New Electronnica Adds: Oneohtrix Point Never, Elijah & Skilliam, Bing & Ruth, Chino Amobi
Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete: Dan has officially gone and done it again. An artist whose creative works have spanned all manner of experimentation, Oneohtrix Point Never tends to explore new things rather than sticking to what he's done that works, and in that sense this album is almost terrifyingly different than his others. During the period between his last album (R+7) and this one, he went on tour with Nine Inch Nails & Soundgarden, and was inspired to use a ton of grunge-related samples in G.O.D.. It's a hulking, bio-technological abomination that really confronts your listening ability, rather than enveloping you into its warmth (Replica) or showcasing its sterility (R+7). A callbacks to his earlier loop-based work as Chuck Persons ("ECCOJAMSC1") falls in between a tense, chopped-up intro track ("Ezra") and a warped pop-song with some harsh synth tones glitching in and out ("Sticky Drama"). Also, it's supposedly made by a wastoid alien teenager who is scared of humanity and loves a non-existent thrash metal band. So that's cool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt5tRaV3iY0. SEAN
RIYL: James Ferraro, Arca, what happens if you scratch up a copy of Jar of Flies and put it into a CD player
Recommended Tracks: 2, 4, 6, 9
Elijah & Skilliam - Grime 2015: This is pretty much the "Year in Review" for grime this year. Two top UK grime DJs man the head of this album (who have also given us maybe the best Rinse.FM mix ever, 17, check it out), have compiled the best of the best of grime this year for our listening pleasure. Of course it gives us grime's greatest successes this year, "... including Skepta, Wiley, JME, Giggs, Stormzy and Kano... it also goes deep with productions from Plastician, Pinch & Mumdance, Last Japan, Rabit and Faze Miyake and appearances from MCs like Jammz, Riko Dan and P Money." (stolen off of FACT's review lol) These are the hardest grime bangers of 2015. Overall, 2 gunfingers/2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_OwrNivNLE. SEAN
RIYL: UK Grime, UK GRIME, gunshot samples, who Drake likes to pretend he is sometimes
Recommended Tracks: 3, 4, 25, 30, 35
Bing & Ruth - City Lake: I've got a confession to make: this album isn't really new. It was made in 2010 on a 250 print run, and sent to RVNG, who released their other album, Tomorrow is the Golden Age (which you should also go check out). But it was reissued this year This isn't really a traditional electronic music album by any means: it shares a lot in common with some of the more popular "modern" composers. Make no mistake though, there's a lot of tape delay and sparse phasing in here to push it into that territory. It's primarily piano driven, extremely minimalistic and really contemplative. It kept me really enthralled when I listened to it for the first time, so I recommend it to you all. Also Bing & Ruth aren't two people (it's a group, well really this one guy and a group). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tKLmxlDh9s. SEAN
RIYL: Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Jon Hopkins' interludes, desolation, depression
Recommended Tracks: 4, 7, 9
Chino Amobi - Anya's Garden: A December release from your favorite ethno-centric experimental industrial producer. Featuring intensely catchy auto-tuned chamber music on 'Rhoneqah', machine gun fire on 'Prayer' and general sampled chaos in "Mountains of Villenueve.' The NON records front-runner may not have created his masterpiece quite yet, but he's definitely proffered up some serious remix-fodder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUFrVa6MFgo. RAZ
RIYL: Fatima Al Qadiri, smashed glass samples, Rabit, Amnesia Scanner.
Recommended Tracks: 2, 5, 7