As trends have come and gone over the past few years, it has dawned on me that Larry Heard must be considered one of the most influential figures in music of the past two decades. It’s hard to imagine Radiohead’s “OK Computer” or “Kid A,” Massive Attack’s “Blue Lines” or Bjork’s “Debut” without the influence of Mr. Fingers, who pioneered the art of wringing melancholy out of machinery.

To those who follow dance music, Heard is a founding father, one of a loose group of self-taught beat heads from Chicago’s South Side who tinkered with newfangled synthesizers and drum machines to create the austere club sound of house music. He’s also something of a pop Van Gogh: ahead of his time, underappreciated commercially, dicked around by a major label after the success of house acts like Technotronic and Yello gave way to hip-hop-influenced new jack swing at the dawn of the ’90s.

Chastened by his brush with Big Entertainment, Heard made his mark by defying expectations. While house remained mostly a singles- and tracks-based genre, he released full-length albums throughout the ’90s. As “electronica” went mainstream in that decade, he slipped away from music for a while, even leaving behind his native Chicago to start a new life in Memphis.

“Soundtrack from the Duality Double-Play” is Heard’s latest LP, released under his Loosefingers moniker on Trackmode Recordings. It’s a perfect blend of his two sides: mournful midtempo soul on the first half, hypnotic acid bangers on the second. Maybe he was influenced by the acid-house boomlet of the past year or so, but in any case, it’s refreshing to hear the master get tweaky again on the 303.

I’ve included “Lamentations” because it seems to bind the album’s two disparate sounds. The classic Roland percussion sounds construct a driving groove, but a grand piano and synth lead keep the track grounded in the heart. It’s as if Heard is reminding us that although the dancefloor offers a release from life’s troubles, waking up dawns another day — and another struggle.

Purchase high-quality mp3s here. Get the CD here or here.

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