''Hyperion'' is the second studio album by French DJ

Gesaffelstein Mike Lévy (; born 24 June 1987), known professionally as Gesaffelstein (), is a French music programmer, DJ, songwriter and record producer from Lyon. He has worked alongside artists such as The Weeknd, Daft Punk, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Elect ...

, released on 8 March 2019. The album includes the singles "Reset", "

Lost in the Fire "Lost in the Fire" is a song by French DJ Gesaffelstein and Canadian singer the Weeknd, released on 11 January 2019 as the second single from Gesaffelstein's second studio album, '' Hyperion'' (2019). Nate Donmoyer assisted the artists in writ ...

" with

the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and ...

, and "Blast Off" with Pharrell Williams.

Background

Gesaffelstein signed to Columbia Records in October 2018, and the following month, it was announced in a short press release that he would release new music "soon".

Promotion

Gesaffelstein promoted the album with "mysterious" billboards and social media posts throughout November, with the album's cover art and title being shared on a billboard in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

in December 2018. The website ''

Dancing Astronaut Dancing Astronaut is an American media platform founded in 2009 that primarily covers the electronic dance music industry. The website covers concerts and festivals, reports on entertainment news, reviews music, and publishes original content sy ...

'' stated that it was not clear from the billboard whether the entire billboard itself or the included picture of a "shattering black pane" was the cover art. The album's release was preceded by the release of three singles, "Reset", "

", and "Blast Off". The first being released on 29 November 2018, the second being released on 11 January 2019, and the third being released on 1 March 2019.

Critical reception

Upon release, ''Hyperion'' received mixed reviews. In a positive review, Kat Bein from '' Billboard'' stated ''Hyperion'' as being good, complimenting the album cohesion and experimental tracklist. The album's mixed reviews criticized the lack of definition in the artist's style and sound. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

''s Larry Fitzmaurice called Lévy's production a "budget-level attempt to replicate ... other artists", ultimately calling Lévy an artist who has not defined himself, and stating, "that while he has consistency on his side, true artistic evolution remains out of Lévy's reach." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''s Luke Morgan Britton dismissed the LP as "uninspired and lacking in substance", mainly due to the record's lack of grip on a mood or sound. Even a supporter, ''

Release Magazine ''Release Magazine'' is an independent alternative music online magazine based in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was born in Umeå Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in n ...

'' journalist Peter Marchione, found the record's four "direct" vocal songs out of place with the "mature" instrumentals. Critics were also generally less positive towards the tracks with featured artists. Britton argued they contributed to the "directionless feeling" and "largely see Lévy failing to truly engage with what his guests can bring to the table", made worse by the producer's own character being nonexistent. Marchione considered the instrumentals "well produced and at times more refined" than the vocal songs.

Track listing

Track listing adapted from ''

''. Notes * signifies a miscellaneous production credit

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2019 albums Columbia Records albums Gesaffelstein albums