Tracking Neil O'Connor's progress as Somadrone over the past few years has been a lesson in how a musician achieves a slow, steady progress in terms of creative outlook. The fourth album from the producer (who is also a member of The Redneck Manifesto), The First Wave is a lush, accomplished, beautifully rendered set of synth soundscapes that pull you back time and time again. Bests, for example, is a stunning example of O'Connor's particular slo-mo, slackery, lunar electronica, a track that reminds you of early synth adventurers who have passed this way before, yet also has a very modern sheen. Elsewhere, the hypnotic title track and the lush stuttering momentum of Nocturnes and Striding on Rhyme showcase the full expanse of O'Connor's gameplan. An album of smartly considered minor-key dramas. iamsomadrone.com
Download: Bests, The First Wave