Consumed

In 1998, techno dissolved into the shadows. Where Richie Hawtin’s first two Plastikman albums stripped acid to its essentials, <i>Consumed</i> renders minimalism in smudgy charcoal. Tempos crawl, beats skulk and the pitch-black atmosphere is almost oppressive, with kick drums bathed in suffocating reverb. “Cor Ten” moves like a slug painting iridescent trails across a sooty dancefloor; “Contain” and “Consume” balance eerie synth bleats with weary strings, yielding a sombre take on sci-fi. “Consumed” is the closest things get to traditional techno, but it’s rendered wispy as a dandelion tuft, waiting to blow away at any moment.