Magic Oneohtrix Point Never - Oneohtrix Point Never: Review
is the project of New York based electronic musician Daniel Lopatin. Lopatin has worked as a composer for film scores like Uncut Gems and has collaborated with numerous other artists most notably ANOHNI. He is primarily known for a run of critically acclaimed conceptual electronica albums in the mid 2010's including Replica, R Plus Seven and Garden Of Delete.
Review By Lavender:
As far as experimental and conceptual electronica goes over the last decade it's hard to get better than Oneohtrix Point Never. After a trilogy of fantastic records I was just a bit let down by the Age Of album and accompanying Love In The Age Of Lexapro EP. Both of which sported impressive feature lists but didn't manage to reach the same quality level as some of his hits earlier in the decade. Going into this record I was still really excited given Daniel's pedigree and that the record once again had a conceptual narrative to it. While track for track I don't think this is quite as great as my favorite OPN albums, as a whole product I find myself enjoying the record quite a bit.
The theme of this record is all about radio broadcasts, transitioning from the morning at earlier parts of the record all the way into late night for it's closer. The record mostly follows this narrative sonically and it turns some songs I wouldn't otherwise love into important tone setting moments. Auto & Allo is a pretty abstract song that is a roller coaster of textures from the very beginning. The track is generally icy and very lowkey with heavily manipulated vocals. There are a lot of cool sounds and textures across the track but it is all very disconnected. I still appreciate it as a piece of the records morning suite. Similarly the song I Don't Love Me Anymore has a short and steady drum loop that sounds straight out of a 80's radio rock song as well as some more heavily obscured vocals. The tracks formula completely dissolves over the last minute as the instrumental breaks into a hectic cacophony and the vocals fade into complete unrecognizability. The whole experience is cerebral and feels right as a part of the records Midday suite. This category also includes the records longest song The Weather Channel which really dives into the album conceptually. While the first half of the song is a series of cold and calculated synth manipulations that sound straight off the airwaves. The second half features a very intimate rap verse that seems to come absolutely out of nowhere. Despite the lowkey and ultimately low effort nature of the bars they fit in on the song strangely well when the rattling drum passages kick off and the manipulated vocals sound like a Brockhampton hook. While I may have never loved the track in isolation I do think it's a big piece of the concept that's working.
Thankfully the records first leg also features some major highlights that don't need the concept to be great. Long Road Home was a track I had really enjoyed going into the record as a beautiful chilling and expansive piece of electronica with triumphant key phrases and really catchy vocal melodies from Daniel as well as supporting vocals from Caroline Polachek. The song is a uniquely bright take on this modern style of electronic ballads that I quite like. Bow Ecco is a shorter instrumental song but a fascinating sonic experience nonetheless. There are icy synth leads echoing into a ton of tangible space, each time the loud crashing sounds are re-introduced it is a nearly thrilling experience. No Nightmares is a really interesting track with The Weeknd that sounds like something from his new record but slowed down to half speed. The synths are ridiculously catchy and the slowly unfolding hook has grown on me a ton. Daniel isn't afraid to flirt with minimalist on the track either as parts of the song are incredibly quiet despite the almost poppy nature of the track and it makes for one of the most interesting songs here.
From this point on the record has points that are increasingly indulgent, as well as some interludes intended to add to the albums overall stylistic narrative. While not all of them are perfect for the most part each of the more substantial tracks have a lot more to offer. Tales From The Trash Stratum kicks off like a Matmos song with layers of vocal samples all sped up and placed on top of each other, this is followed by planky keys abstractly floating in space. After this the track settles into something not quite ambient but also not quite structured pairing blurry soundscapes with clandy pseudo-percussion. The track is like stumbling upon NPR's two most experimental music stations and fading back and forth between them. Imago has become one of my favorite songs on the entire record. It kicks off with some rhythmic vocal sampling but expands outward into distant shimmering synth passages. At one point it makes another transition getting further and further distorted giving the song a haunted hellish effect down the stretch. It is hard to describe all the specific all of the sonic experiences the song has to offer you just need to hear it yourself.
Lost But Never Alone is another track split into two halves. The first half is a dreamy lovesick haze that channels gothy synth pop and more icy electronics. The second half features a more full arrangement of instrumentation and further manipulated vocals. I think the second half in particular shows flashes of hyper pop and mirrors what I was hoping I would hear on the recent A.G. Cook record. Speaking of hyper pop the track Shifting features recent adoptee Arca and channels the self-titled Arca record with scary, theatrically whispered vocals alongside a scary overpowering instrumental. That instrumental fittingly features constant shifting and instrumental crashes for a welcoming detour late on the record.
Wave Idea is the last digital sounding song of the bunch which does do a little bit to offset the records radio based narrative. It brings bird samples and warm distant synth chords that give it a very natural feeling. Thankfully even when the bliss is interrupted by shrill loud synths it never loses that blissful feeling and simply feels more involved. The closing track Nothing's Special is a glittery fusion of indie and electronica that reminds me a lot of Sufjan Stevens. The lyrical poetry is a big help to the track as Daniel is writing some of his most involved lyricism on the entire record. The song is a much brighter and seemingly happier closing note for the record to end on and the track itself has an almost Vaporwave like breakdown of slow methodical grooves that close the record out.
Magic doesn't have a ton of amazing highlights or standout tracks but the record is greater than the sum of its parts. The concept is rich and thoroughly explored throughout the record which saves the album from what could have been weaker passages otherwise. The experience of the record as a whole is a positive one that I think OPN fans will appreciate and enjoy. Moment to moment throughout the album there are also rich and indulgent experiments with textures and sounds that should feel at home to an electronic music crowd. Despite all these good things the album is far from perfect and not quite up to the extraordinary standards he set earlier in his career, but it is a step in the right direction and a very worthwhile addition to his discography. 7.5/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
I really enjoy this cover and think the abstraction and optical illusion works really well. It's simple but the drips as the subject break it up and makes it feel original. The slight colors are also a plus that make it more impactful. I think that words could've been worked into the illusion though and it still be strong. 7.5/10
For more electronica read my review of the new James Blake EP Before here
