Jon Hopkins Music For Psychedelic Therapy
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
The beautiful, emotionally charged and raw new studio album from the UK producer feels like a significant shift from his highly and his 2018 GRAMMY-nominated follow-up, . Drawing more on classical music and contemporary compositions than we’ve seen previously, Hopkins meanders down a new and utterly beguiling path. Delving into a more introspective and amorphous soundscape, is a beatless album that explores vast, open spaces and subtle but intense sounds. There is a rawness and a connection that almost feels like nature taking over the record. Field recordings of forests, streams, animals and wind create a sound that is as immersive as it is serene. Manipulated drones, muted melodies and deft electronics add the human emotion, which at points throughout the album, build towards epic proportions. Far from being a quiet album, the record packs a lot of weight, which is built subtly and gradually from the emotional depth and resonance that Hopkins injects in every track. Scattered drone, rising synths and elongated pads fill your insides with emotion just up to bursting point. There is an extremely personal and intimate atmosphere here, almost allowing you to feel the record as opposed to hearing it. It’s that visceral, but introspective and reflective energy that gives its genuine and impressive power. Beautiful, unique and rich in depth and human emotion, is Jon Hopkins at his very best.
