''Hypnoprism'' is an album by Scottish musician
Momus. It was released on 27 September 2010 through independent label Analog Baroque (a division of
Cherry Red Records
Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
) in the United Kingdom, and in the United States by American Patchwork, distributed on CD by
Darla Records.
Background
Momus says the album was inspired by "falling back in love with pop music" through
YouTube videos.
''Hypnoprism'' was, in turn, the first Momus album released through YouTube, with self-made music videos uploaded as songs were finished, a process that he would continue into the 2020s.
The album sleeve was painted by Japanese artist Misako Kawai.
Track 12, "Adoration", is a cover of the song by
Josef K, the Scottish post-punk band containing members of Momus' former band,
the Happy Family.
The album's title track was later reworked for Momus' 2018 album ''
Pantaloon'' as "Brexochasm".
Reception
''Hypnoprism'' received mixed to positive reviews from critics. ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' critic Michael Edwards praised the artist's "newfound playfulness" and commented that some tracks harkened back to his
Creation Records output of the 1990s. However, Edwards commented that the mix of genres present on the album, though ambitious, could "clash awkwardly" and were "somewhat fragmented".
Mojo praised the album's lyrical content and noted hints of
bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
, and
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
called it "21st century lounge music".
''
PopMatters'' writer Stephen Rowland gave the album a glowing review, rating it 8/10. Rowland called the album "utterly unique", adding that it contained "many moments of brilliance".
''
Blurt Magazine'' highlighted "Datapanik" and "Adoration" as two of the album's standout tracks.
Other tracks drew comparison to the work of
Soft Cell,
of Montreal,
Talk Talk,
Roxy Music, and
the Divine Comedy.
Track listing
Personnel
* All songs recorded and produced by Nick Currie
* Tracks 3, 7 arranged by
John Talaga
Super Madrigal Brothers is a video game music duo consisting of Oliver Cobol (born Adam Bruneu) and Fashion Flesh (born John Talaga).
History
Super Madrigal Brothers' first release was ''Shakestation'' in 2002, an album which consisted of music ...
* Track 13 featuring Joe Howe
* Artwork by Misako Kawai
* Design by James Goggin of Practise
External links
Darla Records release page''Hypnoprism'' playlist on YouTube
References
{{Authority control
2010 albums
Momus (musician) albums