The first notes of Again might sound like the lyrical flights of an obscure Baltic string orchestra. Yet listening to Daniel Lopatin’s latest opus soon reveals that this is in fact only the tip of the musical bricolage that follows.
Like any self-respecting Oneohtrix Point Never album, the music is hard to define. It’s definitely electronic music, but which kind?
In Again, we hear as much glitch as ambient,when the New York producer isn’t rocking his powerful synthesizer melodies. The whole thing is packed with a sound design attentive to stereophonic movement. The sound sources are highly diversified, combining instrumental sounds, synthesized sounds and abundantly processed vocals. The interplay between these contrasting materials takes us on a journey through a series of affects, inspiring a wide range of emotions;
Again is an audacious affair, totaling nearly an hour. Every moment is meticulously crafted, like the details of an architectural fresco. Composition and production intertwine, deliberately playing with expectations. Our attention is continually held by the often abrupt, but always skilfully orchestrated, changes unfolding before our ears.
With Again, Oneohtrix Point Never once again demonstrates its mastery of experimentation through the implementation of ideas that are almost always soothing and catchy. In terms of sophistication, the project has nothing to envy from so-called art music. What’s more, it’s real aural candy.
