A Series Of Shocks CD

Given his relatively high productivity, it's something of a surprise to find that A Series of Shocks is Tobias Freund's first solo album since 2011. Happily, this return to longtime home Ostgut Ton is impressive. Beginning with the beatless melodic pulse of the Steve Reich-influenced "Entire", Freund works his way through a range of clandestine techno compositions, touching on claustrophobic acid and intense late night thump ("Testcard", "Ya Po"), scratchy Chicago jack ("Instant"), deeper moods ("The Scheme of Things") and, most thrillingly, early '90s influenced intelligent techno. It's in these moments - "If" and tactile ambient breaks of "Cursor Item Only" - that A Series of Shocks really flies.