a producer that crafts and releases music at such an astonishing pace that he’ll probably have something new out by the time I finish writing this. The highly adept sound designer specializes in constructing aural landscapes that envelop the listener and invoke subtle, gradually evolving imagery over extensive periods of time. It’s truly entrancing stuff.

This captivating record is a deep dive into the shadier fringes of ambient techno, with pulsing, subterranean beats carrying the tapestries of twinkling, rhythmic synths. Some songs are more active than others, but each one illustrates a growing world with living (albeit still robotic) inhabitants. Melodies peak out from under veils and quickly plunge back into the shroud. The best descriptors are “lush,” “melancholic,” and “cinematic.”

Presentism is the concept that only events and entities that occur in the present exist, and this record successfully embodies that doctrine. These songs don’t force any specific emotion, but rather meander beautifully and leave space for the listener to examine every sonic detail, both major and miniscule. Not only does it sound great, but it also cleanses the mind. If you’re seeking subtly-expansive techno, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)