Hecq, aka Ben Lukas Boysen, hasn't been getting much love over the past few years. Originally an IDM project, Hecq released several cds on Hymen in recent memory, which mostly fell on deaf ears. His music was certainly well crafted and technically proficient, but the style he chose to occupy his musical ambitions was long past fashionable, and, as a result, his talents went largely unnoticed. But, a great musician is a great musician, regardless of the type of music he plays, so it was only a matter of time before Boysen would find himself in favorable lighting.

Nightfalls, his most recent release on Hymen Records, is an album that should put him on the radar for many music fans. The album sits in the dark ambient/slightly neo-classical territory that is well loved by followers of the Miasmah and Type labels. The beats are almost all removed, replaced now with with heavy, moody gothic undertones that are so tense you can literally cut them with a knife. As a German, we might liken Boysen's latest outing to that of Bersarin Quartett, minus the electronics, but, again, you'll find it's much more in line with the European school of Jacaszek, Elegi, et al. 

Boysen's new work is not for those with a case of attention deficit disorder, if it's not already clear. Nightfalls progresses slowly, loves its tonality, and doesn’t come packaged with a lot of melody. Melodies do appear, but stretched very thin over the sonic landscape, and generally in the form of classical instrumentation (strings, piano, etc). Synths are processed so finely that it at times becomes difficult to tell the difference between instruments. The high shrills could be from a manipulated string instrument, or just a synthesizer trying really hard to sound like it's a real boy. Regardless, Boysen takes all of these elements and fashions them into his own sound during Nightfalls. Odds and ends emerge from a powerful ambient core, and that core is the backbone of the album that appears on every track, unifies the work, and gives it a glacial pace.

Highlights of the album include the surprisingly romantic title track, the synergistic "Never Leave," the minimal "Bending Time," the twisted "Come Home," and the thrilling closer, "I Am You." Each brings something different to the table, a different emotional investment, and all are pulled off smoothly while still furthering the development of the overarching album. "Nightfalls" is a lighter track, one that is not yet as effected by Hecq's general darkness, but "Never Leave" immediately plunges into the shadows. From there it's mostly a dark adventure, up until "I Am You," which pokes its head through the clouds and brings some optimism back into the scenery. The closer is truly a delightful track, something that's worth the album's cost all by itself. "Bending Time" is the most soundtrack oriented of all the pieces (for the most part Boysen -- thankfully -- avoids the soundtrack sub-niche), but it does sound great and is wonderfully included after the first third of the album; "Red Sky" attempts a similar trick near the end, but isn't as successful. Which leaves "Come Home" as the midpoint of the album, and it's likely the most engaging, energetic track offered by Boysen on this outing. An interesting blend of digital and found sound, it's sure to get repeated visits. 

If there's one thing I can call the album out on, it's that, with the exception of "I Am You," the second half of the album is underdeveloped when compared to the first. Some might mistake the album for being too long, but at just over an hour's length, I can't see any reason why it needs to be cut back. The last few tracks muck around without a whole lot of purpose, or simply kind of wander off the main theme. Some of the very last tracks begin to pull from the Tim Hecker school of sound, which isn't exactly the most complementary to the first half of the disc. I do believe Boysen prematurely begins to work on his follow-up to Nightfalls near the end, which undercuts the power of the album itself. In any case, Nightfalls gets a strong recommendation, and if "I Am You" is any evidence, the next release will be even better.

-Lee Whitefield