Tim Hecker: Harmony in Ultraviolet

Label: Kranky

Another breathtaking album from one of electronica’s true giants, Harmony in Ultraviolet, the sixth proper solo record from Tim Hecker, dazzles on numerous levels. It’s an electronic album, to be sure, but Hecker deconstructs like never before, using laptops, guitars, synthesizers and various undetectable instruments to create a glorious flow of sound. But melodies do occasionally emerge; the brilliant “Chimera,” revolving around a catchy snyth riff, has shades of pop and classical. Elsewhere the album is a pure sonic journey, with enough drone and noise to please a few Boris fans out there and moments of real quiet and beauty. Harmony in Ultraviolet has a more organic sound that Hecker’s previous records, less dependant on glitches and more interested in realizing the true potential in music in today’s digital world. One of the great electronic albums of the year.