Ellen Allien - Sool

Ellen Allien seems to have learned a few tricks from her collaboration with Apparat; on her new album _Sool_, she eschews the club-oriented in favor of a lighter, more IDM-focused sound. That's not to say that the beats aren't there, but on "Caress," they're certainly more subdued beneath the quasi-industrial surface. "Sprung" is similarly quiet, though it has more propulsion; the laser beam robot wars of "Its," even moreso. She also embrace a less-is-more philosophy: "Bim" wears its sparseness on its sleeve, while "Zauber" has an almost classical feel with its lone clarinet. _Sool_ also sees Allien branching out: "Elphine" engages in some spaced-out funk, while "Frieda" could almost be a pop song. Some interesting new directions for Ellen Allien.