Electronic DJ/producer/analog hardware maven Bill Converse steps farther back from the ledge on The Shape of Things to Come, a fulfilling, 68-minute meditation of (and dedication to) Midwestern techno and house. “Thank You” builds over the top of itself into a fresh, imminently danceable colossus of familiar, time-worn effects. Named after the artistic sobriquet of friend/unofficial creative partner Josh Vance, “Dorje Ngodup” sounds of conspiracy, menacing in its conspicuously sharpened synth edges and beat stabs. There’s a particular magic, not to mention a thin line, in tape processing – knowing when and where to stop or flourish. “Magnetic,” for example, begins as a bouncy banger, layered in melodic synths and involuting percussion. After ramping up to a pulsating ramble, like waking from an evolving dream, it tapers off into a comfortable stasis. Consider it The Shape of Things to Come.
This article appears in October 20 • 2017.
