Lawrence is the main pseudonym of Peter M. Kersten, a German producer of downcast techno and ambient house who also goes by the moniker Sten. As with the material from a fair amount of his contemporaries, the division between Lawrence's rhythms and textures was often a blurry one, though he gradually embraced a cleaner sound with a broader instrumental palette. Clearly inspired by the likes of Larry Heard and Theo Parrish, Lawrence's output nonetheless maintained a unique touch and mood that mirrored the grayscale graphic design in which it tended to be presented. He first received acclaim for expressive, atmospheric techno albums like 2003's The Absence of Blight, and has steadily released full-lengths ranging from the more beat-driven (2016's Yoyogi Park) to the weightless (2021's Birds on the Playground, the Music for Plants series).