Since the end of the 90s, electronic musicians have been experimenting with bleaker aesthetics to give voice to a society that lacks a social safety net and seems to be careening towards destruction. The work of artists like Burial in the early 2000s ushered in an era of dubstep that was defined by a deep sense of loss and loneliness. Groups like Crystal Castles and Boards of Canada brought new elements of eeriness to electronic music, and the rise of vaporwave in 2011 turned the techno-utopian pop jingles of the early 90s into anthems of despair.
In this tradition comes Richmond electronic musician’s Chino Amobi‘s debut album, sardonically titled PARADISO. Oscillating between an edgier version of the soundtrack to Stranger Things, chaotic noise collages, and experimental dub-step, Amobi’s PARADISO is ambitious and powerful.
-Written by Michael Dranove