- Colin De La Plante doesn't come across as someone trying to present grandiose artistic statements to the world. Since the early '00s the Canadian-born, Berlin-based producer has been cruising the highways and byways of modern house and techno with oddball, disco-inflected jams loaded with wry samples and a certain indefinable flair. In a way he's quite similar to Luke Vibert—continuously prolific and choosing to have fun rather than straining to make high-concept music. His third album as The Mole, De La Planet, arrives nine years after his first, and it doesn't feel like much has changed. The tempos and structures of past jams are compatible with most of the tracks on his latest LP. When artists stay in one spot it can lead to stagnation, but De La Plante's instinct for the unusual keeps things interesting.
Granted, some material feels a little disposable. The "Drums & Bass Mix" of "Going With The Hat Man" is a functional tool that has no place on an album, not least with the far more interesting original four tracks earlier. "One-Sided Fool"'s techy beat is proficient but middle-of-the-road. In terms of club tracks, The Mole should instead stand for strange and distinctive moments like "He Frank." The metallic clank of the percussion, subtle flecks of acid bass and layers of sampled texture all make for an album standout, and the result is as DJ-friendly as it gets.
There's also plenty of space for less floor-focused moments. "Soft Translation" is a slower trip through unnerving reverbs, dusty beats and looming synth swells. "So What, Don't You" gets even lower in the BPMs as the fug of heavily processed samples gets thicker. "Time Out" provides another highlight via sumptuous lounge keys and limber drum programming. Timbres like these perfectly suit De La Plante's MO. There's little on this album that will surprise longtime followers, but for those that dig his approach that shouldn't be a problem.
Tracklist01. Harmony Day
02. Going With The Hat Man
03. Braineater Returns
04. He Frank
05. One-Sided Fool
06. Going With The Hat Man (Drums & Bass Mix)
07. Sandwich Time Is Coming
08. Soft Translation
09. So What, Don't You
10. River Highways Intro
11. Time Out
12. Mods In The Living Room