Without fail, Monolake albums offer cutting-edge sound design and production techniques: any release with Robert Henke’s name on it guarantees echt German technology in the service of cavern deep dubby techno in the vaunted Chain Reaction tradition. But Monolake‘s sixth album, Polygon-Cities, lightens his usual tenebrous approach and even brings in prettily pastoral melodies and amiably chugging beats a la ’70s synth-meisters Cluster. Henke’s sonic palette is impeccable as always, but a certain predictability is creeping into his approach. While Monolake‘s music’s is still more interesting than 98 percent of his peers’, he seems to have plateaued. No matter-Monolake‘s plateaus top most artists‘ peaks.