Contradictions

One of the first enterprising young musicians to take advantage of the new home-recording technologies of the late 1970s, Thomas Leer was a bedsit Eno, crafting increasingly complex synthscapes and techno recordings, with hushed, introverted vocals, danceable if synthetic beats, and a light soul feel that injected a dose of humanity into the blips, bleeps, and loops. This collection from 1982 catches Leer on a creative upswing, with a more fleshed-out sound (guitars, horns) than on his first singles. Reissued in 2008, this important recording deserves a second listen.