When De/Vision released Noob 3 years ago, I was frankly underwhelmed. There were several pretty good songs on that album, but it never really connected with me, emotionally, lyrically or on any other level. It just didn’t strike me as one of their stronger efforts, even after numerous listens.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I started listening to Popgefahr last week. It contains a variety of well-written songs that combine the best elements of De/Vision and take them to a whole new level. Many of the songs stick in your head long after listening to them – the mark of great musicianship!

Production is very strong; every element is precision engineered and feels like it belongs there – always just enough, but never too much. Yet the arrangements are never sterile. Instead, they come to life with a variety of layered sounds, electronic beeps and playful textures – the band’s website characterizes their new sound as “feisty” and “flirtatious,” with a hint of danger, and I couldn’t agree more.

In addition, Steffen’s smooth, confident vocals bring an added layer of warmth to the arrangements on Popgefahr – which vary from moody ballads to infectious and rhythmic dance-floor fillers. This awesome selection of songs is strong proof that De/Vision made a great move by starting its own record label and producing Popgefahr on its own. This creative freedom has helped Steffen and Thomas to breathe new life into the trademark De/Vision sound.

Favorite tracks include the edgy single, “Rage,” the beautiful and moody “What’s Love All About” and the mid-tempo “Time to be Alive,” which is an aural masterpiece – you literally won’t be able to sit still when you listen to it. It’s throbbing rhythm instantly had me bobbing my head in time to the song’s insistent beat. “Plastic Heart” and “Ready to Die” are more traditional De/Vision numbers, while “Until the End of Time” is an amazing, ethereal song that is a powerful conclusion this excellent album.

My only minor complaint is that I wish there was more; De/Vision’s new album only contains 10 songs, but they are an excellent selection. In my opinion, Popgefahr is easily one of the best new synthpop albums of 2010, and is certainly De/Vision’s best release in many years. If you’ve ever admired their music, then you’ll definitely want to add Popgefahr to your synthpop collection!

Fast-forward to 2009. I recently read an article that focused on music applications for the iPhone, and it mentioned a Pandora player for this platform. So I decided to give it another try. I created two Pandora radio stations, one using the music of De/vision as a starting point, and the other one, Neuroactive. To my pleasant surprise, I discovered that Pandora now contains a surprising variety of synthpop music! The Neuroactive station played several early songs by this Finnish group that I had never heard of before. This channel also played several other intriguing music choices. The De/vision channel played songs by Iris and, not surprisingly, several tracks from Depeche Mode.

While I haven’t been able to devote a lot of time to spend listening to my new Pandora music channels, I am very impressed with what I’ve heard so far. One of the great joys of my life is discovering new electronic songs and artists, as well as obscure tracks and remixes from some of my favorite artists. It looks like Pandora will be a very cool tool for continuing to expand my musical frontiers. Two thumbs way up!

• De/vision – Does German synthpop get any better than this?
• Foretaste – An obscure French group that has put out two remarkable CDs
• Mesh – We Collide is their best CD yet. I can’t wait for what’s next!
• Rupesh Cartel – This group from Sweden features great vocals and incredible synth instrumentation. They have a unique but very engaging style!
• Marsheaux – These two s from Greece are a little more on the poppy side, but display an amazing knack for writing songs that stick in your brain and play over and over. Great stuff!