Roger Van Lunteren is an artist of enviable experience. For more than two decades the dutchman has been developing and perfecting his sound. After his first steps on Heimelektro Ulm in 1999, Van Lunteren has shown his talents on labels like 030303, Diffuse Reality and Something Happening, Somewhere. It is this knowledge, and his musical craftsmanship, that Van Lunteren draws upon for his debut on FireScope: Future Wounds.
The EP is a veritable universe of delights. At either ends of the galaxy you’ll find two takes of the same piece. The textured “Stop (Sync In)” opens. Satellite bleeps bob on a flotsam and jetsam of pads as strings soar above hedged claps. “Stop (Original) flows in a beatless ambience, heady yet light and ephemeral. Coquettish and playful, “Spätzünder” is an altogether different entity. Dancing between braindance and house, this jam has all the spontaneity of a live track with flourishes of the silken-funk of Chicago. Clouds gather for “IRF4.” Haunted modulations and reel scratches lurk before a slow rhythm lumbers forth. Stalking through a moonless sky, the track is chillingly atmospheric with an undeniable lo-fi groove. Drums stagger and swell in the sweetness of “Coinc.” Bright and dreamy, the track cherry-picks from a spread of influences and sounds and is emblematic of the EP.
Future Wounds is a constellation of Roger Van Lunteren’s music. From cheerful and innocent to shadowy and subtle, this quintet is a cross-section of this artist’s abilities. Rich and infinitely varied, five tracks to explore and return to.