Drøn. Just by looking at the band’s name, you can probably guess that Drøn are an IDM act. And somehow the fact that they come from Germany—or at least not from Scandinavia—as well. After all, German electronic artists have a particular fondness for the letter »ø«. It seems to convey a sense of the alien, the unfamiliar, and the technological sterility that often characterises the genre. Drøn embody all of these qualities, delivering classic intelligent dance music that is reminiscent of the turn of the millennium. The trio’s debut album »Parsec« was released in 2000. Now, with »Numerator«, they’ve compiled 13 previously unheard tracks from over two decades of production.
The title track perfectly captures the essence of the »D« in IDM, opening with a slowed-down Unit Moebius-esque vibe before morphing into a Boards of Canada-inspired soundscape, complete with vocal snippets and uplifting pads, taking the listener on an interstellar journey. »Tektite« bursts in with a relentless thump, echoing the non-stop beat of Brothomstates’ 2001 classic »Mdrmx«. But don’t let their references fool you into thinking that Christoph Abert, Frederik Dahlke and Ingo Zobel have simply cobbled together their sound from borrowed influences. Almost every track exudes individuality, robustness and urgency. While Drøn often orchestrate their compositions with a deliberately bumpy start, they quickly settle into brittle yet endearing grooves.
