Song of the Day #3, June 3

Song of the Day #3,  June 30

Björk:Pagan Poetry (2001)

On the surface simplicity 

But the darkest pit in me 

And it's pagan poetry

Art Pop/Electronic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp6tAcjq0N0&ab_channel=Ludibry

Arca: KiCk i (2020) (Electronic, Pop)

Arca's usage of texture is intriguing and varied with her performances, ranging from chaotic to open and dramatic, focusing for the most part on sonic sentiment and dynamism rather than harmony and catchiness which allows for left field-like songs that still occasionally manage to fit in the pop sphere(Mequetrefe, KLK, Machote), for the most part, the tunes are for avande garde electronic but much crossover appeal can be found. Most songs are in Spanish, few are in English.







Art-Pop/Avande Garde/Electronic

Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise (2011) (Electronic)

Space is only noise, but is noise only space? I would say yes, at least in this album. Through the manipulation of textures and soundscapes, Nicolas manages to play with this notion, conjuring vibrational, mysterious ambient and electronic passages, occasionally adding samples or his own voice to establish a firmer base while still remaining shrouded and distant. 


Best Tracks: Colomb, Sunflower, Too Many Kids Finding Rain In the Dust, Keep Me There*, Space Is Only Noise If You Can See*, Almost Fell, Balance Her In Between Your Eyes, Specters of the Future, Variations






Ambient Pop/ Downtempo/ Electronic

Clams Casino: Instrumentals (2011) (Electronic,Hip-hop,Instrumental)

Icy beats, that helped solidify cloud rap as a genre. Surreal warped vocals and spacy samples allow for not only a fruitful, ethereal background listen but a cerebral sound that grows on listeners. It is repetitive enough that the loops get stuck in your head but intricate enough to be worthwhile. A benchmark in the genre.

Best Tracks: Motivation, Real Shit, Realist Alive*, Numb, What You Doin', The World Needs Change, Illest Alive




Cloud Rap/Electronic/ Instrumental Hip-hop/ Witch-house

Nicolas Jaar: Cenizas (2020) (Ambient,Electronic)

Cenizas serves as detached spiritual odes. Never explicitly catchy or attention-grabbing, not immersing the listener but rather creating space to invite the listener to interpret this eerie, smoking work of art in their own introspective manner. Ambient yet the compositions are mostly jazz-inspired.



Best Tracks: Cenizas, Agosto, Mud, Hello, Chain *


B

Ambient/Avantgarde Jazz/Electronic

Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla: Terrouzi (2019) (Electronic,Instrumental)

The occasional trap drums can be stale but the Moorish instrumentation can often be worthwhile and some melodies are catchy. The album is, for the most part, mellow and warm, well fit for summer listening.





Best Tracks: Khal Kar, Kar, Lestkal, Niamey*, Mentou*


B


Electronic/ Ethnic Psybient/ Moorish Instrumental


Buy Here

Against All Logic: 2017-2019 (2020) (Electronic, House)

Notably more meditative and deconstructed than his previous A.A.L project 2012-2017. Nicolas Jaar trades the warm summery house tunes for a more industrial approach. The textures are harsh and cold, sometimes a bit too high frequency for my liking (If You Can't Do It Good, Do It Hard) but his usage of samples and his broad selection of sounds still remains a highlight to his work. Most songs are not as safe for dancing as his last tape, save segments of the first song, Fantasy or the Tech House songs If You Can't Do It Good, Do It Hard and Deeeeeeefers, but the strength of this album comes in the subtle IDM songs If Loving You is Wrong and With an Addict. 

Best Tracks: Fantasy*, If Loving You Is Wrong*, With an Addict*, Alarm, Deeeeeeefers, Penny, You (forever) 

B+

Deconstructed House/IDM/Industrial House/Tech House

Yves Tumor: Safe in the Hands of Love (2018) (Electronic,Experimental,Pop)

Many beautiful, interesting textures are conjured on this album and the samples and production fit the apprehensive narrative quite well. The experimentation is often successful and fulfilling, with elements of industrial, glitch, psychedelic and electronic woven in a melancholic, occasionally frightening blend. But even with a largely interesting sound, the unorthodox structure can lead to songs that don't feel fully fleshed out and songs failing to reach their full potential as experimental pop tunes.



Best Tracks: Economy of Freedom, Noid*, Licking An Orchid, Lifetime 






B-

Art Pop/Electronic/Experimental/Industrial Pop

D'eon: Music for Keyboards IV (2013) (Electronic,Folk,Instrumental)

Pleasant, minimalist, instrumental medieval Celtic tunes. The transitions from dreamy ambient to jumpy folk may seem jarring but the whole album embarks listeners on an earthy almost exalting journey, that manages to stay aesthetically consistent. Though very organic sounding, the melodies are executed in an electronic, poppy fashion by keyboard. At times the instrumental arrangments and patterns may feel a bit stiff, however, the instruments used and the simple approach allow for a fruitful listen. 

Best Tracks: Sewer Mine*, Blood Sport, Putrid Water, Seigneurial, Yout Father Used to See Airplanes in the Sky, Aviation Graveyard, Dread God*, The Birds Eat Our Corpses* 

B

Forest Vibes/ Folktronica/ Medieval Celtic 

Caribou: Suddenly (2020) (Electronic,Pop)

Though the vocals may be very sugary and the production is occasionally too formulaic, Suddenly does manage to craft some easy-going, homey songs with enough quirks, introspective merit and diversity of sounds and styles to intrigue listeners. 




Best Tracks: You and I, Home, Like I Loved You*, Ravi

C+

Cloud Vibes/House/Indietronica/Pop

Grimes: Miss Anthropocene (2020) (Electronic,Pop)

Miss Anthropocene is a largely stylistically inconsistent collection of songs tied together by a nocturnal, apocalyptic ethos. Though there are a handful of enjoyable songs, the album is overwhelmed by overproduction and muddy mixes. The best moments occur when the production is a little stripped back and  Grimes can more clearly sing downer pop. That being said occasionally the hyperproduction gives a worthwhile element of mayhem as shown the insomniac banger My Name is Dark.

Best Tracks: Delete Forever, My Name is Dark*, You'll miss me when I'm not around


C

DarkVibes/Electronic/Ethereal Wave/Pop

100 gecs: 1000 gecs (2019) (Electronic, Pop)

A Frankenstein of millennial music trends that is sure to take even the most eclectic listeners by surprise, but not so much in their innovation but rather how they cram genres into songs. Gloves are off as 100 gecs throw dubstep, rock, pop, rap, ska, punk, metal and all kinds of other genre cliches in the same songs. Failing to fully focus on one concept, the strength and weakness of gecs is their willingness to divert music trends by cobbling songs through different genres. This is admirable but at times it just feels like they don't know how to end their songs or feel compelled to challenge the listener in a very tacky, unfocused, forced way, resulting in dubstep swamps and black metal diversions (745 sticky, 800db cloud) which are cool sometimes, I guess. Many of the hooks are extremely catchy and the production is very quirky and as diverse as can be for a homemade studio. A clear ethos of chaos and angst, not unfamiliar to the target audience, is clearly shown in the short 23 minute run time. Though many songs are very entertaining and the nostalgia and novelty of 1000 gecs may be enticing, the album can seem like a collection of concepts blended together with little purpose other than the rebellious envelope-pushing message their music gives, without fully directing these concepts in fully potentiated directions.

Best Tracks: 745 sticky*, money machine*, stupid horse, ringtone*

B-

Bubblegum bass/Experimental Pop 

FKA twigs: Magdalene (2019) (Electronic,Pop,R&B)

Like much of Twig's usual work expect her wispy singing on top of airy instrumentals. Sometimes her songwriting is a hit (mirrored heart, home with you, mary magdalene) and Twig's manages to sing emotively to themes that I find pertinent and relatable, sometimes not to the best effect(daybed). The poppier tunes are a good mix, songs like sad day and fallen alien are some of the best pop songs of the year. The choruses of these songs get bigger and bigger, buffered by excellent industrial instrumentals from producers Nicolas Jaar, Benny Blanco, Skrillex among others. Many good songs, some sleepers, but overall decent listen. 

Best Tracks: home with you, sad day*, mary magdalene, fallen alien*

B-


Art Pop/Electronic/Industrial Pop/R&B