Anja Schneider

There are many movers and shakers in Berlin’s continuously magnetic dance/electronic scene. But few—save techno queen Ellen Allien, perhaps— have roots as deep as DJ/producer Anja Schneider, who’s been doing a weekly radio show for eight years and running the stylish and tasteful tech-house label mobilee (home to Sebo K and Pan-Pot) for three years, and serving as resident for clubs Watergate and Weekend. Now, Schneider should finally get her due—as she’s managed to find the time to release a slinky and sly solo debut.

Schneider coolly has her way with the territory between the poles of ghostly house beats and bare minimalism without sacrificing danceability or head-tripping abstraction. It never quite goes off the rails; rather, tracks such as “Little Red Riding Hood” are content to be both ominous and infectious. The title track, “Beyond the Valley,” itself recalls both acid classics and the sparse restraint of the Kompakt school of beats. Like “Belize,” it feels lightly wrapped in tropical patterns—dashed with beach-party percussion. Elsewhere, forlorn synths buzz, melodies begin to emerge then skip away and belllike tones bounce along like fireflies in the night. The Laurie Anderson–referencing “Fishing at Night” doesn’t quite jell— but for the most part, Beyond the Valley achieves a rare combination of lightness and depth.