Few artists demonstrate a biophilia as strong as Björk, and not just because of her homonymous 2011 album. Her work and life are forged out of facing the elemental conditions of her home, Iceland. She described the birth of her singing practice walking to and from school, “I think I started to sing as a companion. […]
On Raven, Kelela builds her nest from cascading synthesisers and tight drums. ‘Washed Away’ immediately submerges us. Slow, repeating melodies against reverbed vocal riffing set a clear, tidal direction for the album. Throughout, this style is revisited to varying degrees of success. On tracks such as ‘Holier’, Kelela’s attempt leaves little lasting impression on the […]
Lana del Rey’s “experience of bein’ an American whore” on her new single, ‘A&W’ is compelling and versatile. Arpeggiating, breathy piano keys are intertwined with acoustic guitar plucks in verses that run through grassy fields. An impactful rhythm change for the chorus dispels this enjoyable monotony as vocal distortions and manipulated sonics are slowly incorporated into […]
Content Warning: Transphobia The landscape of electronic music is a constantly shifting molten earth that is terraformed by those who push the needle forward, whether that is done through conjuring innovative new sounds or breaking boundaries with hardware development. Wendy Carlos did both. Born in 1938, she played a pivotal role in synthesiser development working alongside […]
The juggernaut that is Björk produces music that is often difficult to remix. It is deeply rewarding when done right, see ‘Arisen My Senses – Lanark Artefax Remix’, and lacklustre when done poorly, see ‘Bachelorette – RZA Remix’. Unfortunately, this version of ‘Ovule’ falls into the latter category. We cannot discuss the shortcomings of this collaboration […]