Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete

Oneohtrix Point Never
Garden of Delete
2015
Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete

An album like Gardens of Delete with it's high minded ideals and focus on art creation rather than catchiness has the potential to turn people off. We've seen it before where an artist is so up in their own head that connecting with their audience takes a back seat. Oneohtrix Point Never finds that balance expertly and absolutely runs with it. "Stickly Drama" is one of the better examples of this, at times you are full engaged in the vibey electronic voice singing you a melody but then it pulls you into absolute madness. It is enthralling, frustrating and consuming all at once Garden of Delete makes you pay attention or not listen at all. That is not to say everything on this record will be challenging there are quite a few elements that listeners will notice come from EDM and Trance. The bass notes are light and airy but function the same way huge room DJs currently use them. There is also an element of danceyness here that you often won't find in albums like this because that is just to mainstream for some. Oneohtrix seems to understand that music is more about the relationship between the listener and the artist rather than the artist simply putting something out for it's own sake.

Maybe the cleaerest example of Oneohtrix Point Never playing with genres is "I Bite Through It". On the track He uses sounds that are so familiar from EDM but uses them in a way that is completely new and inventive while mixing in an almost Spanish guitar sound to bring it back to an analogue bass line. It is a marvel to hear this track and realize what is going on almost immediately. Each track however on this record is wholly singular existing in and of itself not really needing the rest of the record to influence it. There are times however where the twitchiness and odd tones can be a bit daunting or off putting. This is not the kind of record you put on a party for everyone to enjoy in the background but there are elements that almost anyone could enjoy. At 45 minutes it is almost the perfect length never dwelling to long on one movement or another and some tracks even end far to early leaving you wanting much more. Oneohtrix Point Never has done something truly spectacular with Garden of Delete. This is an album not to miss.

9 out of 10