Copenhagen-based Theo Nicola Anker has different sides to his musical output. But with Lord of the Magi, he shakes off stylistic concerns to focus on a purer emotional expression. It’s an instinctive paean to the pastoral life he grew up with, sent with love from his city-centre apartment. His chosen tools – guitars, pedals, synths – are the medium of the message.

Earlier works under the name Paxton Fettel appeared on labels like Great Cottage Workshop, where you could spy his affinity for jazzy musicianship and atmospheric pools of ambient production. On Soul Exchange, the dominant swathes of soft-attack and slow-release chords can be intercepted by pointed flurries of guitar, or even the sparse hiccup of a kick-shaped percussive pulse. From piece to piece, a different story is told – the result of Anker’s investigations into beatless production, manifested as a cohesive body of work.

On his upcoming album Soul Exchange, the overarching mood is an inviting, becalming one, but there’s plenty of space for melancholy and even a little friction. That’s apparent in the natural synergy of the organic and electronic elements as much as the emotional content, rounding out as a wholesome, holistic listening experience. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.