This German DJ/composer works in what he calls "neoclassic electro". I'm assuming his notion of "classic electro" is Tangerine Dream, so I'll go along with that.

Koltbach Orange People (Slowtrane)

The four tracks here clock in at around six or seven minutes. They're quietly propulsive, the sort of stuff that keeps the quiet metronome in your mind clicking along. The chilldown mood is delicious.

The beats and melodies are simple, and Koltbach arranges them in ways that bring out their best sides. Place these same bits and pieces in the hand of a lesser artist, and there's just a bowl of goo. Koltbach has conjured up worlds.

If you're looking for music to focus your mind, this is one set that will do the trick. Orange People travels down many roads, but they all end up at their destination. Very few meditative works are this engaging. Lovely stuff.

Jon Worley