Album “Reviews”

Hunch Music by Hunee

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Hunee - Hunch Music

You’re in an aircraft above a desolate planet covered in jilted machinery, now consumed by lush greenery. You’re only here to observe the sprawling ruins with your small crew, yet you can’t shake the feeling that life exists somewhere down there. It’s quiet, but you become aware of a steady pulse vibrating through your entire body, growing progressively louder and more vigorous. This planet is alive, and the sounds of the forests and machines are dancing . . .

Creating dance music is an art form; it requires an ear for meticulous detail, and the imaginative know-how to make something that’s both interesting and elicits movement. Hunch Music is the debut full-length from DJ/producer Hun Choi, aka Hunee. Choi has spent the better part of a decade in Berlin honing and refining his skills as a dancefloor expert, and this new record exemplifies his mastery over the groove.

This is house, but only in the loose foundational sense of it hanging within the 120-130bpm window and riding four-on-the-floor kicks that pulse underneath a world of unique instrumentation. The music isn’t flashy or experimental for the sake of being strange, but it innovates in fresh new ways and doesn’t confine itself to any specific template. It’s the most “free”-sounding dance music I’ve heard in quite a while.

It’s also one of the most beautifully paced records that’s come out this year. Each song materializes from subtly-introduced rhythms and unfolds into blissful, club-primed maximalism. The most captivating moments may be found in the final three-song stretch, where Choi delves into hypnotic, classical and jazz-influenced ambience. If you’re seeking lively, intricately composed house music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Hunch Music by Hunee

DEATH MAGIC by HEALTH

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HEALTH - DEATH MAGIC

You float high above the jagged earth in a metal ship. Black clouds canvas the sky above you, dumping torrents of rain onto the ground below. Many other ships similar to yours twinkle in the darkness, and tear the land into segments with vicious beams of energy. The world is being dismembered and auctioned off to the wealthiest buyers in the galaxy, and you have first-row seats to the destruction of the planet. You watch, and listen to the chaotic beauty . . .

Forgive me for gushing, but this is a record I’ve been greatly anticipating. I’m pleased to report that it has scaled, and exceeded my mountainous expectations. DEATH MAGIC is the newest release from HEALTH, an L.A.-based band of noise enthusiasts and pioneers in the pursuit of merging aggressive dissonance and melodic consonance. This is their first proper full-length album in half a decade, and it’s well worth the agonizing wait.

HEALTH have always dabbled in pop melodicism, but never to the extent that they do on this marvelously catchy record. Jacob Duzsik’s velvety singing echoes through industrial electronic instrumentation, evoking a unique dichotomy between vibrant life and formulaic mechanics. These are colossal, percussive, pristinely produced songs that will delight their long-time devotees, and the new coat of polish will draw many new ones.

There’s also a distinct enhancement in the band’s danceability category. “FLESH WORLD (UK)” blasts out of the gates with arms raised in soaring house bliss, “DARK ENOUGH” skims the surface of trap-tinged hip-hop, and “L.A. LOOKS” wouldn’t sound out of place on a noisier Passion Pit record. Bottom line: the carnal aggression is intact, with a new focus on beauty. If you’re seeking industrial noise pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

DEATH MAGIC by HEALTH

St. Catherine by Ducktails

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Ducktails - St. Catherine

You’re floating in a small boat with an umbrella protruding from the middle that shades you from the sun, soon to set behind a nearby hill. Surfers glide by you on either side as your craft bobs over cresting waves, and you are steadily taken to a nearby shore by the ocean. The beach is lined with torches, lit by the smiling individuals that surround you. You pull your boat into the sand and look out to the water, covered in floating, twinkling lights . . .

In a previous “review,” I mentioned the lauded element of “warmth” in music. This record radiates like few other releases this year, and it comes from a band that I’ve been into for quite some time. St. Catherine is the newest full-length by Ducktails, a group originally conceived as a solo project by Matt Mondanile, who also plays guitar for Real Estate. This is a deceptively simple album filled to the brim with cozy pockets of golden songwriting.

Mondanile channels the distinct aura of serene comfort from his other band, and maintains his always-compelling guitar melodies that are strewn across previous records. However, these pieces of music are embossed with a different kind of sheen, an entrancing quality of psychedelia characterized by tasteful instrumental loops and ethereal sonic layering. It’s innovative while also possessing an air of familiarity.

The immaculate production can be attributed to the ingenious Rob Schnapf, who co-produced some of Elliot Smith’s best works. There’s a meticulous attention to detail, shown in the shimmery acoustic guitars, pristine drum EQ-ing, and vivid string arrangements. Julia Holter’s featured vocals on “Church” are just the cherry on top. If you’re seeking warmly familiar, entrancingly psychedelic pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

St. Catherine by Ducktails

M3LL155X by FKA twigs

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FKA twigs - M3LL155X

You’re in a dark club, drenched in sweat and filled with adrenaline invoked by the previous act, who’s now leaving the stage. Glass begins to shatter around the room, and the fragments fly through the air towards you. You cover your face, but peak through your hands when you don’t feel anything. The shards form a shell surrounding you, and after a long while, the glass falls to the floor. An ancient temple stands before you, and you hear singing . . .

Who else felt themselves aching for something to hold us over until the follow-up to the marvelous LP1? I know I did, so I find myself elated upon this release. M3LL155X is the newest musical offering from British singer/songwriter/producer/dancer FKA twigs, an artist that’s crafted an already-remarkable discography in the few short years she’s been creating music. This new EP expands that catalog in some strangely captivating ways.

Twigs possesses an unerring, glassy voice that shimmers through all the cavernous, machine-like electronic instrumentation that fills this brief, five-song endeavor. However, rather than obfuscating her singing in the shimmery, aqueous tones of previous releases, she prowls with confidence and projects her vocals with a distinct element of power. A full-length record that sounds like this would be an unstoppable force.

The melodies, progressions, and song formats that inhabit these pieces of music are some of the most alluring that twigs has conceived thus far, but her lyrics have also received a potent enhancement. She delves into the disfigurement of beauty, the exaltation of sex, and deep vulnerability. If there exists a role model for pop star feminism, twigs is it. If you’re seeking cavernous, experimental r&b, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

M3LL155X by FKA twigs

You Disgust Me by Gangrene (The Alchemist + Oh No)

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Gangrene - You Disgust Me

You’re walking through the rain between the city’s colossal buildings when you fall through an open hole in the asphalt. You plunge through the darkness into murky, putrid water. Dimly lit torches line the filthy walls of the tunnel, so you follow them. After a long while, you enter a tight opening and emerge into a massive dome filled with harshly constructed buildings. You enter the nearest door and walk into a club of some sort. You sit, and the lights go down . . .

When it comes to hip-hop, my personal stance is the filthier and more raw, the better. You Disgust Me is the newest full-length from duo Gangrene, made up by veteran producer/rappers The Alchemist and Oh No. Both of these artists need no introduction, as their respective, equally mountainous bodies of work are rooted in and throughout hip-hop’s extensive history; yet, they still manage to surprise with this one.

The concoction of Alchemist’s no-holds-barred sample frenzy and frigidly synthesized boom-bap beats, mixed with Oh No’s compellingly rhythmic productions results in some seriously grimy trunk-rattlers. Each track is tinged with vocal samples spoken by a multitude of whacked-out, substance-influenced individuals, giving the record an eerily captivating, slimy back-alley feel; like an entrancing, artistically grotesque film.

Both Alchemist and Oh No are highly adept lyricists in their own right, and prove it time and time again across this record, but it’s worthy to note the quality roster of features. Action Bronson, Chuck Strangers, Evidence, Havoc, Fashawn, Your Old Droog, and the late Sean Price (RIP) contribute killer verses that further accentuate this treasure in a trash can. If you’re seeking wonderfully filthy hip-hop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

You Disgust Me by Gangrene (The Alchemist + Oh No)

Universes by Seven Davis Jr.

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Seven Davis Jr. - Universes

It’s the mid-2260s, and funk is back, baby! The revival has taken the planet by storm, so the collective decision was made, by popular vote, to ceaselessly pipe the lauded sounds onto the streets. You wave to your robot brethren as you strut down the sidewalk in rhythmic stride with the music, same as everybody else. Is the tempo steadily speeding up? Everything is moving so fast now, and your surroundings are becoming a blur. All you can do is listen . . .

Funk is certainly alive and thriving, and it’s refreshing to see that artists continue to explore the capabilities on the fringes of the genre. Universes is the newest full-length from Houston-born producer and vocalist Seven Davis Jr., a groove mastermind in a galaxy all his own. Davis has stated that he’s sick of playing gigs where people opt to remain still rather than dance, so this record removes that option entirely.

There’s something so abnormally fun about this album. It’s stuffed to the brim with funk-tinged house anthems primed for an oddball crowd. Some of the foundational rhythms sound wonky upon first listen, but the gradual integration of each eccentric component around Davis’ superb bass lines and soulfully sultry vocals results in some hip-shakers for the ages. I’d like to see anyone try to stand still while this is on.

Although Davis possesses a clear forte in the feet-moving category, he may show his most vivid innovations when he slows everything down. Intro “Imagination” is a woozy, soulful stumble; “Fighters” is the closest thing I’ve heard to gospel dub; “Afterlife” is a disorienting march through electronic experimentalism. Seven Davis Jr. does it all, and he does it well. If you’re seeking otherworldly, funk-tinged house, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Universes by Seven Davis Jr.

The Expanding Flower Planet by Deradoorian

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Deradoorian - The Expanding Flower Planet

You trudge through a murky swamp. The thick black water glows with an uncanny luminescence, like a jelly-fish on its last legs. Dead plants hang above your head and surround you on the muddy shores, black as the water itself. The sun rises steadily in front of you, and countless pinholes of light illuminate the swamp. You hear a faint tone, and then another, and then you look closely at the flowers. They have mouths, and they are singing . . .

Has this year peaked for music? This record of the year contender laughs in the face of that question. The Expanding Flower Planet is the debut full-length by Angel Deradoorian, a wonderfully innovative multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who previously played bass and sang in The Dirty Projectors, and currently accounts for one third of Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks. Even with her stellar track record, this may be her best work yet.

Her notable collaborations also include Flying Lotus, Charli XCX, Vampire Weekend, Matmos, and even U2; this list screams versatility, and no holds are barred on this record in that regard. Deradoorian delves into pulsing krautrock rhythms, folk-tinged orchestrations, ’60s psych-rock, and traverses the expanse between classical minimalism and explosive maximalism. It’s a delectable treat for the musically scatterbrained.

In the core of it all is Deradoorian herself, a seraphic voice that permeates through every pore of this record. Her singing dazzles within every context that she utilizes it: soaring leads, textured harmonies, cavernous bass, twinkly ornamentations, and everything in between. Every production is captivating, but Deradoorian’s voice commands it all. If you’re seeking dream-like instrumentation with enveloping vocals, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

The Expanding Flower Planet by Deradoorian

Downers by Jamaican Queens

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Jamaican Queens - Downers

You’re immersed in vast darkness. The only thing you can feel is the wooden floor beneath you, but you hear the faint sound of shuffling feet all around you. Suddenly a low, heavy tone permeates through your body and vibrates your bones. You look around, and you see that you are encircled by many people, but you can only see their mouths. Many are laughing, some are kissing, and they’re all smiling. Another monstrous tone resonates through you . . .

It’s a tough job, but somebody needs to be the flag-bearer for the loveless and the proudly brokenhearted. There are copious somber records, melancholic records, downer records if you will, so there ought to be a counterbalance in the form of a loudly content voice screaming in the face of bitter romance. Downers is the newest full-length from Detroit trio Jamaican Queens, and it falls in that category of which I speak.

This is an album about love, but these songs are about the kind of self-destructive love that drives one mad with resentment and misunderstanding. However, contrary to the ironic record title, these tracks are the furthest thing from downers. This group utilizes a unique concoction of neon synths and trap instrumentation to craft intricately-composed, genre-spanning anthems for the rambunctious romantic naysayer.

These pieces of music traverse through club-primed hip-hop, gothic indie-rock, experimental electronic, and baroque pop without skipping a beat, and frontman Ryan Spencer’s potent lyrics cut through it all with a sharp tongue. Although the subject matter may carry a heavy weight, the music as a whole is inescapably fun. If you’re seeking rambunctiously diverse, loveless electronic music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Downers by Jamaican Queens

The Colours of Life by CFCF

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CFCF - The Colours of Life

You wake up, face first in warm sand. The sound of the ocean swells behind you, and the breeze tousles your hair. A expansive jungle extends across the edge of the beach as far as the eye can see. The greenery is thick, but you spot and grasp a conveniently placed blade halfway buried in the sand. You begin slicing through the trees, and you do so until you can no longer. Your last swing of the blade reveals an empty city of transparent glass.

Weaving an album’s worth of songs into a seamless narrative is a visionary’s task, and this record is an example of an artist successfully grasping that template and creating something wonderful with it. The Colours of Life is the newest full-length from Canadian-born Mike Silver, also known as CFCF. Silver has composed a graceful, picturesque journey through lush, steadily evolving worlds of organic sound.

If you’re looking for something that you can fragmentize and consume in multiple, bite-size listenings, you may want to search elsewhere. This is one fluid orchestration, and begs to be absorbed as such. Silver has explicitly stated that the underlying inspiration for the record was Phil Collins’ “Hand In Hand,” a song built with a deceptively simple beat and rosy, sanguine tones. He expands those key elements into much, much more.

Not a word is spoken during these twelve songs, but vast emotions are conveyed in the looping melodies. The pace hangs at a tame 100 bpm, and a patiently-introduced, four-on-the-floor pulse serves as guide through landscapes of piled guitar, piano, saxophone, synths, and a myriad of world instruments. It’s a beautiful, uninterrupted adventure. If you’re seeking patiently-evolving aural landscapes, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

The Colours of Life by CFCF

Dry Food by Palehound

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Palehound - Dry Food

Having attempted all other recovery options, you put a wild suggestion received from a stranger into action. Welcome to Camp Heartbreak, the galaxy’s premiere nature retreat for those that’ve been chewed up and spit out by tumultuous romance. You are skeptical about any potential results, so you venture out to the center of the nearby lake in a canoe. Upon reaching the destination you put down the oars, stretch out in the boat, and listen . . .

There are a multitude of ways to digest the heartache that comes along with a painful breakup, and reconstructing that agony into a supremely catchy indie-rock record has to be the most ideal method. Dry Food is the debut full-length from Boston-bred Ellen Kempner, also known as Palehound. These aren’t your average melancholic musings, though, but intricately orchestrated song progressions donning the skin of garage rock.

Throughout the course of this album’s brisk 8-song duration, Kempner covers rollicking fuzz rock (“Molly,” “Cushioned Caging”), psychedelic balladry (“Healthier Folk,” “Easy,” “Dry Food,” “Seekonk”), spare acoustic introspection (“Dixie”), and even jangly pop (“Cinnamon”). It’s a smorgasbord of delectable genres, yet they serve only as shallow frames for the sophisticated tangle of melodies that Kempner has crafted.

The underlying “thesis” of this record is encompassed in a deceptively simple lyric: “All I need’s a little sleep and I’ll be good to clean and eat.” There is no tried and true remedy for immediate relief, but time erodes the sharpness of those thorns, and the only way to suture emotional wounds is to stare those wounds in the face. If you’re seeking intricately composed, heartbroken indie-rock, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Dry Food by Palehound