Arca

This new thing is not a genre, exactly; call it a style, a sensibility, a veneer. It has to do with computers and digital sound and digital imagery. It has to do with representation and malleability, the idea that sound and image can be stretched and twisted and copied ad nauseam. It revels in digital gloss and grit, in bent tones, in smeared and frozen reverb tails. Extreme compression, schizoid pith: rap vocals broken down to monosyllables, a single "Huh" as metonym for everything that's happened between the Sugarhill Gang and now. History reduced to a USB stick

Haven't heard this yet but this doesn't strike me as radically different from the music of, what, the last five years?

"History reduced to a USB stick" yes, but the rest is an accurate description, there aren't a lot of windows into Arca's process, it does sound like alien music

Def prefer &&&&&, struggling slightly to 'get into' Xen, I think I enjoy the sounds of his more 'quieter' tracks (ie. Coin and Obelisk) from &&&&& which don't have a presence on Xen.

Haven't heard Xen yet, outside of the two singles/videos (I'm still waiting for my copy to come on), but surely some of the reason why he's getting so much press outside of the record of collaborations (fka Twigs, Kanye, upcoming Bjork and Kelela etc) is the visuals? Not to distract from the music in any way, but he's I think he's extraordinarily fortunate to be working with Jesse Kanda- they have such an immediately identifiable and well-developed aesthetic together.

So far finding the Sherburne review more interesting than the album itself. The lack of rhythms you can lock into means it all just washes over me.

I suspect he may turn out to be a better producer/collaborator than a lead artist - without a vocalist to give the whole thing shape I don't find his music particularly sonically or compositionally interesting. What all the artists Sherburne lists have in common (and I'd stick the Ford + Lopatin and James Ferraro albums in there as well) is this sense that someone's turned on all the lights really brightly. I'm used to electronic music feeling either noctural or sunny, there's a really stark neon glare to all of these artists, with varying degrees of success.

i wish i liked Xen more, mostly it makes me want to go back to &&&&& and the Stretch EPs (haven't heard the first one).

but surely some of the reason why he's getting so much press outside of the record of collaborations (fka Twigs, Kanye, upcoming Bjork and Kelela etc) is the visuals?

idk, but listening to the record it certainly sounds like it was made for visuals. it reminds me of listening to Autechre more than anything else.

i wish there were more tracks like 'Bullet Chained', that could be on the Sd Laika record.

http://adhoc.fm/post/dear-arca-adhoc-issue-2/

;_; that piece is exactly what I've wanted to say to so many people

I know, it's just wonderful isn't it?

except for the Satie to Debussy and Ravel stuff. Those guys were aware of each other, but in no way would I classify them as "disciples", and for that matter Arca's music isn't "ornate" in the manner (let alone the level) of Debussy or Ravel.

That was no good nor the "there were no vibe-y composers before Satie since Bingen" but the point wasn't hinging on those non-facts

I guess it would be Hildegard not Bingen but

I've been thinking a lot about the necessity for small-business-model formats to support queer music and that this guy was able to illustrate that point without either talking about "queer" or "small-business-model" was really nice

spent a bit more time with this. it has taken me a while to really get a handle on it, which is down really to how elusive it is. its weird but for all the 'dark' and 'ugly' descriptions of it, xen never *feels* all that dark or ugly. i can hear where its meant to, and its well rendered, but maybe because of the digital slickness of his sound (or maybe his own aesthetic), even the supposedly ugly parts sound too well produced to ever really make me feel like say, certain dark/nasty dubstep or D&B or grime did/does. none of the darkness sounds that original either really, the main parts of the album that register with me are those which are quiet and sad. also i can barely remember anything from this when its over, apart from a few motifs here and there, its all about the sound design really. not sure what else there is to it. weird to hear the dem bow/reggaeton rhythms in there too, was not expecting that lol.

the sound design is nice in places but it's really hollow emotionally and unmemorable and by the end feels a bit pointless, just stylistic exercises

I've only given this a quick listen but first impressions are that it's like an album of really impressive dance intros - all build up and break down and spaces in between. I mean this in a positive way. This idea of 'filler' as being central to the work when taken out of context has been explored by Soft Pink Truth (with Drew's black metal interludes mix from this year) and Lee Gamble on his Diversions album. I do need to go back and take a closer listen though.

exercises, sure, but pretty good style all the same. the tracks go all of nowhere, theyre like these dainty little daubs that arrive and dissapear and leave zero mark, but theres something weirdly interesting about them while theyre there (though hes not really the only one doing this kind of thing right now). but i do listen to the album and wonder why all the potentially interesting ideas arent aligned to anything bigger and moreover, why people dont seem to mind that. glad hes working with people who have personality - my main thought while listening to xen was 'bjork would know what to do with this'.

though actually now im wondering why bjork isnt working with actress too.

i don't trust björk to do anything interesting with anything these days and sort of feel arca's hollowness is exactly what she doesn't need

agree that a lot of producers these days seem to have gained reputations on the basis of half-sketched ideas that don't do anything bigger

I hear it as a kind of foregrounded ambient music really. Part of the problem seems to be knowing what to 'do' with it, possibly?

its like ambient shards isnt it? kind of like a series of inconsequential slivers, that are *there* for a bit and then they slip away.

prob said it already, but i think arcas hollowness is only so until he works with someone who has something to say through it. he has no discernible personality but gets better when matched with someone who does (am only basing this on the kanye collabo really). obv bjork hasnt done anything esp good in a while but im thinking some fresh blood (esp someone who seems quite malleable) might do the trick.

oh yeah cf how i don't especially care about evian christ's work by himself but a lot of the time he works with others he comes up with something pretty special for them

Xen finally clicked for me as a soundtrack to the self-service car wash :)

What all the artists Sherburne lists have in common (and I'd stick the Ford + Lopatin and James Ferraro albums in there as well) is this sense that someone's turned on all the lights really brightly. I'm used to electronic music feeling either noctural or sunny, there's a really stark neon glare to all of these artists, with varying degrees of success.
--Matt DC

huge truth bomb

Some of the purple sound from c2009 gives me that vibe too.

https://soundcloud.com/arca1000000/arca-sheep-hood-by-air-fw15-1

I didn't really like Xen but Mutant is connecting with me a lot easier. I wouldn't go as far as claiming there's melodies and rhythms on this new one, but it is feeling a lot easier to understand.

man this new mixtape

https://soundcloud.com/arca1000000/entranas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE6OjTiMY3o

IGLOOGHOST 2 days ago
HE'S GOT THE RANGE.

nu Arca album incoming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1QSgdMPI5g

Really into these new songs. They go well with the new Xiu Xiu too.

Agree with your first statement. I have nothing to say about your second because I have nothing to say about Xiu Xiu.

same

I have nothing to say and I am saying it

on a related note, Jesse Kanda, Arca's visual collaborator, released an ep

And another new song/video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WKWZ9y-dvU

Looking forward to this album, but not in love with the singles so far. Not as enamored with his singing voice as everyone else seems to be; would've preferred an expansion on what he did on Entrañas (which was overlooked last year), but I suppose that would've just resulted in more of the same. I think Xen is a masterpiece, and Mutant merely good, but the latter seemed to get better reviews. Anyone else agree?

I think I still prefer Mutant but have really come to appreciate Xen, and hear its influence in a lot of other artists.

I have nothing to say about your second because I have nothing to say about Xiu Xiu.

I'm surprised, I would think you would like them - is it because you never delved, or is there some beef?

Nothing major but while I vaguely recall some songs early on that were okay enough, the guy's persona is increasingly irritating and nothing I've heard in recent years raises more than a shrug. Kinda defines 'try too hard' in my view.

i've been enjoying the new record!

https://www.residentadvisor.net/reviews/20968

reeeally want to see an arca show. this sounds great

Really enjoying this, it has that stream-of-consciousness beat vibe of the early releases, just endlessly creative.

https://youtu.be/2gjlcSZ9cQE

Maybe it just hit me at the right time but I think this is my favorite Arca release. Freedom, menace, beats.

meant to say "beat tape". But in the best way.

my home surveillance device was playing this the other day and I was curious how it would pronounce the name, so I asked what was playing

"sorry, I don't know what's playing right now"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6-svj5HK9o

"Arca shares video for new song “Time,” confirms Björk and Rosalía for KiCk i. Shygirl and SOPHIE will also appear on Arca's fourth album ..."

The new album is FIRE. Machote is just sheer beauty probably my favorite Arca song now. The guest spots are all killer. Big highlight of the year so far.

The Rosalía track on this is really stunning

stunning album, really physical and intense sounds, and songs instead of aimless drift like a lot of their previous stuff

It's dope, agree that it's cool to hear the signature sound design be so focused

I'm afraid it'll never really work between Arca and me. The tracks w/ Rosalía and Björk are ace imo, as is the second track. On the whole though there is just too much awe of the sound design, and too little actually enjoying the songs, for me. Will continue to cherry pick great songs off of this, but as an album, it's just too all over the place for me.

The Björk feature feels like a bit of an outlier to me, but then I feel that way about a lot of Björk guest spots- her style is so distinctive it tends to dominate proceedings. I really like the rest of the album though.

looks like they're releasing a new album every day this week?

wait really? There's a kick iiii and iiiii coming???? I was only aware of the trilogy

iiii is out there and i'm going to assume iiiii will drop tomorrow

holy crap I am loving this drop - iii was better than ii imho, can't wait to hear iiii with tracks titled "Whoresong" "Queer" and "Alien Inside"

Arca has released a brand new song, called 'Cayó', and shared news of a 5xLP box set compiling her 'Kick' series of albumshttps://t.co/BBWuMexae1 pic.twitter.com/M8S95e16xi

— The Quietus (@theQuietus) April 7, 2022