Lawrence aka Sten: New Beatport chart and album on the way

Lawrence aka Sten: New Beatport chart and album on the way

11 September, 2008 | 8.01AM

• Written by: Lee Smith
• Filed under: Music News: peter kersten, sten

Fans of deeper, classically-styled techno have had a pretty good year so far, with stunning albums from Shed, Move D & Benjamin Brunn, and Lee Jones certain to figure highly in numerous year-end polls.

In a few weeks’ time, it may well be that ‘The Essence’, the forthcoming full-length offering from Sten (aka Peter Kersten, aka Lawrence), joins them.

Ahead of the album’s release, Sten’s contributed a typically sublime Top Ten to the Beatport charts - check it out after the jump.

Fittingly, Hamburg’s Peter Kersten used to be a gardener - as anyone who’s immersed themselves in his work for labels like Kompakt, Ladomat or his own Dial will know, Kersten’s sound exudes a richly organic, natural charm, in stark contrast to the bleak blippery of much contemporary techno.

Under his Lawrence moniker, Kersten has released three highly-praised albums (2002’s ‘Lawrence’ on Ladomat, 2003’s ‘Absence of Blight’ on Dial, and 2005’s ‘The Night Will Last Forever’ on Novamute), honing a distinctive melancholic style that owes as much to the romantic inclinations of classic Detroit as it does to the cleanly polished surfaces of modern minimalism.

Meanwhile, Kersten’s Sten project is generally home to the straighter, club-focused end of his style, as evidenced on the 2004 album ‘Leaving The Frantic’.

Unusual for such a talented producer, Lawrence is equally acclaimed as a DJ, spinning a peerless blend of old and new music with an unwavering commitment to quality over trendiness.

We’re lucky enough to have heard the new Sten album in its entirety, and while it’s very much in the patented Sten/Lawrence style, it’s still an absolute treat for anyone who likes their techno laced with a generous shot of sophisticated deepness.

You can listen to the album’s first single, ‘Way To The Stars’, by following the link below, or for a taste of the Lawrence/Sten DJ flavour, check out his gorgeous chart in the player.

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• Get 'Way To The Stars' on Beatport