Album “Reviews”

Skid Row by James Ferraro

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

James Ferraro - Skid Row

It’s 1992. You sprint down a sidewalk through the streets of Los Angeles, raucous with the noise of revolt. You sidestep around a burning pile of debris just as it falls from a higher floor and smashes into the ground directly in front of you. You enter your apartment building and quickly scale the stairs to your floor. You slam the door behind you and turn on the TV. You blink, and you’re floating in front of a wall of TVs in a dark room. They turn on, one by one . . .

Los Angeles. It’s a city with layers upon layers of disparate culture woven together in an abstract collage, and its dark, potent history provides the foundation for this artist’s record. Skid Row is the newest full-length from New York-native, LA-transplant James Ferraro. The highly adept producer is equal parts experimental singer-songwriter and collagist dot-connector, and paints a beautifully charred portrait of the perplexing city.

These experimental compositions are stitched together with samples of LA’s bleak past, a time filled with harrowing news reports detailing corruption and riots. These choice historical glimpses provide a concrete narrative that threads through Ferraro’s otherworldly, funk-tinged instrumentation, while his distinctly dreary voice recites lyrical mantras that drip like molasses. It’s sonically inventive and eerily captivating throughout.

This record comes at an ideal moment. Amidst the current state of racial tension and police violence in our country, it has the space to illuminate and warn of the potential for history to repeat itself. Between the scenes of discord, however, the teeming life of the city lurks. These tracks are menacingly gorgeous, just like the home that inspired its creation. If you’re seeking conceptual, collagist experimentalism, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Skid Row by James Ferraro

Nothing by Kode9

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Kode9 - Nothing

You slam the door behind you, separating your soaked body from the relentless downpour outside. It’s pitch dark, but you soon find a switch after fumbling your hand along the wall. The massive room is cast in sterile, white light, illuminating a multitude of stainless steel tools and glass containers upon long tables. It’s a laboratory of some sort, but for what purpose? The containers begin to fill with potent, multicolored liquids, and the tools come to life . . .

Nothing. It’s a concept that’s difficult to grasp, and imagining it as inspiration for the creation of music is entirely perplexing. However, it is the common thread that ties this gorgeously heartbreaking record together. Nothing is the newest full-length from producer and Hyperdub label head Steve Goodman, under his Kode9 moniker. Hyperdub has always flourished with electronic innovation, and Goodman follows suit.

The spirit of The Spaceape, Goodman’s longtime collaborator, permeates throughout these tracks and even materializes for a posthumous feature on “Third Ear Transmission.” Goodman honors the recently deceased poet by constructing otherworldly, rhythmically intricate techno and footwork that’s ripe with melancholic melodies and cavernous space for the late wordsmith’s soul to silently inhabit.

The most powerful statement arrives at the very end, in the form of the album’s closer, “Nothing Lasts Forever.” Acting as a modern update to John Cage’s classic “4’33”,” the 11-minute song drifts in the clamor of silence, awash with fuzzy static and faint hints of everyday activity. It’s the purest form of “nothing,” and a beautiful tribute to a friend. If you’re seeking progressive, melancholic techno and footwork, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Nothing by Kode9

Asperities by Julia Kent

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Julia Kent - Asperities

You sit in a theater, completely alone in total darkness. A grey counter descending from 5 flickers onto the screen. After the number 1 disappears, everything is black once again. You are then shown a tranquil image of a pastoral meadow in vibrant color. The scenery steadily fades to black and white, and a hooded man steps out from behind one of the trees in the distance. He coldly stares for a long while, and begins slowly walking towards you . . . 

The cello is a magical instrument. Its timbre and deeply beautiful tone are timeless, and it’s often utilized to emphasize the emotional intensity in compositions, but what happens when an artist constructs an album with the instrument as its centerpiece? Asperities is the newest full-length from Canadian cellist and producer Julia Kent. On this record, the frequent collaborator has found her own unique sound.

Kent weaves tapestries of delicate electronics and enveloping field samples that wrap around her entrancing, suspense-inducing cello performances. Any one of these songs could score a horror film with the best of ’em, but only the scenes where the sense of dread hangs heavy in the frigid air. There are no jump-scares on this ride, but the menacing, beautifully overwhelming tension will have you aching for the jolt of relief.

The symphonic musician has long accompanied and supported the artistic narratives of acts such as Antony and the Johnsons and Rasputina, but Kent has used this record as an opportunity to emerge from the ensemble haze and into the solo artist limelight. Classical music is very much alive and well, and it lives within talented virtuosos such as this. If you’re seeking menacingly atmospheric, symphonic music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Asperities by Julia Kent

A City Remembrancer by Shape Worship

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Shape Worship - A City Remembrancer

Layers of vibrant color vibrate and undulate before you. The seemingly random patterns formed by their movement are dizzying, yet you feel fully at peace within the picturesque tides of sound. For a moment the disparate images line up to form a face, noticeably content even without a smile, only to dissipate as suddenly as it materialized. The ethereal fog consumes you for a long while, until the haze forms a road leading to a town. You walk down it . . .

Inspiration can be found just about anywhere, and where better than a region that revolutionized a sizable portion of diverse electronic genres? A City Remembrancer is the debut full-length from producer Ed Gillett as Shape Worship. Gillett has meticulously crafted an expansive, emotionally ripe journey through the UK’s past, present, and future via electronic experimentalism of the most beautifully organic variety.

The record plays like a spiritual tour of the sounds that the UK birthed. The tracks fluidly delve through feather-light grime, mechanical techno, hazy jungle, and otherworldly dub, all immersed in tranquil ambience. Contorted samples of spoken-word testimonials from London’s residents haunt the lush instrumentation and ground the songs in concrete memories. It’s a deeply affecting listening experience throughout.

Eviction for the purpose of new development is infamously known as “decanting” in the UK, and the displacement that results from it forms this record’s underlying core; it’s about the bittersweet sensation of ushering in newness and the sacrifices that are made in its wake, in London and everywhere. Records with this much significance deserve to be celebrated. If you’re seeking ethereal, expansive electronics, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

A City Remembrancer by Shape Worship

Communion by Rabit

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Rabit - Communion

You walk along the black, cragged earth. It’s dark, and all around you is desolate nothingness. The sky is devoid of stars, yet a faint luminescent glow allows you to vaguely see your surroundings. You are alone, more alone than anyone has ever been. The ground shakes, and a large fissure slashes across the earth in front of you. The two halves divide, expelling the roars of countless terrors. You trip and grasp the cliff edge, before falling into the abyss . . .

Caution: this record is not for the faint of heart or those looking for a euphonious, easy-listening experience. There are dark things lurking and thrashing about in this music, things only those possessing thick skin and a thirst for violently captivating exploration should seek. Communion is the newest full-length from Texan producer Eric Burton under his Rabit moniker. If you’re still reading, I commend you for your bravery.

Journeying through this album is akin to exploring a haunted house, where each door contains unknown, unspeakable horrors. There are components of grime — distorted 808s, rapid-fire samples, dismantled rhythms — and distinct tinges of industrial in the minor-key, sickly beautiful melodies, but this beast is of a totally unique species. It’s a harrowing adventure and it knocks you around, but it’s one that you won’t soon forget.

This music embodies the definition of polarizing; there isn’t a trace of mainstream appeal to be found, but the innovation in composition and conceptualization is incredibly potent. If you’re the right type of person, this record might be your favorite release of the year. At the very least, you’ll exit the experience with a new chill down your spine. If you’re seeking frightening, experimental electronics, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Communion by Rabit

Sold Out by DJ Paypal

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DJ Paypal - Sold Out

You’re walking on a busy sidewalk surrounded by massive skyscrapers, while a storm of industrial sounds and exchanged conversations barrage your ears as indiscernible swarms. You see someone wave to you from a window. You wave back. She shouts “hello!” but the sound is only expelled from her lips as a glowing orb. You blink. You now stand in front of a towering piece of machinery. Orbs begin floating into the machine, and it is brought to life . . .

Footwork is a recently conceived genre, birthed in the 1980s Chicago underground and pioneered by producer R.P. Boo as an evolution of the “juke” style. The rhythmically dense sound was initially spawned to compliment the chaotic, rapid-fire feet movement of footwork dancers, but a select few progressives are infusing it with new artistry. Sold Out is the newest release from anonymous artist and Teklife crew member DJ Paypal.

Innovators such as Machinedrum and the late DJ Rashad made huge strides in bringing the genre to wider audiences with startlingly coherent albums, but never before has footwork sounded so progressive and fleshed out. Paypal slices and contorts a myriad of jazz, soul, hip-hop, African, and Latin samples into lengthy, intricate compositions that show off the producer’s creativity, drum-programming skills, and playful tendencies.

As with most Teklife releases, this is a family affair. Global crew members DJ Earl, DJ Taye, Feloneezy, and Jackie Dagger jump aboard to contribute stellar collaborations, but the biggest leap in genre mutation arrives on “Say Goodbye,” an ethereal slow-burner featuring Keiska and Tielsie that embodies the beautiful future of the communal style. If you’re seeking progressive, globally influenced footwork, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Sold Out by DJ Paypal

Garden Of Delete by Oneohtrix Point Never

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Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden Of Delete

A large metal door slides into the ceiling, expelling a metallic tone that echoes through the dark chamber. A light flashes on, illuminating a gargantuan piece of machinery adorned with a CRT screen. You walk until you stand directly in front of the massive reflective surface. It sparks to life, and you are shown overwhelming images of the unknown. Vivid, grotesque, indescribable beauty canvases the screen. Your eyes are locked. You can’t look away  . . .

Experimentalism is what makes the evolution of sound so exciting, but where does an artist go after they’ve proven across multiple records that they’re light years away from everyone else in terms of genre classification? Refine the melodies and journey further down the rabbit hole, of course. Garden Of Delete is the newest full-length from producer, musician, and composer Daniel Lopatin, AKA Oneohtrix Point Never.

Lopatin is a mastermind when it comes to studio wizardry, and he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to his experimental song structures and enveloping sound design. Otherworldly vocals, cavernous ambience, rapid synth melodies, breakneck percussion, and a myriad of contorted samples weave together to form abstract compositions that captivate, frighten, and perplex with strange, staggering beauty.

This is the artist’s weirdest record in a vast catalog of weird creations, but it’s also his most entrancing, funniest, most coherent and realized, and most likely to gain an audience outside of his long-time devotees. These tracks possess an energy never before seen on a previous Lopatin record, an energy that resonates with the bizarre in all of us. If you’re seeking experimental, otherworldly electronics, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Garden Of Delete by Oneohtrix Point Never

Art Angels by Grimes

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Grimes - Art Angels

You open your eyes. You’re floating upwards through the air, while all around you time is frozen. You pass through pillowy clouds and emerge into the light of a full moon and endless stars. You ascend further, somehow protected from the natural elements, until your home planet below appears minuscule. You slowly lose momentum and come to a halt. All is quiet. The stars surrounding you begin to shine brighter, and project melodies from other worlds . . .

It’s here. It’s finally here; my most anticipated release of 2015, and it just might be my favorite record of this year that also happens to contain my favorite song of the year. Is that enough gushing for ya’ll? Art Angels is the newest full-length from the illustrious Claire Elise Boucher, under her Grimes moniker. She’s sealed her fate with this one, because from now on her phone will be ringing off the hook with songwriting offers.

This is Boucher’s opus; fourteen perfect songs filled with euphoric melodies and upbeat, dance floor-dominating rhythms, each more irresistible than the last. It’s undoubtably pop music, but it’s a new species of pop entirely conceived by the uniquely creative mind and talents of Boucher. There are a multitude of ear worm hooks spread across this entrancing record, and they’re all accompanied by lush, subtly intricate instrumentation.

The record contains “Flesh without Blood,” 2015’s songwriting peak in my opinion. The composition encompasses Boucher’s unparalleled vision for her sound, and it stands as a firm testament of the talent of female artists and their ability to take control of the pop landscape without aid from male counterparts. It’s the most fun release of the year, and the most authentic. If you’re seeking euphonious, progressive pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Art Angels by Grimes

Elaenia by Floating Points

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Floating Points - Elaenia

You step off the crowded dance floor and stumble out into the club’s back alley, ears ringing profusely. The downpour must have ceased recently. Every surface glistens with a reflective sheen, and the smell of damp asphalt hangs heavy in the air. A man enters one end of the narrow corridor and begins walking towards you. You call out, with no response. He’s close. Your body tenses with fear. He passes directly through you, and continues walking . . .

Jazz is a genre that thrived with innovation throughout the 20th century, and retreated from mainstream appeal near its end to exist on the fringes of music taste. Cue the 21st century and the widespread permeation of electronic instrumentation, which lends itself perfectly to jazz experimentalism, and the genre’s reborn. Elaenia is the newest full-length from Floating Points, helmed by UK producer, DJ, and musician Sam Shepard.

This is one of the most sonically dynamic records I’ve ever encountered. It spans the divide between sparse, whispered ethereality and colossal storms of intricately woven guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard, all dwelling within a dreamy, gorgeously atmospheric world. This is jazz improvisation, electronic composition, and progressive ambience coming together seamlessly to create something entirely new and captivating.

Much of this record is so quiet that one might question whether or not their listening device is defective. There are subtleties that only reveal themselves when one consciously blocks out all else and commits to a focused listening. Sam Shepard is a compelling artist, and his Floating Points project is evidence that electronics breed innovation. If you’re seeking ambient, electronic-influenced jazz, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Elaenia by Floating Points

Bad Neighbor by MED, Blu, & Madlib

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MED, Blu, & Madlib - Bad Neighbor

You duck under low-hanging objects that droop into the shady alley through which you walk. You’ve been following the faint sound of a beat that thumps through the frigid night, and you’ve finally arrived at a large metal door. You knock upon it, but the beat continues and there is no response. You knock again, much more loudly this time, and the beat stops. The door slides open to reveal a circle of people surrounding one individual, all passing a mic . . .

I can’t be the only one that feels a tinge of hesitance upon seeing a tracklist stuffed with featured artists. What if there’s a weak link? What if the vocal performances don’t mesh with the music? Fortunately, this record laughs at these concerns. Bad Neighbor is the newest collaborative full-length from rappers MED and Blu, and legendary hip-hop producer Madlib. This album is a party, and all of their talented friends are invited.

Madlib can simply do no wrong. These trunk-rattling instrumentals are stacked with the studio warlock’s trademark funk influence, sample-contortions, and woozy rhythms, and each is custom-built to suit the unique flows of MED, Blu, and a plethora of choice guests, including Anderson .Paak, Aloe Blacc, Dâm-Funk, MF Doom, Mayer Hawthorne, and more. It’s the conceptual, recorded equivalent of the most epic cipher session ever.

There’s a vital message tucked within this seemingly casual listening experience, and it’s just that; there’s nothing wrong with “casual,” because some of the most brilliant sparks of genius are ignited in low-pressure environments. Madlib plays the role of chemist, and his ability to catalyze disparate elements to form artful coherence is masterful. If you’re seeking loose-flowing, intricately produced hip-hop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Bad Neighbor by MED, Blu, & Madlib