Again (Oneohtrix Point Never album)
| Again | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 29, 2023 | |||
| Length | 56:54 | |||
| Label | Warp | |||
| Producer |
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| Oneohtrix Point Never chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Again | ||||
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Again is the tenth studio album by American electronic producer Daniel Lopatin, under his alias Oneohtrix Point Never. It was released on September 29, 2023, via Warp.
Background[edit]
Following the release of his ninth studio album in 2020, Lopatin stayed prolific working with artists such as the Weeknd and Soccer Mommy for their 2022 studio albums Dawn FM and Sometimes, Forever, respectively, and producing a score for the upcoming TV series The Curse.[1] On August 23, 2023, Lopatin announced the album on his social media and shared a 70-second trailer. The video was shot in New York City man-on-the-street style and includes strangers trying to pronounce the name "Oneohtrix".[2] Additionally, the artist set up a hotline for fans to call him and ask questions.[3]
In an accompanying announcement, Lopatin described the album as "a speculative autobiography" and drew comparisons thematically to his 2015 studio album Garden of Delete.[4] Development started out as "an interpretation of his musical identity" during his youth from a current perspective and eventually turned into an "illogical period piece".[5] In short, the record is seen as a collaboration between the 41-year old artist at the time of the recording and his younger self.[6] The album artwork depicts a sculpture created by Norwegian artist Matias Faldbakken and photographed by Vegard Kleven. Packaging of the album was handled by "Memory", a collaboration between Lopatin and Online Ceramics.[7]
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Pitchfork | 6.9/10[10] |
| Uncut | 7/10[11] |
Again received a score of 78 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[8] Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "Lopatin filters the music of his young adulthood – shoegaze, post-rock, modern composition, and electronic music of all kinds – through his perspective as an artist in his forties, calling it "music that sounds like it's always in the process of becoming".[9] Uncut called it "another dazzling yet soulless smorgasbord of bold, modern pop composition that mixes the latest AI with more old-school contributions from Lee Ranaldo and Jim O'Rourke".[11] Pitchfork's Sam Goldner described the album as a "nostalgic jam session full of proggy synth passages and '90s alt-rock touches" and remarked that "as dissonant as it can all get, Lopatin still finds fun ways to glue disparate shapes together without the whole thing collapsing", but added that "it’s beginning to feel like he cares less about making sense of his own amorphous memories than just lumping them all into a pile together".[10] Beats Per Minute's John Amen wrote, "With Again, Lopatin captures the numbing clutter and volatile emptiness of post-digital, post-humanistic life: the silence that chokes, the clamor that drowns. And while these aren't original themes (numerous artists have explored these polarities), Lopatin's response seems notably relevant and largely his own".[12]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Daniel Lopatin, except where noted
| No. | Title | Composer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Elseware" | 1:56 | |
| 2. | "Again" | 4:45 | |
| 3. | "World Outside" | 3:48 | |
| 4. | "Krumville" |
| 4:43 |
| 5. | "Locrian Midwest" | 4:29 | |
| 6. | "Plastic Antique" | 4:30 | |
| 7. | "Gray Subviolet" | 2:46 | |
| 8. | "The Body Trail" | 4:33 | |
| 9. | "Nightmare Paint" | 4:19 | |
| 10. | "Memories of Music" | 6:04 | |
| 11. | "On an Axis" |
| 3:47 |
| 12. | "Ubiquity Road" | 4:59 | |
| 13. | "A Barely Lit Path" | 6:15 | |
| Total length: | 56:54 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "My Dream Dungeon Makeover" | 4:55 |
| Total length: | 61:49 | |
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[13] | 29 |
| UK Dance Albums (OCC)[14] | 3 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[15] | 33 |
References[edit]
- ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never Announces New Album 'Again'". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Armstrong, Megan (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never Announces New Album Again". Uproxx. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Murray, Robin (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never Announces New Album 'Again'". Clash. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never Announces New Album Again". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Fu, Eddie (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never Announces New Album Again". Consequence. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Renshaw, David (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never to release new album Again next month". The Fader. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ Rettig, James (August 23, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never Announces New Album Again". Stereogum. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Again by Oneohtrix Point Never Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Oneohtrix Point Never – Again Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Goldner, Sam (October 2, 2023). "Oneohtrix Point Never: Again Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ a b "Oneohtrix Point Never – Again". Uncut. November 2023. p. 31.
- ^ Amen, John (October 4, 2023). "Album Review: Oneohtrix Point Never – Again". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 7, 2023.