In a debut album marred by overproduction and absent hooks, the Australian DJ and producer fails to translate the brilliance of her intoxicating live shows
The excitement of Wonderland’s sometimes intoxicating live shows – big buildups and refreshing comedowns augmented by imposing instrumentation – is overpowered on her debut album. The alt-trap, trance, house music – it’s all been reduced to one level, one sound by overproduction that’s all too safe. There are no dynamics, or very few. Just a load of EDM signifiers and tropes spiralling around in need of a hook.
The list of collaborators (Norway’s Lido, electro-indie three-piece Safia, Flaming Lips singer Wayne Coyne turning up as an emotionally uninvolved session musician on the weedy psy-trance of U Don’t Know) fail to impress. The bass is anything but thundering. The beats are the opposite of infectious, being mostly leaden and dull.
Related: Alison Wonderland: Eclectic taste is good, but making music is all about your ears
Continue reading...
by Everett True via Electronic music | The Guardian
No comments:
Post a Comment