A masterclass in ambient music. Wolfgang Voigt’s work as Gas is beautifully mechanic with the gentlest human touch. Pop was the fourth in a series of longform ambient excursions released on the Mille Plateaux label, now reissued in full on Voigt’s own imprint, the esteemed Kompakt label. Voigt builds 7 distinct worlds here, fully fleshed out with what sounds like AI-reconstructed false memories of rustling trees (“Pop 1,” “Pop 2”), insect microcosms nestled beneath chaotic urban hellscapes (“Pop 3,” “Pop 5”), church bells caught in time warp reverberating ad infinitum (“Pop 4”), trusting his audience enough to toss them into the middle of each one and assume they can find their way out. Sophisticated, terrestrial, heartbreakingly gorgeous. One full consumption of this record with the sleeve in your hands makes all these modern day tote bag & dad hat-clad ‘ambient’ producers look and sound like total buffoons. This 180g 3LP edition is the first vinyl reissue in 20 years (unless you count the dreadful-sounding version that came in the Gas boxset a couple years ago; we don’t) and it sounds fantastic. Recommended.

• black triple vinyl pressing
  
• originally released in 2000
• limited edition
• digital download included
• music label: Kompakt 2019
  

reviewed by naffi sandwich 01/2020