German electronic producer Hendrik Weber, known by his stage name Pantha Du Prince, is a man of many skills. He started off as part of the German minimal techno scene with lowkey danceable microhouse records like 2004’s Diamond Daze and 2010’s Black Noise. Both records are still exceptional to this day because of Weber’s talent for lively subtle progressions and vibrant metallic instrumentation and production that made his music pop with uniqueness. His 2013 collaboration with The Bell Factory saw them developing on that metallic sound while incorporating more elements of ambient. His next record The Triad took a quick step back from the ambient tendencies with more liberal house toons that never quite fully clicked with me personally, but was at least interesting especially with the ambient rereleases.

It should come with little surprise that after progressively tinkering with ambient that Pantha Du Prince has pursued further influences on his newest record Conference of Trees. The record is actually sandwiched by two 10+ minute full ambient tracks – the opener “Approach in a Breeze” and the closer “Lichtung”. Both feature a collection of deep, droning strings textured for a soothing sound. These two tracks have some really relaxing instrumental choices like metallic strings breaching the production and fluttering bells. I do wish “Approach in a Breeze” attempted more creativity in some places to push the atmosphere to an additional layer of intricacy like some of Weber’s past work. “Lichtung” does a better job with its greater layers of guitars including some paced plucking that creates a tensing progression that doesn’t destroy the tone.

Within Conference of Trees are tracks that push and pull from ambient while still embarking on microhouse and minimal techno. There is a great amount of interesting moments thrown into the tracks. The lingering basslines and low piano notes on “The Crown Territory” and “Supernova Space Time Drift”. “Silentium Larix” and “Pius in Tacet” feature spectacular cellos weaving throughout the beat making them easy tracks to zone out to and sway along. I even love the whirlwind of percussion and bells on “Transparent Tickle Shining Glace”. I wish “Roots Making Family” did better with its percussion though. They feel too sporadic and clunky and clash with the bells more than I’d prefer.

Conference of Trees is probably my favorite record from Pantha Du Prince since Black Noise, but seems to still falter from issues present on his last couple of records. Some of the tracks stay too stagnant and standard for too long losing enthralling characteristics like on “Holding the Oak” and “When We Talk”. Also a fair amount of the production and texturing on the drums feel stiff making them awkward within the free-flowing strings. That being said, there is still enough ponderous elements that are alluring. A few tracks aren’t brought down from these flaws, and the ones that are never fully lose enjoyability. Hendrik Weber is yet to recreate the wonderment of Diamond Daze and Black Noise, but Conference of Trees still serves as a quality representation of everything good about minimalistic electronic genres.

Favorite Tracks: “Transparent Tickle Shining Glace”; “The Crown Territory”; “Supernova Space Time Drift”; “Lichtung”

Rating: 7/10

Released: 03/06/2020

Label: Modern Recordings

Genres: Microhouse, Ambient, Minimal Techno, Drone

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