Returnal

At first I didn't know what to think. Frankly, I was a little bored. But Returnal is one of those albums that grows on you over time. The more I listened, the more I understood and enjoyed it. Most of the songs don't stand well on their own, but what makes this album great is that OPN doesn't treat them like individual songs. All of the songs contribute to the feel of the album, and most of them flow into one another. I like to look at this album as an 8-song piece of art, complete when listened to all in one sitting. It opens with a noisey, grating song; seemingly random, but beautiful upon closer examination. The next two tracks smooth over the roughness, and track 4 comes back with a louder, more structured sound. The rest of the tracks are either smooth or loud, and it ends with another abrupt noise song. I think this album is nearly perfect, and I can find no points to criticize it on.

As someone who has always enjoyed electronic music, I only recently stumbled upon Oneohtrix Point Never after hearing him being compared to other artists that I enjoy. This was the first album of his I heard and I was a bit put off; in about the same fashion when I first tried getting into Autechre. Like the others have already said, be patient with this album as it grows on you over time. The audio landscape that Oneohtrix paints in Returnal is impressive; highly recommended.

this is a chill style album for the most part although some of the ambient tracks veer into a fizzed out feel that is layered in a way that makes it heavy. This type of heaviness is still meditative and i feel able to remain in the ambient category. At times there are layers of ripping/machine harsher sounds but i do not feel it is in the industrial category. I have made several tracks myself that layers synths like this and you get a hypnotic experience that feels like multi dimensions of white noise.I highly recommend not only this album but this whole era of this artist. I myself enjoy 2009 to 2015 the best. I appreciate the time and complexity of his newest album but it is not really up my alley like this record or something like Replica which remains my favorite.

Amazing album, great art, glad to have it on vinyl

As the German philosopher Georg Hegel would have put it had he not died nearly 200 years ago, this is world-historical stuff. That is to say, it is an art form which only now, in our time, has become possible. Not because of the technology only, but because of the style in general. There is a certain layering of meaning, a certain texture and atmosphere that is created which I see as powerfully expressive of our times.To attempt to describe it is, without a doubt hopeless, as this is clearly music designed to be listened to, not talked about, but if I had to (kicking myself the whole time), I'd say it's darkly melancholy & transgressive. I see as many roots in peaceful ambient music as I see in more darkly disturbing industrial music a la Throbbing Gristle. Perhaps this is why I see it as being "world historical"- it seems to express the more subtle and insidious joys and miseries of our absorption within technology.

0PN is creating some of the best ambience out there these daze and Returnal is an amazing album to start with if you are looking to get into this side of the aural border... I love droning out to this while commuting by bus to work, staring out at the mountains and the sky. it's apocalyptic yet triumphant sounding vibe makes you want to feel double time - tis great for eureka type thoughts as well :-)

I had heard some of this and loved the tone and purity of his sound. Buying the cd was a great idea- well produced/ innovative and powerful. Some American electronic music is excellent-here is a good example.

Article acheté neuf et qui par son emballage (ni fait ni à faire) pas de support rigide cartonné en gros me revient avec des pliures et différentes marques de rayures ...au final un article qui s'apparente à un vinyl d'occasion. Déçu!