Ellen Allien: Dust (CD, BPitch Control, May 2010)

I'm always glad to see a new album from Ellen Allien come along, and although it took me a while to get around to buying this one, I'm glad I did. It's a more approachable record than 2008's Sool, perhaps most obviously reminiscent of her collaboration with Apparat, Orchestra Of Bubbles, in its warm melodies and gently glitchy beats. There are lots of vocals, all gently and sympathetically processed (see, vocoders needn't be instruments of torture). I can tell you just where this album got me: there's a bit on the first track, Our Utopie, where she sings "We count 1... 2... 3... And we're still here...", and there's something kind of magical about it. It's the kind of moment that makes me feel "I am in good hands, I can just settle back and enjoy the ride".

I bought this from Juno. They call it Minimal Tech/House.