Paris-based DJ/producer Laurent Garnier is known the world over as a master blender of all things techno and house. The artist’s fourth studio album, “The Cloud Making Machine,” finds him eschewing his signature peak-hour beats and dancefloor rhythms for primarily ambient sounds—with rock and jazz flourishes. Will it surprise ardent fans? Probably not, as they have been enjoying Garnier’s ambient embellishments for years. Of course, a winning musical statement like this one—particularly such tracks as “Barbiturik Blues,” “Jeux d’Enfants” and more traditional fare like “Controlling the House Pt. 2″—is poised to introduce Garnier to a much larger audience. These clouds are little and fluffy. Beautiful, too.—MP