Silent Shout.
Swedish electronic duo The Knife’s 2006 record, Silent Shout, is an interesting one. After the first listen I quite liked it, after the second I hated it, but then, having given it another chance, I loved it. Now I’m in an awkward position in that I can’t listen to it in case I change my mind again, instead I shall remember it as it was after the third play-through: a dark, techno synth-pop album of penetrating basslines, otherworldly melodic effects and ever-changing vocals. The highlight is the title-track that opens the record; Karin Dreijer’s terrifying, distorted vocals evoking dreamlike imagery layered over hypnotic drumbeats and synthesisers: a surreal banger.
Saturday Night Wrist.
The first Deftones record without producer Terry Date and the last to feature bassist Chi Cheng, Saturday Night Wrist is a dark and, at times, depressing metal album produced during a difficult time for the band; strained relationships, producers coming and going and lyricist / lead vocalist Chino Moreno’s issues with drugs and the deterioration of his marriage. Moreno’s depression can be heard on “Rapture” and “Xerces”, where apocalyptic imagery depicts the end of his life and world as he knows it; though angry on the former, Moreno, reminiscent of Kirsten Dunst’s Justine in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, remains indifferent of the incoming destruction on the latter. Standing out from the deep heavy riffs on what is predominantly a metal record (though diverging into various sub genres) is the drum machine packed dark electronica of “Pink Cellphone”, replete with synths, samples and grotesque anti-British sentiment. Quality record.
Donuts.
Released on his 32nd birthday, three days before his death, J Dilla’s magnum opus, Donuts, is the quintessential instrumental hip-hop record. Though the story of its production and release will no doubt overshadow the music itself (over 90% of the album was created by a hospitalised Dilla with only a record player and a sampler) the effect of his work is profound. Donuts is a piece consisting of 31 (Dilla’s age at recording) short tracks, typically less than 1.5 minutes long, sampled from eclectic sources with seemingly no genre out of bounds; this hip-hop taster menu offered by Dilla reflects his wish to leave a legacy as he creates as much music as possible in his limited time. The way each track flows into the next, and particularly how the ending intro flows into the beginning outro (yes, you read that right), is deliberate and effective: visually it creates the titular donut, but philosophically it creates an infinite loop that if left untouched would continue to play forever, granting Dilla immortality.
Mr Beast.
The blueprint for post-rock, Mr Beast by Glaswegian outfit Mogwai is a noisy, technical masterpiece. From the loud My Bloody Valentine-esque distorted rock instrumental “Glasgow Mega-Snake”, to the drum machine and gentle guitar melody minimalism of The Jesus and Mary Chain inspired “Acid Food”, not to mention the trifecta of progressive melancholic instrumentals “Team Handed”, “Friend of the Night” and “Emergency Trap”, Mr Beast astounds the ear holes again and again and again.
Burial.
An album of rough, imperfect drums (owing to Burial’s resistance to using a sequencer throughout) and ambient, industrial effects, Burial is a dark, hauntingly beautiful piece that sought to revive the dying UK rave scene of the time. This no more perfectly encapsulated than in “Distant Lights”, a track that feels like a dirty underground rave in a gloomy, desolate, decommissioned factory, as you reach for a bottle of water, caked in grime and sweat. A record of catchy drums and basslines that leave your feet tapping and teeth grinding for the rest of the day.
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