R.M. Hendrix crafts a consuming atmospheric prowess all through YUKS, whose manufacturing is commonly darkish and unsettling — although superbly so. These productions succeed from the extra radiant art-pop yearnings of “What Do Boys Develop into?” to the trip-hop hypnotics inside “A Warmth Surrounds the Hive,” along with tracks that embrace steadily unraveling drones and creative pattern infusions. Icelandic producer Valgeir Sigurðsson co-produced 4 of the album tracks, and in addition dealt with mixing and mastering.
“I wished an album that was equally lyrical and instrumental, melodic and chaotic,” R.M. Hendrix explains. “The tracks progress by means of crumbling psychological landscapes.” YUKS thematically performs as a follow-up to 2020 album Struggle is On Its Manner. Since that launch, Hendrix has moved to Iceland. “Once I was engaged on ‘Struggle…’ it got here from a claustrophobic headspace trapped in the midst of a multitude,” he says. “Shifting to Iceland gave me a clearer view of what was occurring in America, and YUKS displays this within the music and lyrics.”
A whirring swell of sound emanates on the opening “The Yellow Dwarf Sleeps however the Decide By no means Does.” A bass-laden warmness enhances the second half, furthering a sense of nocturnal unease that units the album into intriguing movement. “A Warmth Surrounds the Hive” follows seamlessly, following the opener’s buzzing depth with a contrasting piano-set magnificence that grows right into a trip-hop rhythmic spell. A spacey, lonesome character persists alongside as weepy synths and drip-drop results linger artfully, right into a foreboding vocal presence that refers to a “fever behind your eyes.” The mid-point is very haunting, as ghostly wordless vocals ship chills into the ultimate sequence; the album rapidly showcases its robust atmospheric grasp in its opening one-two punch, between the opener’s ambient darkness and the delectably ominous art-pop of “A Warmth Surrounds the Hive.”
“Factor Fellow” additionally stirs in its selection between bursting synth expanses and eerie subduedness. A shifty impact glides right into a string-like resonance, as submerged vocals comply with. A dirty, drum-and-bass envelopment emerges with tactful precision previous the primary minute, then intertwining the sweeping synth parts with seamless cohesion. A solemn, lush conclusion bolsters the already-impressive tonal vary, continued with extra fragmented depth inside “Reasonable Rain Warning.” Throbbing synths traverse into blaring horns, as a mysterious vocal pattern performs beneath. The brass parts totally captivate, fading because the extra rhythmic “Homicide of Crows” comes into view. Dreamy vocals, continued brass, and drum samples mix with a way of late-night attraction.
YUKS by no means lets up in its artistic atmospheric instructions. “Sniper, Cert.” is creative in its audio samples — drawing from sounds of gunshots inside sporadic percussion and ethereal backing vocal infusions. R.M. Hendrix beforehand caught our ears with the observe “Medication” and its critiques on the profit-gouging medical business, and “Sniper, Cert.” feels equally poignant in its utilization of arms/military-related sampling. “The Cult that Eats the World” ensues, bringing listeners again to a extra drone-friendly engrossment. “You don’t know who I’m,” the quivering vocals let loose, constructing right into a splendidly unsettling second half with anxious strings and crackling electronics.
The discharge finishes impactfully with “I Scratched My Blood” and “Will the Solar Rise?” — each embracing the extra spacious spectrums. “Nobody can rebuild however me,” lyrics of vulnerability unveil on the previous. Second-half moody guitar additions complement forlorn orchestral parts with satiating attract. “Will the Solar Rise?” is a gripping finale, constructing patiently by means of a fog of ambient synths that fluctuate in depth, earlier than a rain-like gentleness washes away the ache. Stuffed with progressive soundscapes and compelling structural expanses, YUKS is an enthralling total listening expertise from R.M. Hendrix.
