LP version. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Presented in spot varnish sleeve. The Shape of Things is a collaboration between John Foxx and electronic composer and synthesizer collector Benge (Ben Edwards). The latter is best known for his 2007 album Twenty Systems, which Brian Eno described as a brilliant contribution to the archeology of electronic music. The follow-up to their critically acclaimed Interplay album (META 028CD/LP, 2011), The Shape of Things was recorded and mixed at Benge's studio in London. Like Interplay, it's the sound of analog synthesizers and drum machines - and on one track feedbacking guitars played by John Foxx himself. There's a raw, experimental edge to much of the material on the album, which is linked together by a series of instrumentals. Although not overtly autobiographical, the tone of the songs is a lot more reflective and emotional than the duo's previous work. Many of the lyrics explore feelings of loss over opportunities and lovers missed - possible futures that remain unlived. Machines built decades before the album's creation conjure an atmospheric, rough-edged accompaniment for this set of feelings and atmospheres. It's both analog and forward-looking - echoes the past while remaining futuristic - a strange push and pull that mirrors the words perfectly. John Foxx formed Ultravox! In the '70s and has worked with a wide range of artists since including Brian Eno, Xeno & Oaklander, The Soft Moon, Krautrock producer Conny Plank, Paul Daley from Leftfield, Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie, and I, Robot (2004) director Alex Proyas.