Photay’s ‘Windswept’ Is an Ecstatic Embrace of Power and Wonder
An emotional and intellectual curiosity pulses through the glitches, polyrhythms, and floating synths of Photay’s Windswept, which feels distinctly personal.
electronic
Floating Points Returns to Electronic Music with ‘Cascade’
Floating Points’ Cascade is a bassy, minimalistic swirl of house, techno, and ambiance to be enjoyed on the dancefloor or as the backdrop to solo introspection.
Jamie xx Arrives Fashionably Late with ‘In Waves’
Nearly a decade after his debut, Jamie xx returns with a long-awaited sophomore LP that stylishly swells and retreats with danceable beats and moody romanticism.
Ionnalee’s Bilingual Gambit to Hear the End of Every Song
Ionnalee has electronic LPs under multiple monikers, but she uncovers her full songwriting prowess by dropping a double-album split between English and Swedish.
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The 15 Best Electronic Albums of 2014
The best electronic music of 2014 could be found in thoughtful experimentation and dancefloor-ready fun. But the ones who led the way were the pioneers.
Masayoshi Fujita Embraces Melodic Calm on ‘Migratory’
Japanese multi-instrumentalist and composer Masayoshi Fujita weaves mallet percussion and synths together for an arresting experience on Migratory.
Nala Sinephro Composes Cosmic Jazz on ‘Endlessness’
Nala Sinephro’s Endlessness is music that is good for the ear, the mind, the heart, and the very future of the philosophical orientations of jazz.
Ambient Composer Jon Hopkins Shares His Latest ‘RITUAL’
British ambient composer Jon Hopkins creates dark, intimate landscapes of analogue and electronic sound on his new “ceremonial” album RITUAL.
‘Belaya Polosa’ Expands Molchat Doma’s Industrial Palette
Belaya Polosa is full of Molchat Doma’s most complex and overtly human music, organically integrated into their melancholy post-punk atmosphere.
Frank Zappa’s Serious Transformation: ‘The Perfect Stranger’ at 40
A prolific conductor and a sophisticated synthesizer make for an under-appreciated but vastly important album in Frank Zappa’s prodigious catalog.
Budokan Boys’ ‘Are You Sick?’ Is Darkly Comic Madness
The deeply strange but sonically seductive duo Budokan Boys unleash a typically bonkers new EP. ‘Are You Sick?’ Highlights their odd, dark world.
Umberto’s ‘Black Bile’ Is Full of Graceful, Minimalist Ambience
Umberto is a master of creating moods that may be unfamiliar and alien but, like the best ambient music, are eventually welcoming in their own way.