Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
Critic Score
Based on 16 reviews
2009 Ratings: #37 / 923
User Score
Based on 43 ratings
Liked by 1 person
August 25, 2009 / Release Date
LP / Format
Acéphale / Label
Electronic / Genre
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CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Drowned in Sound

O how you vex me, Dayve Hawke. You vex me because I know you are just one person, yet two of your three alter egos have names in the plural. When talking about you I know I should be all "Memory Tapes is..." but see, that upsets my pedantic semantic circuits so much that if I didn't like you as much as I do I wouldn't like you very much at all.

90
DIY

With the release of ‘Seek Magic’, Dayve Hawke has assured himself that no matter what moniker he decides to record under in the future, people will be listening.

83
Pitchfork

No one ever wants to admit that summer's totally over, but it's even tougher this year considering how fun it all was-- seems like every other day, an evocatively named band would come about and contribute to this glo-fi/dreambeat/chillwave thing that was perfect for those unbearably humid August nights rife with possibility, imagining an alternate universe where the narcotic of choice in danceclubs were Galaxie 500 and Saint Etienne records.

80
musicOMH
This is yet another one of those records about escapism, yearning for a bolt of light in the dark, an end to normality. And it finds it, to almighty effect; producing the kind of rapturous charge that no bedroom-dance record has ever assembled before.
80
AllMusic
One potential sticking point for some listeners is Hawk's voice -- not that it's bad or even particularly unpleasant (and in any case it's rarely the most prominent feature in any given track), but it is somewhat rough and reedy, and not all that well suited to this type of lushly melodious material.
80
No Ripcord
It’s music that will soundtrack those peculiar moments where you really pay attention, free of distractions. This is music to spend time with and worth making time for.
80
Uncut

On this mostly splendid debut ... Hawk actually fuses two of his previous recording identities bridging the shiny electronic of his Weird Tapes alter ego with the hazy lo-fi psychedelia of its "feminine" mirror image, Memory Cassette.

80
NOW Magazine

On Seek Magic, Hawk's synth-based constructions occupy a space halfway between reflective IDM and a hip dance party.

80
Spectrum Culture
It’s anyone’s guess whether Memory Tapes will last as the man’s preferred nomenclature, but he certainly shows no sign of slowing down his production. And that’s a good thing- Hawk can take up whatever name he wants as long as he keeps making music like this.
80
Q Magazine
He may have followed the aspiring bedroom producer's now-established route from blog favourite to remixer (for Yeah Yeah Yeahs), but the solo debut of Dayve Hawk, former frontman for post-punks Hail Social, is anything but predictable.
79
The Line of Best Fit
An intelligent, fascinating record, clearly made by someone who, quite simply, fucking loves music and knows exactly what a classic album sounds like.
76
Coke Machine Glow

After a month of digesting Seek Magic thoroughly, oscillating wildly between manic enthusiasm and a kind of defiant distrust of this whole act’s shtick, I’ve committed myself to the stance about which I felt most comfortable from the beginning: this is a very good album, but there are certain things about it with which I take issue.

71
Pretty Much Amazing
There is still that whole backdrop of musical gray that weighs the score down a little, something that took me awhile to get over in order to really appreciate the album. But, as I said, it’s a necessary element that adds the needed depth of support to one of this year’s most unique gems.
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