ADVERTISEMENT
Welcome to Rate Your Music
RYM is one of the largest music databases and communities online, which you can use in endless ways to discover new music. Learn about some of the ways you can use RYM for music discovery.
1,671,205 Artists
5,721,622 Releases
133,155 Labels
120,322,443 Ratings
3,024,494 Reviews
692,897 Lists
Featured reviews
24 August
To be a fan of DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ is to be a part of her world, her aesthetic. To an outsider, her frequency and length of releases could seem overwhelming, it's *just* house music after all... right?
Outsider house has been a scene forever, highlighting a strange juxtaposition of the past, present and future of house music. DJ Sabrina does all of this, presented alongside a vibrant, rose-tinted, cassette-filled 90s-00s aesthetic. It's a tried and tested aesthetic for her, and Destiny is no different.
We get her crescendo filled epics here just as we are accustomed to where a wall of noise, sampled vocals and spoken word peak out with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. But also, with Destiny we see Sabrina going back to the more varied sound of Makin Magic with some truly refreshing but equally as nostalgic jazzy, complextro and IDM infused tracks like I'm Taken, Brave and He's My Baby.
Is this an album for people who don't like DJ Sabrina? No. Is it a good introduction? Possibly not.
What this is, is a celebration of the enigmatic DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ and unlike any of her other albums I feel this covers most cornerstones of her sound and aesthetic and I can imagine any fan of any of her previous work can find a good chunk of this enjoyable (if not the whole thing). The grandiosity and patchwork nature of the sounds does stretch the album beyond the cohesive excellence of Charmed but ultimately, who cares? Get your dancing shoes on, pop the DJ Sabrina cassettes in and get lost in Destiny!
Outsider house has been a scene forever, highlighting a strange juxtaposition of the past, present and future of house music. DJ Sabrina does all of this, presented alongside a vibrant, rose-tinted, cassette-filled 90s-00s aesthetic. It's a tried and tested aesthetic for her, and Destiny is no different.
We get her crescendo filled epics here just as we are accustomed to where a wall of noise, sampled vocals and spoken word peak out with an overwhelming wave of nostalgia. But also, with Destiny we see Sabrina going back to the more varied sound of Makin Magic with some truly refreshing but equally as nostalgic jazzy, complextro and IDM infused tracks like I'm Taken, Brave and He's My Baby.
Is this an album for people who don't like DJ Sabrina? No. Is it a good introduction? Possibly not.
What this is, is a celebration of the enigmatic DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ and unlike any of her other albums I feel this covers most cornerstones of her sound and aesthetic and I can imagine any fan of any of her previous work can find a good chunk of this enjoyable (if not the whole thing). The grandiosity and patchwork nature of the sounds does stretch the album beyond the cohesive excellence of Charmed but ultimately, who cares? Get your dancing shoes on, pop the DJ Sabrina cassettes in and get lost in Destiny!
24 August
LOVElution celebrate the Seoul Sonyo Sound
By the time tripleS revealed 14 of its planned 24 members, WAVs (the fandom) were asked to put each girl into one of two units: LOVElution, and the upcoming EVOLution - with two future members (later revealed to be Girls Planet 999 contestant 신위 [Xinyu] and newcomer 마유 [Mayu]) having their units pre-selected by MODHAUS. For 7 days, the most voted member for each unit was selected, and after a grace period, it was then voted who would debut first. LOVElution, with their theme of 'general, pop, love', was chosen. And so we begin this new era with ↀ...
Picking up where ASSEMBLE's "초월 (Chowall)" left off is the intro "ↀ" (which is XML for the album's title). With the voices of S10 서다현 [SeoDaHyun] and S14 박소현 [ParkSoHyun], we quickly learn that this mini-album contains some new faces compared to the previous two sub-unit releases.
Musically a spiritual successor to Acid Angel From Asia's "Generation", the humorously titled "Girls' Capitalism" is an ode to all the women in the world who feel the pressures of the economic system - buying new clothes, giving into trends and influencers, turning to religion, and so on. But LOVElution also remembers true love and beauty can't be bought, yet give us a cheeky wink while doing so. tripleS' classic "la la la" hook combined with a bright, funky guitar is a combo I'll never get tired of, and the clever lyricism brings it to new heights. A great song to close out the Summer/Winter.
"For me to shine brightly
More than a dazzling filter
Capitalism's my charm, oh yeah
Reality awoke from within
Gonna cherish my dreams for a higher self
(Selfish!)"
Next up is the bouncy "복합성 (Complexity)", which is intended as a modern take on New Jack Swing. The girls' ephemeral voices and wonky basslines create a liminal feeling in the music. There are also occasional horn stabs that burst through as if fighting for a chance to be heard in the mix. This will be the secondary promoted track for the album, and I am excited to see it shine on stage!
Co-produced by LOVElution member Sohyun, "Black Soul Dress" feels a bit nostalgic for the sounds of mid-2010s K-Pop. I enjoy the chic beat that carries the sound as the lyrics celebrate the joys of an all-black outfit, no matter what other people think. #DARKMOOD!
The nocturnal-sounding "Seoul Sonyo Sound" has a great UK Garage sound, though feeling a bit like a lost cut from Version Up. The lyrics mention locations in Seoul such as Cheongdam Station and the iconic Han River as the narrator is lost throughout the city, all over skittering beats and house piano. There's even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod to May's "Cherry Talk".
"Cry Baby" fits itself neatly in the recent pop punk trend, but is ultimately the weakest song on the mini, feeling thematically out of place compared to the heavy electronic influences on the record. I still found the lyrics uplifting and feel-good. The penultimate "Speed Love" is a breezy Liquid Drum and Bass number, with a light flute flying over the production recalling those YouTube mixes of Y2K video game music that I adore. It's sadly the shortest main track on the album despite the incredible production - the song's tempo reflecting their desire for their crush to not hesitate and speed up this love! "I just wanna rush this!"
Traditional Korean drumming and gayageum wrap up the outro of "Number 8", a strangely haunting track that likely hints at EVOLution's sound. Their signature 'la's, sung by S1 윤서연 [YoonSeoYeon] and S9 카에데 [Kaede], never felt so eerie.
A new era of tripleS has begun as they continue to push K-Pop further than ever both musically and structurally. I am continuously wowed by their strive towards strong production and unique ideas. Wanna join the Mad Money Club (For Sad Girls)?
Picking up where ASSEMBLE's "초월 (Chowall)" left off is the intro "ↀ" (which is XML for the album's title). With the voices of S10 서다현 [SeoDaHyun] and S14 박소현 [ParkSoHyun], we quickly learn that this mini-album contains some new faces compared to the previous two sub-unit releases.
Musically a spiritual successor to Acid Angel From Asia's "Generation", the humorously titled "Girls' Capitalism" is an ode to all the women in the world who feel the pressures of the economic system - buying new clothes, giving into trends and influencers, turning to religion, and so on. But LOVElution also remembers true love and beauty can't be bought, yet give us a cheeky wink while doing so. tripleS' classic "la la la" hook combined with a bright, funky guitar is a combo I'll never get tired of, and the clever lyricism brings it to new heights. A great song to close out the Summer/Winter.
"For me to shine brightly
More than a dazzling filter
Capitalism's my charm, oh yeah
Reality awoke from within
Gonna cherish my dreams for a higher self
(Selfish!)"
Next up is the bouncy "복합성 (Complexity)", which is intended as a modern take on New Jack Swing. The girls' ephemeral voices and wonky basslines create a liminal feeling in the music. There are also occasional horn stabs that burst through as if fighting for a chance to be heard in the mix. This will be the secondary promoted track for the album, and I am excited to see it shine on stage!
Co-produced by LOVElution member Sohyun, "Black Soul Dress" feels a bit nostalgic for the sounds of mid-2010s K-Pop. I enjoy the chic beat that carries the sound as the lyrics celebrate the joys of an all-black outfit, no matter what other people think. #DARKMOOD!
The nocturnal-sounding "Seoul Sonyo Sound" has a great UK Garage sound, though feeling a bit like a lost cut from Version Up. The lyrics mention locations in Seoul such as Cheongdam Station and the iconic Han River as the narrator is lost throughout the city, all over skittering beats and house piano. There's even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod to May's "Cherry Talk".
"Cry Baby" fits itself neatly in the recent pop punk trend, but is ultimately the weakest song on the mini, feeling thematically out of place compared to the heavy electronic influences on the record. I still found the lyrics uplifting and feel-good. The penultimate "Speed Love" is a breezy Liquid Drum and Bass number, with a light flute flying over the production recalling those YouTube mixes of Y2K video game music that I adore. It's sadly the shortest main track on the album despite the incredible production - the song's tempo reflecting their desire for their crush to not hesitate and speed up this love! "I just wanna rush this!"
Traditional Korean drumming and gayageum wrap up the outro of "Number 8", a strangely haunting track that likely hints at EVOLution's sound. Their signature 'la's, sung by S1 윤서연 [YoonSeoYeon] and S9 카에데 [Kaede], never felt so eerie.
A new era of tripleS has begun as they continue to push K-Pop further than ever both musically and structurally. I am continuously wowed by their strive towards strong production and unique ideas. Wanna join the Mad Money Club (For Sad Girls)?
17 August
So much shows that knees, hands, neck and feet ache / But the pain brought me up, it got my ass wide awake
Sometimes I find it quite alarming that, regardless of whatever lane the group formerly known as Injury Reserve takes on, their output always seems perfectly catered towards my tastes. The density of this track’s piano chords and the partly mellow, partly sour chord progression they’re placed into would have been enough of a selling point for me as is, but the way they’re led up to with those breathy opening textures in the intro and then chopped into oblivion at the end had me picking my jaw up off the floor. Off-kilter jazz piano samples have always made for some of Injury Reserves best music (e.g. Gravy n’ Biscuits, S on Ya Chest), as they’ve paired well with the group’s occasionally vaudevillian approach to hip-hop. After an absence of jazz and piano on the group’s last album, it’s fantastic to hear both return not just as a throwback, but as a means of expanding upon and continuing past the distinct sonic universe that was created on By the Time I Get to Phoenix. There’s also a pretty strong sense of optimism that comes through in these elements, which fits perfectly with Ritchie’s musings on perseverance and growth in the aftermath of tragedy. Given how so much of Phoenix seemed concerned with time’s terrifying unstoppable march and those it claims along the way, the overtly sanguine tone in the lyrics here is a stark contrast, and an incredibly impactful one at that. Injury Reserve’s final moments were spent deconstructing themselves, and By Storm have wasted no time picking up the pieces and moving forward.
Another tour, another batch of pristinely mastered Autechre soundboards, this time capturing a selection of shows from the 2022 Europe dates (with a conspicuous hyphen in the title suggesting more may be added to this release yet). While it would be inaccurate to characterize Autechre's live show as being entirely devoid of "new" material, as recognizable patches that were adapted into tracks on their recent records (especially elseq 1–5 and NTS Sessions 1-4) feature here as they did on the other soundboard batches, it seems as though Rob and Sean have evolved their set construction to be more nebulous, fluid, and formless than ever before.
On previous batches (particularly the AE_LIVE compilation capturing their 2014-15 tour cycle), it was fairly easy to delineate between 'ideas' within a set; often there would be a fairly hard and even jarring cut from one apparent sequence to the next, skilfully made to flow as a part of the throbbing frenzy but clear enough on close inspection. This meant that, for these sets, it was easy enough to identify discrete sections that adapted patches used for their studio albums, and for the particularly keen fan, to compare and contrast these adaptations between sets to observe how their process of constructing a live show appeared to evolve as the tour went on.
With the release of 2020's AE_Live 2016/2018 compilation, the shows that collectively comprised what was colloquially referred to as the "onesix" tour represented a bold and even alienating advancement from the hard-edged, jagged breakbeat techno of AE_LIVE into something slimier, darker, more akin to the tail end of the NTS Sessions in their preoccupation with atmospheric 'dark ambient' peppered with percussive death rattles and throttling breakdowns separated by vast seas of formless fizzes and squelches. The onesix shows were bracing, jet-black, and sounded like a collapsed heap of amorphous noise, with little clear precedent aside from occasional motifs from NTS 4 and the now famous "organ stabs" finale, which made for some of the most confounding and awe-inspiring music Autechre had ever released.
The 2022 tour, as largely documented by these sets, was acclaimed even before these soundboards dropped, with fan-recorded rips of the Helsinki show and in particular, the now widely adored second show at London's Barbican, generating rapturous praise from the jump. And it's clear to see why, even if you haven't been following how their show has changed over the past near-decade. The 2022 sets are, by and large, more refined, intricate, and balanced in their demonstration of Rob and Sean's vast toolkit than the onesix tour. While the 16/18 sets threw the listener into an oppressive and even nightmarish tarpit of hisses, hums, and bass kicks, the 2022 tour takes that unkempt and unruly quality and sculps it into something more varied, but simultaneously, less segmented, than any of their previous official live releases.
More than ever before, these sets are seamless. Rob and Sean don't just flit from one patch riff to another, they elegantly build these sets to feel like one single idea that evolves so slowly and with such a deft touch that you barely notice the changes as they occur, particularly if you're only listening passively. This makes for an experience that's less trying than parts of the onesix sets could be (for as much as I love those shows, their incredible payoffs feel hard-earned on the part of the listener), while at the same time, showcasing more of the duo's toolkit and recontextualizing familiar patches such as the c16 deep tread patch that will be familiar from as far back as the '14 tour.
The result is the most elegantly crafted and appreciably dense music Autechre have released in this format, and while most of the sets share very similar DNA such that listening to one gives you a fairly good picture of the whole approach, it never feels tiresome or redundant to dive in to something new. As forecasted, the big exception is London B, which sounds entirely unlike the other six sets, and showcases the heaviest and most propulsive embrace of the duo's techno and hip-hop roots of any set in recent memory. London B is not particularly representative of the tour at large, but if there's one set you check out, it should absolutely be this one. Of the rest, the 80-minute Athens and the stellar Turin show are also particularly hypnotic and impressive examples of Autechre's craft in this format, and all are great insights into the seemingly associative method Rob and Sean use in constructing their work.
It's an absolute pleasure that rewards attentive listening if you have the patience and interest in hearing these men riffing and scanning through the various configurations of a particular set of bass, kick, and synth tones, endlessly shifting and rearranging until the set is in an entirely different place than where it was 10 minutes prior. That it's never quite clear how much of their process involves improvisation versus composition is one of the biggest delights of listening to Autechre in this format, though it certainly won't be for everyone.
On previous batches (particularly the AE_LIVE compilation capturing their 2014-15 tour cycle), it was fairly easy to delineate between 'ideas' within a set; often there would be a fairly hard and even jarring cut from one apparent sequence to the next, skilfully made to flow as a part of the throbbing frenzy but clear enough on close inspection. This meant that, for these sets, it was easy enough to identify discrete sections that adapted patches used for their studio albums, and for the particularly keen fan, to compare and contrast these adaptations between sets to observe how their process of constructing a live show appeared to evolve as the tour went on.
With the release of 2020's AE_Live 2016/2018 compilation, the shows that collectively comprised what was colloquially referred to as the "onesix" tour represented a bold and even alienating advancement from the hard-edged, jagged breakbeat techno of AE_LIVE into something slimier, darker, more akin to the tail end of the NTS Sessions in their preoccupation with atmospheric 'dark ambient' peppered with percussive death rattles and throttling breakdowns separated by vast seas of formless fizzes and squelches. The onesix shows were bracing, jet-black, and sounded like a collapsed heap of amorphous noise, with little clear precedent aside from occasional motifs from NTS 4 and the now famous "organ stabs" finale, which made for some of the most confounding and awe-inspiring music Autechre had ever released.
The 2022 tour, as largely documented by these sets, was acclaimed even before these soundboards dropped, with fan-recorded rips of the Helsinki show and in particular, the now widely adored second show at London's Barbican, generating rapturous praise from the jump. And it's clear to see why, even if you haven't been following how their show has changed over the past near-decade. The 2022 sets are, by and large, more refined, intricate, and balanced in their demonstration of Rob and Sean's vast toolkit than the onesix tour. While the 16/18 sets threw the listener into an oppressive and even nightmarish tarpit of hisses, hums, and bass kicks, the 2022 tour takes that unkempt and unruly quality and sculps it into something more varied, but simultaneously, less segmented, than any of their previous official live releases.
More than ever before, these sets are seamless. Rob and Sean don't just flit from one patch riff to another, they elegantly build these sets to feel like one single idea that evolves so slowly and with such a deft touch that you barely notice the changes as they occur, particularly if you're only listening passively. This makes for an experience that's less trying than parts of the onesix sets could be (for as much as I love those shows, their incredible payoffs feel hard-earned on the part of the listener), while at the same time, showcasing more of the duo's toolkit and recontextualizing familiar patches such as the c16 deep tread patch that will be familiar from as far back as the '14 tour.
The result is the most elegantly crafted and appreciably dense music Autechre have released in this format, and while most of the sets share very similar DNA such that listening to one gives you a fairly good picture of the whole approach, it never feels tiresome or redundant to dive in to something new. As forecasted, the big exception is London B, which sounds entirely unlike the other six sets, and showcases the heaviest and most propulsive embrace of the duo's techno and hip-hop roots of any set in recent memory. London B is not particularly representative of the tour at large, but if there's one set you check out, it should absolutely be this one. Of the rest, the 80-minute Athens and the stellar Turin show are also particularly hypnotic and impressive examples of Autechre's craft in this format, and all are great insights into the seemingly associative method Rob and Sean use in constructing their work.
It's an absolute pleasure that rewards attentive listening if you have the patience and interest in hearing these men riffing and scanning through the various configurations of a particular set of bass, kick, and synth tones, endlessly shifting and rearranging until the set is in an entirely different place than where it was 10 minutes prior. That it's never quite clear how much of their process involves improvisation versus composition is one of the biggest delights of listening to Autechre in this format, though it certainly won't be for everyone.
Exaggerated, Silly, but COOL.
Swagger practically oozes out of this thing. Decidedly unambitious, but effortless and essentially flawless in its execution - The Hives know how to do some damn good garage revival, and this is surely their strongest outing. A short and sweet 31 minute runtime, an exhilarating mix of 1 minute thrashers and longer, smoother, mellower jams - present in all a perfect guitar tone that’s heavy enough but also slick as hell. If this album were a person it would day drink, walk with a limp, and chew (not smoke) cigarettes. An exaggerated, silly, but extremely fun level of *cool.*
16 August
Long awaited full-length from Laura Groves after a decade-long streak of EPs. And it’s a pretty low key affair with just a couple of songs that are up-tempo and just a few more that are any kind of tempo at all. Opener and lead single Sky At Night sees the album at its most dreamily bombastic and gets things off to a shimmery soaring start thanks to sky-rocketing wuthery build ups to each chorus. 2nd song Good Intention is a tastily contrasting counterpoint and is a straight-up relative RnB party jam. From that point on airy, shivery, weightless ballads are the preferred mode. Because of this soft, soothy, cloud trodding nature it doesn’t feel like a record that makes many steps at all but it does definitely make the slightest of missteps with the otherwise mighty fine D 4 N when Sampha’s RnB vocals slip into play and ends up being just not really of a good fit with Groves’ purely icy, in-its-own-world style. Thankfully 5th track and second single I’m Not Crying is there to immediately rectify things by being a teensy bit more tender n beautiful and packing just a mite more lyrical pow.
The second half is essentially rock solid despite its mostly beatless tendency. Any Day Now is just a tad heavier in groove and absolutely swelters in gorgeousity and sixth track Time is a gentler, still groovy enough iteration. The beats at this point fade completely but the spectral harmonies begin to pile up fast with Sarah and Make A Start featuring some of the fullest, most stellar arrangements. Closer Silver Lining comes across as a simpler, strummier, more light-hearted folk ditty in comparison. Overall, Groves’ gossamer voice is the main showcase here along with the consistently woozy, atmospheric keys. The drifty, laidback songwriting style is mainly lovely the whole way through but might be a bit too disperse and undramatic for some. Not groovalicious but maybe one step better… Grove-alicious.
The second half is essentially rock solid despite its mostly beatless tendency. Any Day Now is just a tad heavier in groove and absolutely swelters in gorgeousity and sixth track Time is a gentler, still groovy enough iteration. The beats at this point fade completely but the spectral harmonies begin to pile up fast with Sarah and Make A Start featuring some of the fullest, most stellar arrangements. Closer Silver Lining comes across as a simpler, strummier, more light-hearted folk ditty in comparison. Overall, Groves’ gossamer voice is the main showcase here along with the consistently woozy, atmospheric keys. The drifty, laidback songwriting style is mainly lovely the whole way through but might be a bit too disperse and undramatic for some. Not groovalicious but maybe one step better… Grove-alicious.
2010s Album Anniversary
This album offers something new every time you listen to it.
This album plays a variety of roles; it offers and evokes a raw and often extremely relatable spectrum of emotions for the listener, yet simultaneously tells a deeply personal story of Frank's experiences; it creates a widely contrasting range of atmospheres, from hopeful and innocent to nostalgic and melancholically wistful of past relationships (both romantic and platonic) to pessimistic and angsty; it observes and expresses the beauty and pain of youth, in a way that only Frank could achieve.
Aside from it's emotionally deep aspects, 'Blonde' is also surface-layer enchanting and exquisite; a person listening to it for the first time without focusing greatly on exploring beneath the surface can easily identify it as beautiful. However, at least in my experience, after listening to it frequently for a while one tends to move away from the more typically appealing songs, such as 'Pink and White' to the more obscure ones, for instance 'Skyline to'. There is a shift; songs that I previously may have skipped are suddenly those most commonly played- 'Blonde' constantly offers something new and my perspective on songs continually changes, even those I would have originally said I disliked, because each song has emotional significance for me.
To conclude, 'Blonde' is (as recognised by many) a masterpiece, avoiding a set genre to become a well-loved, emotionally intelligent, defining album in the youths of so many.
Aside from it's emotionally deep aspects, 'Blonde' is also surface-layer enchanting and exquisite; a person listening to it for the first time without focusing greatly on exploring beneath the surface can easily identify it as beautiful. However, at least in my experience, after listening to it frequently for a while one tends to move away from the more typically appealing songs, such as 'Pink and White' to the more obscure ones, for instance 'Skyline to'. There is a shift; songs that I previously may have skipped are suddenly those most commonly played- 'Blonde' constantly offers something new and my perspective on songs continually changes, even those I would have originally said I disliked, because each song has emotional significance for me.
To conclude, 'Blonde' is (as recognised by many) a masterpiece, avoiding a set genre to become a well-loved, emotionally intelligent, defining album in the youths of so many.
2010s Album Anniversary
Cityscapes at night are often quite gorgeous. Whether on a hill looking at the vista or in a skyscraper looking out the window, there's a sense of beauty in all those lights amongst the gridlines and monoliths. But lurking at the ground level is a feeling of mystery and sometimes danger. Loud City Song captures this image in sound.
The opening is sparse, but the layers are going to build, and "Maxim's I" is going to bring on the swelling, miasmic dreaminess, and "Horns Surrounding Me" is going to bring the danger. The hazy cover of "Hello Stranger" is a hell of a centerpiece and Julia's vocals really shine here. "Maxim's II" has a neat configuration with the ascending and descending chord patterns and tonal shifts.
The atmosphere is rich, glimmering and sprawling. Like a city. The closer emphasizes this, gradually revealing itself as sonics slowly escalate.
This is every bit as stellar as her next two main releases, while possessing its own unique vibe. Classy and often quirky, it's like a cool breeze under a flashing streetlight.
The opening is sparse, but the layers are going to build, and "Maxim's I" is going to bring on the swelling, miasmic dreaminess, and "Horns Surrounding Me" is going to bring the danger. The hazy cover of "Hello Stranger" is a hell of a centerpiece and Julia's vocals really shine here. "Maxim's II" has a neat configuration with the ascending and descending chord patterns and tonal shifts.
The atmosphere is rich, glimmering and sprawling. Like a city. The closer emphasizes this, gradually revealing itself as sonics slowly escalate.
This is every bit as stellar as her next two main releases, while possessing its own unique vibe. Classy and often quirky, it's like a cool breeze under a flashing streetlight.
1950s Album Anniversary
Jazz exists in a void, comfortably, frantically, with or without the guise of being under or out of control.
Hearing this album, my first jazz album, was an open door into this hallway of Universe chaos colored couches to chill on.
And Kind of Blue, simply put, is the coziest couch. It captures the "cool" in 1080p HD that made Jazz such a coveted style up to this time. Miles wound up killing that whole genre by perfecting it. But this is it.
My doorway into the world of infinite melody and rhythm called Jazz was born from this cozy sofa.
This album leaves nothing to desire. It doesn't go overboard in any direction. Hardly anyone makes albums that feel this "whole". It definitely changed the way I looked at music.
Hearing this album, my first jazz album, was an open door into this hallway of Universe chaos colored couches to chill on.
And Kind of Blue, simply put, is the coziest couch. It captures the "cool" in 1080p HD that made Jazz such a coveted style up to this time. Miles wound up killing that whole genre by perfecting it. But this is it.
My doorway into the world of infinite melody and rhythm called Jazz was born from this cozy sofa.
This album leaves nothing to desire. It doesn't go overboard in any direction. Hardly anyone makes albums that feel this "whole". It definitely changed the way I looked at music.
Exploring Art Pop
![Cover art for Japanese Girl (日本少女) by 矢野顕子 [Akiko Yano]](http://e.snmc.io/i/600/s/8ef52d49e58d96bf8048afa7f13a1b93/11085465/矢野顕子-akiko-yano-japanese-girl-日本少女-Cover-Art.jpg)
One of the most creative art-folk projects I've ever listened to
Well, what can I say, This album was way ahead of it's time. Very diverse, artistic, progressive and creative Art-folk, Jazz-fusion album. Huge bow of respect to Akiko Yano for crafting this masterpiece. It's crazy how she was only 21 years old when she made this. Sounds like something an artist would make as their 7th album with all the skills and experience. Aside from her amazing vocals and melodies the production really delivers and leaves no space for fillers or anything that is not necessary and keeps the listener engaged on every note.
9.5/10
Major Takeaways: Kuma, Magnolia Grandiflora, Funamachi Uta part 1 and 2
9.5/10
Major Takeaways: Kuma, Magnolia Grandiflora, Funamachi Uta part 1 and 2
13 August
1990s Album Anniversary
Pixies - Bossanova
90s alternative music wouldn't have been the same without the albums Pixies published in the second half of the previous decade. With their mixture of sugary melodic sweetness, crazy irony and sharp dissonant guitars, and with the alternation of quiet and noise explosions, the acid candies packed by the band will be delicious inspiration for the alternative universe that will soon become mainstream. A moment before this explosion takes place, changing the balance between independent rock and chart rock, Pixies publish the record in which the border between pop and experimentation is more labile - kind of premonition of what will happen in the musical scene of the immediate future. If the previous albums had their main feature in (deliberately discordant) contrasts, in Bossanova everything appears in perfect symbiosis. Surf reverbs and metal rides harmoniously combine in the initial Cecilia Ann (Surftones cover), as well as infantile obsessive lullabies merge naturally with hints of dissonance and electric noises in The Happening. Compared to the previous two albums, melodies become less crooked and, while maintaining a bittersweet aftertaste, they are softer and more dreamy. The band from Boston fine tunes the recipe for its candies: perhaps not as destabilizing and amazing as in the past (and therefore less appreciated by old-time fans), but more digestible and tasty for an audience now ready for the mix of melody and noise.
2020s Single Anniversary
the toughest pill to swallow there is
Brandon Roy was the reason I became the Portland Trail Blazers fan I am today. Drafted in the aftermath of a dishonorable era in team history known as "Jail Blazers", Roy quickly became the local hero after a rapid rise to basketball stardom, with back to back succesful seasons and All Star selections. A man who refreshed the hopes and ambitions for those who only have Blazers to root for out of all 4 major American leagues, Roy also had a chronic knee problem that plagued him since college. He injured his left knee, then hamstring, then right knee, tore his meniscus, and still after 8 days of recovery, he was in a playoff game.
By 2011, Roy had arthroscopic surgery in both of his knees. Roy was literally the injured reserve that year. He never returned to his All Star level. His knees were deteriorating day-by-day, his bone contusion had reached a level where he had to inject fluids after every game for relief, at one point he couldn't even lift 5 kilogram dumbells without immense amount of pain. That offseason Roy's knees had degenerated so much that he retired.
He was 27 years old. He tried in 2012-13 to return but after 5 games his knees couldn't take it no more.
I never knew the state of mind Roy was in all those years. Doomed to a demise that is inevitable and eventually bound to happen. I couldn't even fathom it. I didn't even think something could even come CLOSE to reflect the pain that he had. Now I know.
In hip hop dealing, struggling with vices and problems is not a strange theme. It has been handled by many, some righteous, even boastful, self-motivated, peaceful, violent, indifferent even. But I don't remember there being an instance where the agent who is tackling these issues is outright miserable. End of the road. Irreversible.
Knees off Injury Reserve's second album is a song about moving on, moving on without the possibility of solving. Moving on in the sense of passing, not proceeding. The song spirals into itself, reversed loop, the strings that just sound like they were meant to continue a melody that never comes, the refrains, the drums and hi-hats that sound so independent and scattered that you might suspect they weren't meant to be in this song at all. On top of all these is the sole performance of late Stepa J. Groggs on the album, a verse that is almost sarcastic in it's approach to the looming resolution. He knows dead men don't grow, their knees don't hurt, because they are lying, they have grown horizontally. The references to his alcoholism would be at best dark or grim if he were to be alive, but in the context of the whole album it is downright haunting. It's as if he knows that the destruction has been made, the die has cast, and now there is nothing to do but wait until the end of days. It's a tough pill to swallow,but what option do you have? The lack of options, the desperation this song conveys, unparalleled. I really don't recall the last time something moved me emotionally as much as the 3:30 mark. It sounds like Ritchie realizes at that second that he cannot do anything. The nightmare is to be unfolded, not interrupted.
I think Knees, and the album in general, is a monumental moment in hip hop the same way why I think Atrocity Exhibition or Some Rap Songs are monumental moments in history: they are so bleak and blatant the way they delve into the darknesses of addictions and their interaction with the individual while creating a soundscape that expands the conventions of a regular rap production. I don't think the post-rap term is as pretentious as some of the people claim it to be, because if we are to use the post as the same way we were using it, then yeah, this is definitely a rap song, thematically and expressively hip hop in its nature, presented within melodies that aren't necessarily hip hop. Anyways, these are eventually foolish debates, the point is, I expect Knees to be one of the top singles of the decade when it's all said and done. A powerful manifestation and a pretty accurate portrayal of confronting the last great sleep. The sleep you have been preparing your bed for quite some time.
By 2011, Roy had arthroscopic surgery in both of his knees. Roy was literally the injured reserve that year. He never returned to his All Star level. His knees were deteriorating day-by-day, his bone contusion had reached a level where he had to inject fluids after every game for relief, at one point he couldn't even lift 5 kilogram dumbells without immense amount of pain. That offseason Roy's knees had degenerated so much that he retired.
He was 27 years old. He tried in 2012-13 to return but after 5 games his knees couldn't take it no more.
I never knew the state of mind Roy was in all those years. Doomed to a demise that is inevitable and eventually bound to happen. I couldn't even fathom it. I didn't even think something could even come CLOSE to reflect the pain that he had. Now I know.
In hip hop dealing, struggling with vices and problems is not a strange theme. It has been handled by many, some righteous, even boastful, self-motivated, peaceful, violent, indifferent even. But I don't remember there being an instance where the agent who is tackling these issues is outright miserable. End of the road. Irreversible.
Knees off Injury Reserve's second album is a song about moving on, moving on without the possibility of solving. Moving on in the sense of passing, not proceeding. The song spirals into itself, reversed loop, the strings that just sound like they were meant to continue a melody that never comes, the refrains, the drums and hi-hats that sound so independent and scattered that you might suspect they weren't meant to be in this song at all. On top of all these is the sole performance of late Stepa J. Groggs on the album, a verse that is almost sarcastic in it's approach to the looming resolution. He knows dead men don't grow, their knees don't hurt, because they are lying, they have grown horizontally. The references to his alcoholism would be at best dark or grim if he were to be alive, but in the context of the whole album it is downright haunting. It's as if he knows that the destruction has been made, the die has cast, and now there is nothing to do but wait until the end of days. It's a tough pill to swallow,but what option do you have? The lack of options, the desperation this song conveys, unparalleled. I really don't recall the last time something moved me emotionally as much as the 3:30 mark. It sounds like Ritchie realizes at that second that he cannot do anything. The nightmare is to be unfolded, not interrupted.
I think Knees, and the album in general, is a monumental moment in hip hop the same way why I think Atrocity Exhibition or Some Rap Songs are monumental moments in history: they are so bleak and blatant the way they delve into the darknesses of addictions and their interaction with the individual while creating a soundscape that expands the conventions of a regular rap production. I don't think the post-rap term is as pretentious as some of the people claim it to be, because if we are to use the post as the same way we were using it, then yeah, this is definitely a rap song, thematically and expressively hip hop in its nature, presented within melodies that aren't necessarily hip hop. Anyways, these are eventually foolish debates, the point is, I expect Knees to be one of the top singles of the decade when it's all said and done. A powerful manifestation and a pretty accurate portrayal of confronting the last great sleep. The sleep you have been preparing your bed for quite some time.
11 August
With Sundial the biggest question I'm left with is: Can the phrase "One bad apple spoils the bunch" apply to music?
To put it more bluntly: Does one bad song spoil an album? You'd think the answer would simply be "No, I can just skip any song I don't like", but albums are often a curated experience. You're supposed to listen to each track in the order set out by the artist so that whatever story or musical journey they've laid out before you can unfold and blossom as it's designed to. So when a single piece of this story is obviously tainted, can you actually enjoy the full project the way it should be? Can you simply cut out the poisoned part without fear the rest is safe.
The album itself is concise and well put together. Just over the 30 minute mark, it blasts its way through its 11 songs with a mixture of skittering beats that rouse the desire for action in you and gentle, spacious pieces that float effortlessly. Both wonderfully jazzy, carry Noname's impeccable storytelling perfectly as she details ideas large and small, public and personal. So much crammed in so little. While it's still quite gentle, it's a far more aggressive approach to the soothing sounds that made the bulk of both Telefone and Room 25, Noname is clearly trying to dig deeper and be that bit more blunt with her messaging. She's trying to be certain that the people who need to hear what she has to say are actually listening.
Which is why my opening question is so pertinent. This could easily be a good or even great project from Noname, but Balloons holds up an ugly mirror to the rest of the album. When Noname calls out Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and even her own hypocrisy on Namesake it feels like she's trying to hold people accountable for what they do and say, including herself. That the messages in an artist's music should be reflected in their own life and that this is a standard she wants to hold for herself.
Which is why Jay Electronica's verse on Balloons is so important. The final few lines of Jay's verse are largely what I think are the worst. They boil down to him boasting that no-one on the planet can stop him from saying or doing the awful things he's already mentioned, both in that verse and on others. He calls for violence and even name-checks the leader of the anti-semitic Nation of Islam movement Louis Farrakhan, who also has ties to Gaddafi and the Church of Scientology:
"The imams, the rabbis, and the pope incidentally
Couldn't stop my boat, God from quoin' quotes from the senseis
If anybody asks, tell 'em Farrakhan sent me
It's the war of armageddon and I'm beggin' the listener
If you ain't fightin' that mean you either dead or a prisoner"
On a project that is filled with self-reflection and sees Noname calling out plenty of others I haven't mentioned for things that completely make sense given everything she has said across all 3 of her projects, can this inclusion simply be skipped-away?
To put it more bluntly: Does one bad song spoil an album? You'd think the answer would simply be "No, I can just skip any song I don't like", but albums are often a curated experience. You're supposed to listen to each track in the order set out by the artist so that whatever story or musical journey they've laid out before you can unfold and blossom as it's designed to. So when a single piece of this story is obviously tainted, can you actually enjoy the full project the way it should be? Can you simply cut out the poisoned part without fear the rest is safe.
The album itself is concise and well put together. Just over the 30 minute mark, it blasts its way through its 11 songs with a mixture of skittering beats that rouse the desire for action in you and gentle, spacious pieces that float effortlessly. Both wonderfully jazzy, carry Noname's impeccable storytelling perfectly as she details ideas large and small, public and personal. So much crammed in so little. While it's still quite gentle, it's a far more aggressive approach to the soothing sounds that made the bulk of both Telefone and Room 25, Noname is clearly trying to dig deeper and be that bit more blunt with her messaging. She's trying to be certain that the people who need to hear what she has to say are actually listening.
Which is why my opening question is so pertinent. This could easily be a good or even great project from Noname, but Balloons holds up an ugly mirror to the rest of the album. When Noname calls out Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and even her own hypocrisy on Namesake it feels like she's trying to hold people accountable for what they do and say, including herself. That the messages in an artist's music should be reflected in their own life and that this is a standard she wants to hold for herself.
Which is why Jay Electronica's verse on Balloons is so important. The final few lines of Jay's verse are largely what I think are the worst. They boil down to him boasting that no-one on the planet can stop him from saying or doing the awful things he's already mentioned, both in that verse and on others. He calls for violence and even name-checks the leader of the anti-semitic Nation of Islam movement Louis Farrakhan, who also has ties to Gaddafi and the Church of Scientology:
"The imams, the rabbis, and the pope incidentally
Couldn't stop my boat, God from quoin' quotes from the senseis
If anybody asks, tell 'em Farrakhan sent me
It's the war of armageddon and I'm beggin' the listener
If you ain't fightin' that mean you either dead or a prisoner"
On a project that is filled with self-reflection and sees Noname calling out plenty of others I haven't mentioned for things that completely make sense given everything she has said across all 3 of her projects, can this inclusion simply be skipped-away?
10 August
NewJeans are not fooling around.
A year since NewJeans' debut, I've been following them for about 7 months now. Their chosen direction for this EP is undeniably refreshing. In the current Kpop scene, there isn't an approach quite like the one they've taken in this work. The fact that they've used UK garage, Europop, and Liquid DnB as a base is incredible because it works seamlessly. It doesn't feel overproduced, and they haven't had to overly adapt the vocals. There's a significant improvement in the lyrics compared to their previous EP, especially in "ETA," which stands out as one of the most remarkable songs.
The only issue I find is its 12-minute duration; maybe "New Jeans" needed something extra to close the song better. It feels a bit short, in my opinion. "Cool with you" surprised me the most; it feels like being in a 00's nightclub with its fantastic harmonies. The EP concludes nicely with the last song, which serves as a refreshing experience after such a delightful journey. Perhaps the short duration is compensated by the intensity of the melodies and the hooks, which work perfectly.
What I Like the most: Those Powerpuff Girls samples.
The only issue I find is its 12-minute duration; maybe "New Jeans" needed something extra to close the song better. It feels a bit short, in my opinion. "Cool with you" surprised me the most; it feels like being in a 00's nightclub with its fantastic harmonies. The EP concludes nicely with the last song, which serves as a refreshing experience after such a delightful journey. Perhaps the short duration is compensated by the intensity of the melodies and the hooks, which work perfectly.
What I Like the most: Those Powerpuff Girls samples.
09 August
Cloud nine from above and within
Soft Landing is exactly what it says it is. Picture yourself dropping from some great height, but instead of speeding up with gravity you somehow slow down - to the point you're almost suspended in air - before it comes to a gentle end. This is exactly what the album depicts; a work that at first sounds anxious and frantic, before it progressively finds itself enclosed in its own reverie. There are also plenty of ephemeral metaphors that encapsulate the same feeling the album goes for - hitting that first good high in the club, the end of a long rewarding day, looking out of the plane the moment you go above the clouds... among many more. However temporary or permanent, it is the pursuit and achievement of the ideal that the album focuses on, in its lows and highs, in its physical and intangible. It's exactly as you'd imagine that to be: it sounds dreamy and ethereal, though similarly it is not so awashed to the point you can't discern anything. Polly Mackey and her crew have treated the album with so much love that it allows all of its influences and aspects breathe unaided - it immediately hits you with how brilliant it is, and it will certainly warrant return after return for each of its intricacies to be unravelled.
The sonic details on this album are incredible - from production to sound manipulation, it is surely one of 2023's high points. With an album like this, falling into the pitfalls of "too much reverb" and melody death is all too easy in search of a dreamy atmosphere, but this vaults over them. The opener, "A Place to Lie", is one track that best exemplifies it. That ominous synth from the first second isn't actually a synth, but a nylon guitar put through pedal after pedal, morphed from layer between layer, which gives it the distinct sound it has. All the little electronic details build up from that - a sweeping synth carrying the chord progression along joins at first, before more synth lines carrying their own melodies are added minute by minute. Every percussion choice in this song is fantastic as well and that is testament to Marika Hackman. They start off in this rapid, agitated rhythm and together with the building melody work up to this frenzied, cathartic release. Even in all of the chaos, there are all these tiny and polished details that accelerate the song the whole way through, leading to its incredible payoff.
There is clear club and rave influence throughout the album - "Close to the Clouds" is hard-hitting from the get-go - it has tinges of witch house, with its glimmery keys and pummeling bass line. "Real Life" continues this feel, in what is a fantastic take on tech house. Carried afloat by this swooping synth line before flying high with its final chorus, "Real Life" encapsulates the drama of reaching a transient high, like unattainable love, before being quickly brought down as the fire burns out and reality kicks in. "Heaven Hanging Low" recalls the drum & bass aspects of "A Place to Lie", starting off soft before breaking out into one of the album's frantic moments overall.
Away from the club-inspired moments are also some fantastic tracks: "The Weeks" is a definite highlight. Reminiscent of some early Ben Howard, it is a track that soars into a complete dream pop-shoegaze blend after charging up with its combination of trance-like keys and electric guitars. "Out There" is a lot to take in, with its electronics contrasting between soft and hard all at once as it effectively demonstrates an anecdote that is increasingly becoming all too prevalent: some of today's youth spending their life disillusioned and trapped in hedonism, and the struggle of breaking out of the vicious circle. Many of the album tracks dabble in downtempo and alternative R&B as well: "Waves" is one of the best in that respect, a far slower and groovy track - the album's aphrodisiac - that is definitely welcome after the energy of the triple punch that precedes it. "Too Bright" wraps the album up in a trip hop manner, one that blends the album's intensity in its bass line with the tranquility in its meandering, understated melody.
Though Soft Landing pursues the meaning of the ideal, Mackey is aware of the rugged terrain involved in reaching it. The album at heart is confessional. She herself has seen the solace in the transient happiness that presents itself as the ideal - love, drugs, going out, giving it everything - and through the album, reflects on it all. This struggle is metaphorised through the human body and its movement a lot: "slide up the walls, feet off the floor" she sings in the first track. "Pull me back in," she sings on "Real Life". They both manage to demonstrate the good and the bad at once; the desire, the joy, the greed, the helplessness. She can be levitating in space and trapped between four walls.
It can be hard to be happy and even harder to reach for it, though no matter how short or long that is, it is very much there and alive. This album encapsulates it perfectly - the music both lives in the moment and is deep in thought and it can sound both serene and menacing. Soft Landing is a candid and ambitious statement in that sense, and I'm just thankful that the music fully bolsters it by the due diligence it had received. It's a work that is completely solid, executing the whole variety of electronic and indie tropes amazingly well while staying coherent and on track the entire time. It's been a pleasure to listen to this, and I'll be listening to it for many days to come.
The sonic details on this album are incredible - from production to sound manipulation, it is surely one of 2023's high points. With an album like this, falling into the pitfalls of "too much reverb" and melody death is all too easy in search of a dreamy atmosphere, but this vaults over them. The opener, "A Place to Lie", is one track that best exemplifies it. That ominous synth from the first second isn't actually a synth, but a nylon guitar put through pedal after pedal, morphed from layer between layer, which gives it the distinct sound it has. All the little electronic details build up from that - a sweeping synth carrying the chord progression along joins at first, before more synth lines carrying their own melodies are added minute by minute. Every percussion choice in this song is fantastic as well and that is testament to Marika Hackman. They start off in this rapid, agitated rhythm and together with the building melody work up to this frenzied, cathartic release. Even in all of the chaos, there are all these tiny and polished details that accelerate the song the whole way through, leading to its incredible payoff.
There is clear club and rave influence throughout the album - "Close to the Clouds" is hard-hitting from the get-go - it has tinges of witch house, with its glimmery keys and pummeling bass line. "Real Life" continues this feel, in what is a fantastic take on tech house. Carried afloat by this swooping synth line before flying high with its final chorus, "Real Life" encapsulates the drama of reaching a transient high, like unattainable love, before being quickly brought down as the fire burns out and reality kicks in. "Heaven Hanging Low" recalls the drum & bass aspects of "A Place to Lie", starting off soft before breaking out into one of the album's frantic moments overall.
Away from the club-inspired moments are also some fantastic tracks: "The Weeks" is a definite highlight. Reminiscent of some early Ben Howard, it is a track that soars into a complete dream pop-shoegaze blend after charging up with its combination of trance-like keys and electric guitars. "Out There" is a lot to take in, with its electronics contrasting between soft and hard all at once as it effectively demonstrates an anecdote that is increasingly becoming all too prevalent: some of today's youth spending their life disillusioned and trapped in hedonism, and the struggle of breaking out of the vicious circle. Many of the album tracks dabble in downtempo and alternative R&B as well: "Waves" is one of the best in that respect, a far slower and groovy track - the album's aphrodisiac - that is definitely welcome after the energy of the triple punch that precedes it. "Too Bright" wraps the album up in a trip hop manner, one that blends the album's intensity in its bass line with the tranquility in its meandering, understated melody.
Though Soft Landing pursues the meaning of the ideal, Mackey is aware of the rugged terrain involved in reaching it. The album at heart is confessional. She herself has seen the solace in the transient happiness that presents itself as the ideal - love, drugs, going out, giving it everything - and through the album, reflects on it all. This struggle is metaphorised through the human body and its movement a lot: "slide up the walls, feet off the floor" she sings in the first track. "Pull me back in," she sings on "Real Life". They both manage to demonstrate the good and the bad at once; the desire, the joy, the greed, the helplessness. She can be levitating in space and trapped between four walls.
It can be hard to be happy and even harder to reach for it, though no matter how short or long that is, it is very much there and alive. This album encapsulates it perfectly - the music both lives in the moment and is deep in thought and it can sound both serene and menacing. Soft Landing is a candid and ambitious statement in that sense, and I'm just thankful that the music fully bolsters it by the due diligence it had received. It's a work that is completely solid, executing the whole variety of electronic and indie tropes amazingly well while staying coherent and on track the entire time. It's been a pleasure to listen to this, and I'll be listening to it for many days to come.
Sonemic
Sonemic is the name of an update to Rate Your Music which is currently under development. It's an upgrade to RYM which greatly improves and modernizes the existing features of RYM. The Sonemic charts, genre pages, message boards, and new music page are already part of RYM today.
Glitchwave, our video game site, is currently in Beta 4, accessible to all users at glitchwave.com
We have recently announced a new development strategy: We are bringing all of the already-developed Sonemic and Cinemos features into RYM, one at a time, and have opened Glitchwave to everyone.
You can read more on the Development status page.
ADVERTISEMENT