With and Without

Though Future 3's members have continued to work together under a variety of guises, the Danish electronic trio hasn't released music under its flagship banner since 2011's Like the Future 3. As with any band coming out of a 13-year hiatus, much has changed for Anders Remmer, Thomas Knak, and Jesper Skaaning, a concept they acknowledge on their long-awaited fourth album, 2014's With & Without. Fans who continued to follow the trio members into the 2000s saw them branch out in a number of directions, from their dub side project System to their more song-oriented material under the name People Press Play, as well as numerous solo releases. The coolly Nordic ambient/chillout that initially brought them acclaim in the '90s has been replaced here by a mix of song-based collaborations with guest vocalists (the "With" half of the album) and highly inventive instrumental electronica ("Without") that is more melodic and experimental than any of their previous offerings. With & Without opens with a pair of moody, snowy-landscaped tracks featuring American singer/songwriter Benoît Pioulard that resemble a sort of guitar-less, shoegazing Bibio. These are followed by three tracks featuring Danish singer Anja T. Lahrmann from the space pop band Ice Cream Cathedral. Brighter in tone, these strange, shimmering tracks reflect Lahrmann's dulcet vocals, with the lovely "Roller Coasters" acting as the album's best shot at a pop single. With & Without's second half consists of seven meandering pieces that showcase different aspects of Future 3's brave new world. From the gorgeous ambience of "Fair" and "Return" to the skittering beats and smoky guitar of "Camphor," the band reinvents itself for the modern age, showing that the lengthy break was well worth it for the chance to reignite Future 3's creative impulses.