According to Bandcamp, the album is described as "The dark electronic solo project of Heike Langhans. She adds, "The solo album I have been promising for so long is finally done. After more than a decade of unfinished demos and other obligations, I bring you "Peace by Proxy," a 10-track offering from the heart. Cloak of Stars" is the first cut. What strikes me immediately is her voice. It's gentle, perfectly pitched, and it works very well with the bed of electronics that make up much of the song. The song also has a deep emotional quality to it…as if she is lamenting the memory of something. "Black Widow" is admittedly darker and sharper, as the title suggested. The spider will lay in wait until just the right time to poison their victim, and the music reflects this dangerous quality.

"Exogenesis" is the hypothesis that life on Earth originated elsewhere in the universe and was transported here. It's a stark theory, and the music upholds it with darkness and with mystery. Each synth note pulses like the electromagnetic field of the universe. "Oneiro" features heavy bass notes, that seem to be void of feeling. In contrast with the vocals, it creates a duality that heightens your sense of your surroundings. "Passive Resistance" hears the fragile vocals turn almost dreamy, and with each bar, you begin to question if your ears are playing tricks on you, or if you really heard them properly. The music catches up slowly, but when it kicks into gear, it slides forward like a well-oiled machine.

"Drive" is more determined, and some might even call it tenacious. The backing tones are thick, strong, and create a protective shell around the vocals. It's kind of neat how she builds the sound into towers. The title track has a little more sonority, and she also uses space and ambiance very well. The 80's backdrop is very evident in the music, but it doesn't hijack the sound. "Opaline Tears" closes the album. Opaline describes something resembling an opal…milky, white, or iridescent with a play of colors. It's a gentle song but at the same time, so expansive. "Can you forgive me," she begs, as the tears stream down her face. It's this level of emotion that makes the album as special as it is.

"Peace by Proxy" is the kind of album that you melt into a listener. Despite the coldness that the synths provide as a backdrop for the vocals, Heike's vocals are the opposite: warm, gentle, and smooth. These two things should not be able to occupy the same sound on an album, due to their stark contrast, yet they do, and they do so well. The longer I spend with the album, the warmer it gets for me.