A Sole Game

Redshape’s third album is shaped a little like the subterranean Berlin club nights where the masked producer plays his enveloping live sets. The synths have the same burnished gleam as on his previous albums, but the grooves are straighter than The Dance Paradox’s breaks and more consistently uptempo than on Square. The first three tracks set the dusky mood; things kick into gear with the string plucks and stabbing keys of “Pursuit,” and the tension heightens with “November Island,” where video-game bleeps ping over an ominous pedal tone. The sound of rainfall weighs on the already heavy mood, but Redshape can be lighthearted too: The nimble bass melody of “Ghosts” is punctuated by a playful whisper (“spooky!”), while the climactic “Future Shape” closes with winkingly retro-futuristic effects.