When Jonas Bering followed up Bienfait a few months after release with the Emballages 12", it was apparent that the Frenchman was beginning to develop a thicker, fuller, more dance-oriented sound -- a sound that was also beginning to shed the inspirations that were previously perceptible to a fault. This progression continued up to the release of Sketches for the Next Season; another pair of Kompakt twelves -- including Normandie, one of the label's best of 2003 -- along with an excellent release for Logarythm (as En:no) and a contribution to Sentrall's Drive the Five series ("Down to Big Sur," a shuffle-tech track on par with the best Schaffelfieber entries) all paved the way. With the exception of "Normandie 1," Sketches for the Next Season is made up from all-new material, and though its formatting lends itself to home listening, it's a lot more likely to induce bodily movements than Bienfait. Once upon a time, Bering's basslines were deliberate and perceptible, if not all that substantial when placed in a club context. The basslines here are lithe and chunky at once, making his earliest tracks seem hollow by comparison. Dub still plays a very significant factor, but instead of emphasizing the use of space and all of the psychedelic elements that can swarm within it, Bering allows the bottom-heavy accents to take over. The album maintains a level consistency, to the point where there are neither huge standout moments nor any low points. After a couple plays, it becomes somewhat apparent that the album is of two halves, with the more aggressive material eating up the first half. The second half sees Bering retreating a little to softer tones, with "Wissant" being a particularly gorgeous moment that evokes the spirit of a cloudless, midwinter day. Unfortunately, the sawing abrasion of "Out to Out" was chosen to close the album, disrupting a mood that would've been idyllically capped off by "Normandie 1."
© Andy Kellman /TiVo