MZ1212

as a first exposure to NJ, I think it was a really transportive experience, despite how transportive it was. all of the textures, synthlines and piano passages are really well-crafted, even when they breach into this slightly more experimental territory. the way most of the tracks are recorded, this very roomy and low-end emphasis only does the sound pallette even more justice and lets it express itself to the fullest. if everything felt more programmed, in a typical DAW-esque fashion, this ... read more

while not discography wise, I'd say this is proper successor to self-titled, and an awesome showcase of what Arca can do with ambience. it was delightful all the way through and such a huge relief after kick iiii. this is realistically her most minimal album, but it doesn't feel like it, cuz every composition speaks volumes. it ends especially strong. fireprayer and crown are some of the best cuts in the entire kick series.

now I can see why this is Arca's lowest rated album. and look, I have absolutely nothing against her diving more into ambient and artsy shit. she's been doing that for as long as her career lasts. however, most stuff here doesn't showcase her full potential, and just like kick ii, a lot of tracks here seem very disjointed and unnecessary. halfway through vocal manipulation started to really piss me off, and more often than not there's just very little going on, which makes ... read more

great stuff that I wouldn't say hits me at full potential, everything here was decently performed and I can really feel there was passion behind it. but for like half of the runtime I felt it was a bit too straightforward and could've been more expansive, tho what is here already makes up for a decent listen.