Recommended By: The Wonky Angle

Tricky - Maxinquaye

F
Tricky - Maxinquaye

Listening to this album was an exercise in restraint. Every fiber of my being wanted to obliterate the skip button just to get it over with. I cannot think of a more fitting word than “wack” for describing most of the beats on this album; I just could not get into any kind of groove with this one. I genuinely think Yuno Miles is a better lyricist than whatever drivel is spat out on this album (and at least Yuno Miles makes me laugh ironically). If I had to give some more constructive criticism, the mixing is egregiously bad. For example, the track Hell Is Around The Corner initially caught my interest for it’s use of a Portishead sample, but lead lyrics is so unbalanced between the left and right channels that I felt like I had something clogging my left ear. I truly hope I never have to listen to this again.

Memorable Track: Suffocated Love (would be decent without any lyrics)

Discovered by: The Wonky Angle

Ochre - A Midsummer Nice Dream

A
Ochre - A Midsummer Nice Dream

This album feels like it could easily be a video game soundtrack in the best way possible. It is painfully electronic and techno-like, which I really like. However, I feel like some tracks were a bit too repetitive for my liking (which is holding it back from being S-tier), most notably REM Research Center. I also like how the title of the album is a tongue and cheek reference to A Midsummer Night’s Dream (I certainly enjoyed this album infinitely more than that obsolete book).

Memorable Track:

Discovered by: The Wonky Angle

Gabriel Le Mar - Among Trees I Want to Live

A
Gabriel Le Mar - Among Trees I Want to Live

This is a pretty decent electronica album! It reminds me a lot of early Four Tet and Metamatics. I feel like a majority of the tracks could have been more condensed from the 8+ minute runtime, but before I knew it, the track was already over.

Memorable Track:

Discovered by: The Wonky Angle

Air - Air I • You (2021 Remaster)

B
Air - Air I • You (2021 Remaster)

Certainly a more ambient and trance techno like album. The beginning of the album really had me disinterested, but the track “Arc” turned everything around for me, and it grew on me as it progressed. “Arc” is one of those tracks that sounds like a futuristic Halo-esk lobby music. But the last track “Lost in Passion” absolutely fell flat for me.

Memorable Track:

Discovered by: The Wonky Angle