With this, his fourth solo album, Mika Vainio journeys through rather different musical terrain than in the past. Best known as one half of Pan Sonic, Vainio’s signature sound is that of his custom-made analogue synthesizers, with their incisive treble tones and penetrating sub-bass. Vainio opts for a less hermetic approach here, working in a more collagist manner using field recordings, the sound of crackling vinyl, and other non-synthetic sounds in addition to his trademark synths. As a result, this record lends itself less to the Arctic metaphors that are the lifeblood of any review of Vainio’s work. Thankfully, it retains the sense of foreboding, while adding a rich new vocabulary of sonic textures.