Psychedelic Elephant (Dead J)
From Rock in China Wiki
General Information
| Artist: | Dead J |
|---|---|
| Title: | 幻象 (huànxiàng) / Psychedelic Elephant |
| Release Date: | 2008, November 16 |
| Label: | Guava Music (Modern Sky Records) |
| Type: | CDDA |
| Catalog No.: | G020 |
| Language: | |
| ISRC: | CN-A09-08-58700 |
Track Listing
- Radian 弧度
- Time 21
- Rapid Eye Movement 快速眼球运动
- Cold Light 冷光
- Sometimes Incline 时光倾斜
- Radiance 辐射
- Fake Memory
- Fume 浓烟
- Move My Mind
- Dream Dust 尘梦
- Circle Composition 圆合成
- Almost Waiting
Reviews
- (c) The Beijinger, Wang Ge, January 2009 issue
Listening to Dead J’s latest album Psychedelic Elephant is like taking an odyssey into space – starting off at the speed of sound and moving on to the speed of light, then gradually ending up in the dead silence of nothingness.
The journey kicks off with “Radian,” in which two simple layers of static-like sound offer a somewhat peaceful moment before the storm of dance rhythms in “Time” and “Rapid Eye Movement.” (The latter track in particular is a fine display of Dead J’s skill in transforming noise fragments into musical compositions.) “Sometimes Incline” induces a bewildering state of mind with its repetition of rhythm, while the intense minute-long riffs of “Radiance” and “Fake Memory” shake the consciousness alert, which give the concluding tracks a dreamy effect.
Those familiar with previous works of this Beijing-based DJ and minimalist/dub/techno producer will understand his ambitious aims. Three years ago, with his debut release of Mental Imagery, Dead J displayed an aversion to industrial, veering more towards a simplistic sound with minimal layering. On his sophomore album, Mental Magic, he played more on Chinese elements, utilizing abstract song titles and ambient background effects. But on Psychedelic Elephant, he shifts back to Electronica 101, only this time with more complex layering and intricate sound lacing. The minimalist tendencies are still there, only each coat of sound has become more distinctive, and the level of mixmanship much more mature.
