🔴 f*kUup
🟢 The other 4 tracks

While not a remarkable entry, it is a small step forward in WINK's signature style. It teeter-totters between weak and strong choices within each song. The collabs bring cool new shades to his style, so they serve their purpose well. It's fun, albeit nowhere near WINK's best work.

Favorite: leaving (dont tell me)
Least Favorite: vision (wish you could see)

Less polarizing than CHOMPO II, but its consistency lands it in the same place rating-wise. A more horror-inspired compilation was fun to hear, but I would like to hear a brighter project in the future, a la CHOMPO I, because I think the brighter tracks often turn out to be the label's best releases. Though none of the tracks have the classic factor that some on I & II do, it still delivers a half-hour of bangers with a satisfying enough variety of sound design. I may not return to ... read more

There's a real unique concept to this album: sweet-sounding, chill riddim. It's a style I haven't quite heard, but I hope I hear more of it. That being said, while this album may go down as one of the niche pioneers of the style, I wish I liked the songs more. It sounded pretty samey all the way through, and the further it leaned away from the off-kilter, chaotic rhythms, the sweeter it sounded. Unfortunately, it didn't do that much, so it ended up sounding to me either ... read more

Sleepy Fish goes into autopilot on this album, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It makes for a nice-sounding album that doesn’t envelope or wow me but does serve as a good transition point post-ocean-trilogy.

Favorite: Just Put Up Some String Lights
Least Favorite: Man I Miss My Cats

🟡 Remember You
🟢 The other 4 tracks

A strong EP that stays continuously dancey throughout. His funkier styles hit harder for me than his more euphoric styles, and thankfully, this EP leans into the funky with little breaks as it goes.

Favorite: Thrill of It
Least Favorite: Heartbeat

🔴 Love Divine
🟡 Lay Low
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Fun collection of future bass tunes with that signature 2010’s sound. Nothing much to stir the heart, but it’s just fun! It was cool to hear an EP from Conro after the Monstercat singles, and he delivered here!

Favorite: Circus
Least Favorite: Remedy

I thought of this as more a world-building/scene-setting album than a self-contained narrative. And in that respect, it does very well. As an album, it also succeeds, starting lighter in tone and finishing darker. The tracks are creative bangers throughout, lending themselves to a storytelling style that would grow and mature over time. Great debut album to precede the characters’ biggest journeys ahead.

Favorite: Unraveling
Least Favorite: Falloff

This project is so cohesive, the vibe is compelling, and a couple moments have so much beauty and impact. What keeps it back from being a list-topper (other than the next three being goated) is a collection of slight shortcomings on big aspects (slight mixing inconsistencies, alright lyricism that would mature in future albums, slightly monotone drops, etc.). All of these shortcomings, though, are less reflective on the album and more a demonstration that acloudyskye was building his melodic ... read more

🔴 Always
🟢 The other 10 tracks

The melodies are so fun, the beats are so groovy, the styles are so diverse, and the mixes are so clean and full. They switch things up often throughout this record but also show that they can write melodies well worth repeating ad nauseum (like on "Shooting Stars"). Applicable to all kinds of settings yet so interesting in its own right. The consistency in quality of the tracklist is also commendable. What a bop of an album!

Favorite: Snake ... read more

My new EP follows the progression of someone who goes from being insufferably self-obsessed to excessively self-conscious to healthily self-aware. But the journey to get there is never that easy. This is a special one for me, and I hope you enjoy it! :)

acloudyskye's most ambitious album is also an easy standout. The experimentation in this album, from the glitchy fills to the drawn-out ambient moments, makes for a really unique experience. Out of all his albums, this may be the most effective attempt to let the instrumental choices lead the way in telling the story. There's also a desperation to acloudyskye's vocal performance here that you rarely get with any of the other albums, which is just another reason this album is ... read more

Even Sleepy Fish’s weaker projects have that unshakable emotion hidden within them. This album, although not a hall-of-famer by any means, is undeniably Sleepy Fish, and that makes for a special experience for me almost every time. This time is no different.

Favorite: Apple Turnover
Least Favorite: Snoopy’s House

Some vibey liquid DnB that doesn’t have all that much to it. Perfect for listening while doing something else, this might have been better applied to a video game soundtrack or arcade playlist than its own release. But it’s nice enough on its own.

Favorite: ARCADE RUSH
Least Favorite: CONTINUE?

🟡 Wasted
🟢 The other 5 tracks

This falls ever so slightly down from a 70 due to “Wasted” reaching the lowest low I’ve heard from CloudNone (which isn’t as bad as it sounds, I just found it pretty mid with a no-thanks second drop) with few of the tracks having enough oomph to bring it back up. Still a solid EP from the color-crying man, with a couple highs that surpass some of his other EP’s. Otherwise, though, it just proves to be more enjoyable in the ... read more

When the highs are great and the lows are good, you know you’ve got a solid EP on your hands. It’s a pretty consistent, well-cooked EP all the way through, with a satisfying mix of styles from each artist involved. But it doesn’t stray from feeling like a CloudNone project; it stays cohesive throughout. Both CloudNone and the & Friends made this 33-minute, 9-track not-album(?) quite the vibe.

Favorite: From Here VIP
Least Favorite: Hideaway

🔴 Victory
🟢 The other 2 tracks

Hard to describe how this EP sounds, but it was quite experimental for the trap and future bass of the time. It still holds up quite well today, embracing an emptier style—the things that are missing from the mix adding to the slightly mysterious vibe. The fact that a lil’ 3-2-1 on Monstercat spanning two years got the label’s fans talking about him for years to come is telling of San Holo’s talent.

Favorite: Hold Fast
Least ... read more

Every time people start noticing either CloudNone or Direct is doing the same ol’ same ol’, he hits you with something so progressive, you wonder why you ever doubted him. This is especially true when they work together. The titles are very apt for this more experimental garage double single, and both of these tracks knock it out of the park. So glitchy, so vibey, and so full. This is peak CN&D.

Elixir - 80
Nectar - 85

I wish I didn’t love this but I do. 😌
…I’m the least qualified person to make that joke because I wouldn’t use the word “love” for this EP but I am still a proud defender of this EP. I find this to be solid work from the two, taking a bit of a darker vibe and pad stretching it out to one of their vibiest collaborative EP’s up to that point, for better or worse. Sure, it doesn’t have the most going on, but it uses what it does have going on to ... read more

🔴 Miss Being Happy
🟡 Lights Out
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Solid entry from CloudNone that sneaks down to a 65 just because I know CloudNone can do more interesting and emotive things with his music. It also doesn’t have a consistent vibe, but all the tracks are good enough together for an enjoyable EP.

Favorite: Lights Out
Least Favorite: Miss Being Happy

I don’t usually review double singles, but if you’re a CloudNone fan, you know why I have to review his double singles with Direct.

This is a great double single. “Mojito” brings the emotional weight but has a good bit of grooviness to carry it. Slyleaf kills it on vocals as usual, and CN&D kill it on production as usual. “Margarita” brings the grooviness but is quite affective as it progresses through the mysterious vibe. This may have been the first ... read more