Review Summary: Hypnotic, emotional, and completely unexpected, don't let this fly under the radar
Sometimes, an artist's own inspiration captures the essence of the listener in an inexplicable way, perhaps drawing them from the pits of depression and uplifting their soul, or else allowing an outlet for rage without feeling the need to vent it upon another individual. Such was the feeling of listening to this record for the first time. Scrolling mindlessly through social media, I happened upon an announcement from a long-time acquaintance of mine that he had just released the latest in a string of albums I had listened to upon release and, quite honestly, hardly thought of again. It wasn't that this previous batch of material was bad - it wasn't, quite the opposite in fact - but just that there are so many different albums out there that recalling every single independent artist is quite the chore. This latest release, under the name of Irrenoid, is one that will stick with me for a while to come.
Upon delivering an initial summary, this will seem like one drop in an ocean of similar records from fifteen years ago, and would initially be dismissed as such. I urge the reader to not allow this album to 'fly under the radar', as it were. Codename : Synthchip is a twelve-track record combining elements of electronic music such as dubstep and synth music, with ambient passages, and discernable metalcore influences in some of the lower-end instrumental passages showcased best in the short opening track. It is certainly not a record "for the masses", but is one that instead captures the artists own vision uniquely, and is one with so many different emotions at play that I was very moved upon listening to it. This sounds like the rambling of a friend determined to plug his friend's work, but make no mistake this is not the case. I know Dalton only through the internet, and converse only occasionally. This is an album worth the time of every listener.
One good use for this record is for background listening whilst doing something online. The songs here are so completely relaxed and the melodies impressively constructed, that it flows along nicely. Songs such as the two-part Tokyo Dark contain a refrain almost reminiscent of the Japanese Role-Playing Game music of the 1990's, and it is nostalgic references such as this and the aforementioned almost-metalcore sound to the first song on the record that resonate so well. When one factors in the emotional soundscapes of Violet Sunset, the intricate and mesmerising work on Frost/Wave, or even the solid clean singing on Shadow Rain, this is a release with so many different draws. This is an album that spoke to me on a level above much music out there, and the final song Death Code perfectly caps this experience off. With a haunting, minimalist first couple of bars leading into the hypnotic work expected from the rest of the record, and the adjustments in the arrangement throughout the song, this is the best possible closure to a wonderful experience. Whatever might come after this, Irrenoid's first record was one that I take my hat off to completely.
