Release Date: 8 November 2024
Song Count: 11
Duration: 27 minutes, 41 seconds
Rating: 6.0/10
Description:
Song Count: 11
Duration: 27 minutes, 41 seconds
Rating: 6.0/10
Description:
A returning artist! j1nabae has had two more full-length ventures after the last one we took a look at back in January, and before us now is their fourth and latest: ETHERIA. Very similar to the previous work we have seen from the German producer, the tracks present here are smooth yet rapid pieces of atmospheric drum and bass and jungle blending in together for a modern sound. And though I have already remarked on the fact that their work slots right into the "fast electronic music with anime cover art" stereotype that has emerged in the past few years, I must admit that this cover really does take it to the next level in terms of sheer looks. Perhaps it is the more primal side of my brain responding to the trigger of "looks shiny, me like" that drew me in here.
As for the contents themselves, it is practically what one would expect from the artist behind a record like CORRUPTED ANGEL FILES - drum samples commonly found with electronic music of this kind, combined with synths and harmonising melodic elements, all leading to an almost futuristic touch to the music. A selection of pleasant beats play for a shorter period of time as j1nabae's production skills come into play once more, along with contributions from the likes of fellow Breakers Gang members FlowerBoyDeMii and TURQUISEDEATH, as well as Trashiii and Egofear. The "online" and "digital" sort of energy that stems from the producer's work remains as prevalent as ever.
While normally in a genre up my general alley in terms of music preferences, and in spite of getting a decent amount of enjoyment out of j1nabae's earlier album, ETHERIA simply did not mentally stick with me in any way with its music. The tracks are well-produced and mildly enjoyable, but simply all blend in together with practically nothing distinguishing them from one another beyond basic progressions. Even with the limited scope of this being a shorter album, I did have higher expectations for this than what actually ended up playing out, and it led to an experience that, while definitely not entirely devoid of worth, was admittedly a small disappointment. This is not to take away from the producer's talent at music-making, however; it is just that this particular album felt overly played-out to my ears and subsequently did not click with me as much as it could have.