Superpitcher Here Comes Love

• Words: Philip Sherburne
• Label: Kompakt
• XLR8R Rating: /10

Superpitcher has long been Kompakt's secret weapon-the codeine in its cough syrup, if you will. His remixes for artists like Carsten Jost, Contriva, Dntel, and of course Quarks not only trump the originals but also have become some of the finest tracks in the entire gloom-pop canon. Not surprisingly, expectations are high for his debut album and by and large he delivers, despite a soft patch mid-way through where slow burners flare into torch songs. But on the rest of Here Comes Love, Superpitcher's strengths shine bright: chiming bell-tone highs, spongy lows, and a murky, back-masked midrange that sounds like it contains all the secrets of adolescent love. Techno's never been more winsome, or more wistful.