Ellen Allien's third album in as many years continues the interstellar motif of 2019's excellent
Alientronic, delivering another focused set of club tracks that explore sci-fi themes.
Allien's occasional vocals are processed, making her sound like an extraterrestrial, and the tracks give the impression that she's encountering Earth for the first time and learning to adapt to human culture through its music. "Hello Planet Earth (Breath Mix)" introduces the album with trance arpeggios and a half-tempo rhythm that booms outward from the center, creating a sensation of suspended motion. A more straightforward, full-velocity techno mix of the track appears later on, toward the end of the album. "In Music I Trust" is an affirmation of harmony with the universe, while other tracks seem to express disorientation, yet strive for understanding nonetheless. The jacked-up new wave techno of "Walking in the Dark" is one of the album's highlights, pogo'ing onward in hope for a better future. "Confusion" maintains this momentum, with furious arpeggios and wavy,
Orbital-esque melodic synths. "I Can't See You" is another dramatic attempt to reach across the barrier, and the weightless "Human" isn't so much a resolution as a tranquil resting point. The presence of the phrase "social distancing" seems to indicate a further layer of confusion when trying to come to terms with this strange earthling society. ~ Paul Simpson
