This third full-length CD by Berlin DJ Paul van Dyk fits the gently melodic dance music that’s flourishing in the Rhineland, where DJs like Timo Maas, Monika Kruse, and Anthony Rother have created a warm, romantic rewrite of classic techno. If anything, Van Dyk’s romanticism is even gentler — he shuns the deep, full beats that most techno romanticists have imported into their sound from New York house music. At times ("Step Right On," "Words"), he creates a flighty, even giddy electro-pop reminiscent of Italian electronica, and on "We Are Alive," the CD’s opener, and "Tell Me Why," which features London’s St. Etienne, he incorporates transparent female vocals into his sound. Most often, however, he presents purely instrumental atmospherics supported by sensuous beats and lush but small electronic riffs. It’s a dreamy world of rapid rushes, repetitive licks, and stress-free rhythm breaks in which the dancers find themselves relaxing at high speed — a magic-carpet ride, whether the theme is puffed-up ("Together We Will Conquer"), giddy ("A Magical Moment"), or childlike ("For an Angel," a title that fits the entire disc).
(Paul van Dyk spins at Avalon tonight, February 20. Call 617-262-2424.)