Jon Hopkins has lent his musical talents to some of the world’s biggest stars over the years, from Coldplay to Brian Eno. Singularity is his first album since 2013’s techno influenced Immunity, which received a nomination for the coveted Mercury Prize that same year. This release is full of contrast, aiming for that sweet spot between the club, and home listening; brace yourselves for arguably his most epic sonic journey yet…
Pulling themes from both acid house and ambient may seem like an odd blend, but it is one that Hopkins pulls off with ease and plenty of style. Either pulsing techno beats, or blissful chill-out cuts, each twist and turn, each blast off and each landing feels smoother than it should. There are rhythmic, tribal, trance-inducing moments, followed by more spiritual affairs. The album seems to build and release the tension eternally, a classic club technique taken to its most extreme. His mesmerising style soon becomes tiring, but in the best possible way.
There is an undeniably cosmic edge to Hopkins’ production this time around, toying with unique sonics to build something alien yet somehow retaining familiarity (listen to the introduction of the title track for example). His soundscapes are sometimes desolate, spacious, crumbling, others are more dense and pristine. Hopkins has allowed his imagination to run wild for this project, as if it were a score to a movie, filmed on a planet we are yet to discover. In fact, Hopkins was quoted in The New Yorker that the album was informed by a time of exploring in his personal life. The influence of these long treks and travels have inspired a contradictory, isolated-openness throughout the album. On “Everything Connected” the pace is ramped up slightly, constructing a bold, gritty 10 minute excursion that may leave you breathless.
There are many polar opposites within Singularity, but these clashes and indecisions are a huge part of its charm. With sounds brought up from the dirt, or pulled down from the clouds above, it is an ever-evolving, living and breathing collection of tracks. Hopkins combines synthetic instruments, with guitars and other strings on the beautifully sinister opening track. Off-kilter drum patterns, and broken beats reinforce Singularity’s apparent sense of abandon, choosing to avoid most pages of the rulebook. When the full sharp, synthetic force of the track emerges you could picture it getting any modern dance floor moving. As Emerald Rush is introduced, we witness a calmness, and serenity as plucked arpeggios decorate the landscape. Once again it takes a few minutes to get going, but when the track erupts it is more than worth the wait, this time opting for some choppy electro-esque chords.
The rhythmic tracks are possibly the ones which are most eagerly awaited, but diamond in the rough such as “Feel First Life” are a real testament to Hopkins’ musicality. He is a truly exceptional studio engineer, combined with the ears of a world class musician. This combination results in magical compositions, and the choral arrangements are one of the album’s defining moments. It leads cleverly into the wonderfully chaotic “C O S M”, where warping and morphing bass LFO’s underpin high plucks and sci-fi sound design. Fans are even treated to what are essentially piano solos, with some delicate ambience on “Echo Dissolve” and the album’s outro “Recovery”. In between the two we hear one more strong percussive piece before moving onto the second disc of edits.
There is so much to digest here that it begs for another listen almost instantly, and with each run through there will certainly be hidden treasures to pick out along the way. As the album art suggested, the themes of stars and planets permeated many of the decisions made in the studio. From the subtle lasers, beeps and swooshes, to the mechanical spaceship-like foley, everything has been chosen to remove the listener from their comfort zone. Instead his audience is placed in another dimension, one that they may wish to visit again and again.
Come and get lost in Singularity today, with a demo of some of our over-ear headphones at your local Richer Sounds.
