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Stellar Drifting
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Stellar Drifting
Current price: $15.99
Barnes and Noble
Stellar Drifting
Current price: $15.99
Size: CD
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British producer
began releasing melancholic post-dubstep club singles in 2010, appearing on labels like
and
. Some of his most melody-rich material was featured on
, two full-lengths which reflected various changes in his life, from a breakup and disillusionment with the club scene to a return to London and the birth of his daughter. After forming the duo
with
and issuing a self-titled debut in 2020,
's third solo album,
, appeared in 2022. Drawing the title from research about the movement of stars,
also incorporated celestial bodies into the music itself, translating telescopic images of stars and planets into oscillations through the usage of techniques such as granular synthesis. Even though its creative process makes it seem like a heady experiment,
is actually
's most accessible work yet. Much like his previous album, this one is bold and bittersweet, melding bright melodies with turbulent emotions, coming a bit closer to the work of indie electronic artists like
than any of
's U.K. club peers.
guests on "Passed Tense," a deceptively chipper-sounding tune describing bloodshed as a relationship crumbles and crawls toward its end. The following few tracks continue to blend wistful vocals with choppy beats, and if it comes off as a formula, it's a successful one, as the busy, glimmering "Rainbows and Dreams" (featuring
) and the skipping, wide-eyed "Setting Sun" are among the album's highlights. The wave-like slow-motion flow of "Retina Flash" and the relaxing trip-hop ballad "The Last Transmission" (featuring
) are the only downtempo moments, and they're no less emotional than the rest of the tracks.
saves one of the album's most exhilarating tracks, the cheerful, vibrant "Ultraviolet," for last, and its skittering beats and leaping melodies seem worlds away from the devastated sorrow of
, even if it's recognizably the work of the same artist. ~ Paul Simpson