Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica [Mexican Summer/Software]

8.4

Finding a median between ambience, glitch, and even minimalism is a sheer monumental accomplishment in itself. But, I’m sure Daniel Lopatin, aka Oneohtrix Point Never, prides himself on simply sounding like nothing else. The atmospheric, awkward synthesizers that penetrate the breaks of being beautiful are simply astounding on Replica, Lopatin’s second widely distributed LP following last year’s break-out Returnal. One could simply call this music “drone”, but I think it’s deeper than that. Its permeation into the minds of listeners is astounding. How can you even describe what is going on Lopatin’s complex loop-filled music?

Replica is in fact unlike anything I’ve heard. Though my drone music knowledge is very limited; I feel as though Lopatin has crafted something unreal and so nostalgic, it’s indescribable. Scenes of black and white cottages surrounded by something sinister at dawn is conjured on “Andro” and “Power of Persuasion”; in fact, the entirety of Replica is like an impending doom threatening to swoop in. The drone-like ambience is where Lopatin really hits his stride with near perfection. ”Andro” is an epic piece of music until the drill and bass sequence thunders in towards the end.

When I mentioned the sounds of Replica are awkward, I mean it. The main beat of “Nassau” sounds like the fast inhaling and exhaling of a man and the piercing percussion on “Remember” is just cringingly abrasive. Fortunately, the more ambiences Lopatin inserts, the better Replica gets. “Nassau” really picks up at the end with indiscernible nostalgia creeping in with soaring doodling synths. “Submersible” is really a main highlight being the most ambient and eerie track on Replica, but it still has this unmistakable beauty about it; it sounds so old and aged, yet nothing like it has been created before.

The most structured of the tracks off Replica is the daunting title track. Trudging through with a slow and somber piano line accompanied by heavily reverb instrumentals darting around and around the piano line; “Replica” is a track to remember for 2011 and most likely the entire decade to come for music. The entirety of Replica will be look back as a monumental record to propel Lopatin into the realms of the great modern electronic artists such as Aphex Twin, Tim Hecker, and others, but Lopatin will be something more.

Replica is purely introspective and requires multiple listens to really appreciate its textures. From glitch, ambience, and even slowcore; Lopatin reaches limits in music unknown to man but still finds a way to brings us back to a familiar place where we can delve into something from the past. Turn off your lights, turn on a soft fan, make sure it’s a chilly late-autumn day and pop in Oneohtrix Point Never’s Replica and find yourself in an up-and-coming electronic artist’s soundscapes.

Sigur Rós - Inni [Krunk]

8.5

Iceland has two things that always have beautified its image: the lush, beautiful landscape and Sigur Rós. With the release of their dual CD live album, Inni, Sigur Rós, once again, put themselves on the top of the ladder with tremendous versatility. Recorded and filmed at Alexandra Palace in London back in 2008 on the tour from their last LP Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, Inni is moreover a compilation of Sigur Rós’s greatest compositions ranging from all of their most prominent LPs including: Ágætis byrjun, (_), Takk…, and Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. The performance Sigur Rós is as compelling as ever and revamp’s their placement in the post-rock spectrum that is suffering.

As “Glósóli” hits its climax of lead singer Jónsi’s pitch-perfect wails and static guitar bursts, you can simply just feel the energy the to Sigur Rós’s music would take paragraphs and paragraphs of explicit detail to truly excavate Sigur Rós’s sound. So I’ll simply lay it out like this: Inni is a Sigur Rós fan must-have while being a beginner’s manual Icelandic quartet is known for. Jónsi shows his stamina when he holds an ethereal note for literally 50 seconds with no breath on the epic “Festival”. The continuation of laying out all these beautiful elements and layers.

Inni explores all aspect of Sigur Rós; the minimalistic, ethereal landscapes (“Svefn-g-englar”), cinematic epics (“Festival”), and even the jumpy, less emotionally draining (“Inní mér syngur vitleysingur”). This variety is well put together through appropriate track ordering which jump around the entire Sigur Rós discography. The recording simply is breathtakingly clear as well, you get full Sigur Rós effect with humanized elements of a live performance along with the sheer joy of hearing the monumental sounds Sigur Rós creates.

Not much else can really be said about Inni. The overwhelming force that Inni still confines to while keeping minimal qualities is simply astounding. The purchase of Inni also comes with a DVD along with the dual CD of music, the main attractions and climaxes of the album are highlighted through the film’s purposeful camera angles and simply capturing the pure emotion of Sigur Rós and the atmosphere during the performance. Being an intro to Sigur Rós and an ultimate collector’s idea for diehard fans; Inni is one of the best live albums to be ever released. Now just throw us a studio album, Sigur Rós.

Real Estate - Days [Domino]

8.3

In the United States, autumn officially begins on September 22, thus signifying the end of summer. This is significant due to the fact that Real Estate’s second LP Days was released October, 17, 2011 which isn’t in the summer. Days is your sunny, glorious summer album. The breezy guitar lines, shoegaze overtones, and the murky vocals all point towards a clean and cut summer record to listen to while taking shoreline drives. Though the fact that Real Estate didn’t release Days in the summer signifies a sort of farewell to the summer’s trials and memories; Days is a superb record that blows their self-titled debut out of the water.

The surprisingly lengthy finale “All the Same” has this absolutely glowing vibe of a sunset on a great, memorable day; steadily slowing down and eventually reaching the very satisfying conclusion of calm. Days, in fact, spins like a day at the beach or something else equally enjoyable with first track “Easy” being the start of the day and glorious expectations of the day. “Dreams we saw with eyes of hope/Until that dream was done,” croons lead singer Martin Courtney with a hazy echo on “Easy” has such a hook to it, it’s virtually impossible to even think about disliking it.

By no means is Days an eerie record, but some of the beautiful chords the guitars bring together can create such dissonance. Although Days is an excellent, nostalgic album, there is still a lack of song writing ability to really enhance overall tenacity of the album. Each track follows a very, very simple song structure that you can get with any pop artist, but the material Real Estate crafts is good enough to exceed these disappointing elements. Teen Dream from Beach House early in 2010 had the same problem; really beautiful substance with really no groundbreaking structure. Naturally, pop music appeals to the majority of human ears, so the Real Estate is a very accessible and a pleasant listen. You can simply call Days a successful “indie” pop record.

Days is that album you listen to when you want to have a good day, you really can’t go wrong with the material Real Estate crafts to formulate a nostalgic, pop-oriented record. Hooks and hooks really make Days fly by with such a appealing nature; you can’t help but just smile as the piano enters in on the chorus of “Municipality” and the “oohhhs” of Real Estate band members on “It’s Real”, it’s all great listening. Who really cares if this is released in autumn? Days will be playing throughout the entirety of winter.