SOHN's new album Rennen means "running" in German and is inspired by his move from behind-the-scenes producer to center stage spotlight in the past two years. "I was running nonstop that whole time," he says, "it was this incredible blur of seeing the whole world all in one go. I was going from experience to experience to experience always saying yes, and that's just an incredible thing to put yourself through as a human."
This album throws respect to electronica no matter how skeptical you may be of the genre. It's an emotional whirlwind, with expert uses of synths that enter the ear canals and shoot down to the chest. It's so powerful that we don't know whether to dance or lay down. The opening track "Hard Liquor" begins like a heartbeat; a repetitious thump drops, louder and more all encompassing before vocals blast through. The song sprints in every direction—hitting up and down, punching side to side—but somehow its anxious quality is calming.
As the album continues, it gets slower and sleeker. The synths spin into transcendence on tracks like "Conrad" and "Signal," until the titular ballad. SOHN once again transforms his tone on "Rennen"— an almost classic ballad because really, he doesn't need the bass to sound amazing. No other track on the compilation so clearly showcases his stunning androgynous range with the highest notes to the lowest bellows.
Yes, SOHN's 2014 album, Tremors, was a wonderful debut. It was cool enough to earn him easy comparisons to James Blake. The collection was catchy enough to put him on a international tour, to get teens in flower crowns, and to singalong on the festival circuit. But his new album? This is so clearly 100% SOHN. This is fearless. This is art.
