This album is wild. A total trip into a strange ritualistic, bell ringing, wind howling, flute playing, sort of nightmare. The juxtaposition of beautiful hymn like melodies with absolutely terrifying chanting. This album isn't for the faint of heart but it can without a doubt hold interest. Their is something so immersive and enchanting about the experience that this album delivers. Your heart tells you to turn away but the interest in the mystery keeps your ears fixed.

Definitely something ... read more

I am rather familiar with Andy Stott and consider myself a fan. I was unfortunately not as sold on this album as I am on most of hist releases. That being said, it still holds up rather well at times, and absolutely has a few break out songs. The albums opening song for example "Away Not Gone" is a larger than life ambient experience. Blending calm harmonies with vast echo filled ambient soundscapes. The following handful of songs reflect Stotts diligence in creating interesting new ... read more

Something that has captured my interest time and time again this year. So much so that it warranted a short review.

A truly an immersive experience, this album clutches the soul of the listener and plunges them deep down into the depths of darkness. Filled with looming sense of dread and suspense. Repetitive audio samples act as subtle cues to accompany the murky harmonics layered throughout the album. Heresy is not for the faint of heart but the experience is like none other. It is akin to ... read more

I'm really late to the game on this one, but better late than never because this album is a bit of a gem. Relatively easy listening electronic with some really cool progression from one song to the next. This album gave me some Four Tet vibes in a few of the tracks but Maribou State still holds a unique sound of their own. Extremely enjoyable percussion and drum machine use and the great vocals really bring this album home.

My only major complaint is in the lo-fi vinyl distortion that is used ... read more

What am I supposed to say.. He's almost into his 50s now and is still grasping onto something, but it's just not paying off with this one. I actually could get behind "Kamikaze" a bit because with that album the run time made a bit more sense and their was a more concise theme to what he was trying to rap about; whether that theme was worth making an album about is still suspect . This album sort of just dragged on, with many of the songs felt like a re-do of previous releases. I'm ... read more

I was beyond confused when I first started listening because I clicked play not expecting to hear something recorded back in the 70s. What a gift it is to receive a new old Neil Young album in the 20's! This hit home in so many ways, and certainly reflects Neil's music in that period. I'm overjoyed that this throw back album doesn't feel like a collection of songs that was never good enough to be released. Instead what we're given is a great collection of instant classics! This album could have ... read more

An somewhat enjoyable electronic album, certainly made to be easy to dance to. While "Sample Heaven" is solid in it's rhythmic elements and production I struggled to find much here that really moved me. Sample Heaven's lyrical use in particular was somewhat repetitive, and while I don't shy away to lyrics based on repetition alone, these felt a little too uninteresting to get behind. This style of electronic dance is funky but this album unfortunately fails to fully capitalize on the ... read more

Arnalds has delivered a new level of excellence through simple means. Creating a work that is calming yet euphoric. I have so much to say, yet so little I am able to write down.

Kid Kudi has had what I'd consider a tumultuous ten years of releases since "The Legend of Mr. Ranger". To be honest his lack of consistency in his last five projects made me somewhat hesitant to give this album a listen, but it wouldn't feel right to pass on what is now a trilogy. In many ways I grew up on Cudi, I was still early into figuring out what I loved in music when the first and second Man on The Moon were released. Since that time I've changed, and so has Cudi. He is no ... read more

Against All Logic has dropped away much of the dance-ability that was present in "2012-2017" in favor of a more space-age brain dance approach. While the shift in style comes with new benefits "2017-2019" feels somewhat less impactful. With that said, I have no strong opposition to this approach. Structurally this album feels quite cohesive and doesn't shy away from entering new territory. Against All Logic has once again impressed me with his ability to captivate my ears ... read more

An energy filled D&B album that knows how to hit hard but doesn't shy away from the gentle side of the genre. "Draining Love Story" is extremely well rounded, and while it is certainly modern D&B it doesn't stray too far away from the genres routes. This album doesn't fall into the traps that so many modern drum and bass artists take. The influence of both EDM and IDM, while subtle, can be found here. Sewerslvt's incorporation of multiple electronic styles is excellently ... read more

"Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?" has many sounds, yet I feel as if I have so few words that can properly describe it. The album is foremost an unconventional blend of noise. Blending genres in a way that pleasantly forces you to reconcile with the unique benefits their influence brings to this album. A solid compound between electronic experimentation, ambient soundscapes, piano melodies, and "Music for 18 Musicians" like minimalism.

The soft Pink Truth ... read more

Such an uninspiring album. It's as if Lane 8 took the top 100 EDM tacks and threw them in a stew to come out with the most generic electronic album possible. The build up in every song is predictable, the lyrics feel meaningless, and song structures feels bland.

Sounds like royalty free music that a Twitch streamer would use over anything else.

After several listens my consensus on this album remains mixed. A few of the tracks on ENERGY stand out as fantastic dance tunes, while others feel a little too close to filler. Had this album swung further into the electronic sphere and away from the pop sound, I would be a bit more satisfied. Ultimately much more enjoyable than anything else, certainly has a handful of stand out tracks that make ENERGY well worth going back to.

Jupiluxe demonstrates an understanding of solid song composition and lyrical prowess, while still falling for the same rapper tropes, all within the same album. A few break out songs such as "Kill Bill" and "Vixen" almost got me hooked but the album was lacking a clear sense of creative direction. Too many tracks with terribly boring lyrics that offer nothing new or inspiring.

While "Kill Bill, Volume 1" left me unsatisfied I am still quite optimistic that ... read more

Energetic and easy to dance to, Caribou offers the listener a lot to enjoy in "Suddenly". This album is pleasant to the ears but didn't quite scratch my itch for the next Caribou album. While it was certainly well produced, Caribou has given me a handful of great songs to throw on a playlist rather than a desire to revisit this album over an over again. If anything "Suddenly" is a slight regression from "Swim" rather than a build up off of Caribou's last album ... read more

Somewhere in between tech house and IDM lies this album. "Inner Song" is full of emotion and beauty without shying away from darker themes. I have great admiration for the pacing of this album, the buildup that is presented in some songs never overwhelms the listener, nor does it take away from the more subtle parts of the album. While in some rare instances the oscillations got a little repetitive it can be chalked up to a minor complaint.

Looking forward to hearing more from Owens ... read more

The best time to listen to this album was in 2004 the second best time is today. What a great mesh of interesting sounds, clean production, memorable lyrics, and delightful melodies wrapped up in the dark cloak of electronic harmonics.

Clean, calm, and delightful. Capa Cira is what I'd expect a really solid Tropical House album to sound like. Cape Cira fits those expectations extremely well with a harmonious style that brings my brain drifting back to my favorite beach side sunsets. Smooth use of synthesizers layers between the whispers vocals, and pleasing percussion.

Overall, it's got an enjoyable and consistent sound, nothing that breaks the genre out of its shell or really grabs my attention with prodigious enthusiasm, ... read more

'Use Me' stands as my introduction to PVRIS, and my reaction at first was pleasant, but ended quite mixed. This album has great production quality throughout. Great use of both digital and analog instrumental melodies. Most importantly a great lead vocalist to really tie it all together. The first three tracks really brought me in with high expectations.

This album has a few weak points that really hurt my overall satisfaction while listening, particularly these songs came at the 2nd half of ... read more