Oneohtrix Point Never's new album, Tranquilizer, is an exercise in sonic unease. The sound designer Daniel Lopatin has long been fascinated by the concept of the "hyperreal world music," where people experience more of the world without leaving their homes. This theme is echoed in his latest work, which features sounds from a cache of pre-packaged sample CDs that were uploaded to the Internet Archive before being deleted.
The album's use of these sample CDs adds an air of fragility and impermanence to its soundscapes. The samples themselves are often intended for ambient or new age music, but Lopatin's handling imbues them with a sense of disorientation and unease. For example, the track "Residue" opens with the sound of the ocean, Pink Floyd-esque guitar chords, and breathy vocals, before introducing 90s ambient signifiers like windchime-like tones and Satie-esque piano figures.
What's striking about Tranquilizer is its ability to conjure a sense of restlessness, even when its source material suggests otherwise. The album's title, "Tranquilizer," seems like an ironic choice, given the way it stirs up feelings of agitation and unease. At times, the record feels like a slow-burning fire that gradually intensifies, with tracks like "Bumpy" featuring jarringly out-of-time patterns or abruptly changing moods.
The overall effect is one of sonic kaleidoscoping, where sounds blur together in a dizzying display of texture and timbre. The album never settles into a single tempo or mood, instead hurtling through its 70-minute runtime with an energy that's both exhausting and exhilarating.
In short, Tranquilizer feels like the perfect companion for our hyper-connected, anxiety-ridden age – an album that demands your full attention, refusing to let you drift by. It's not a relaxing listen, per se, but it's certainly one that will keep you on your toes, and eager for more.
The album's use of these sample CDs adds an air of fragility and impermanence to its soundscapes. The samples themselves are often intended for ambient or new age music, but Lopatin's handling imbues them with a sense of disorientation and unease. For example, the track "Residue" opens with the sound of the ocean, Pink Floyd-esque guitar chords, and breathy vocals, before introducing 90s ambient signifiers like windchime-like tones and Satie-esque piano figures.
What's striking about Tranquilizer is its ability to conjure a sense of restlessness, even when its source material suggests otherwise. The album's title, "Tranquilizer," seems like an ironic choice, given the way it stirs up feelings of agitation and unease. At times, the record feels like a slow-burning fire that gradually intensifies, with tracks like "Bumpy" featuring jarringly out-of-time patterns or abruptly changing moods.
The overall effect is one of sonic kaleidoscoping, where sounds blur together in a dizzying display of texture and timbre. The album never settles into a single tempo or mood, instead hurtling through its 70-minute runtime with an energy that's both exhausting and exhilarating.
In short, Tranquilizer feels like the perfect companion for our hyper-connected, anxiety-ridden age – an album that demands your full attention, refusing to let you drift by. It's not a relaxing listen, per se, but it's certainly one that will keep you on your toes, and eager for more.
! It's like Daniel Lopatin is taking all these sounds from the internet archive and turning them into a sonic puzzle 
that's impossible to solve. I mean, who needs relaxation when you can be disoriented by ocean sounds and Pink Floyd vibes at the same time? 
The way he weaves together these different textures and moods is like a slow-burning fire that just gets bigger and more intense - it's like being trapped in a dream (or nightmare) where nothing makes sense 
. It's like Oneohtrix Point Never is trying to tell us that maybe we don't need relaxation at all, maybe we just need something to keep us on our toes 
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Daniel Lopatin's use of those pre-packaged sample CDs is SO genius - it adds this layer of impermanence to the whole thing that makes me feel all anxious and stuff 
. And I love how he takes these ambient/ATB tracks and just wrecks them with all this noise and disorientation 
. Anyone else feel like they're stuck on this record loop and can't escape? 
I love how the album has that slow-burning fire vibe, like it's always building up to something but never actually reaches a peak 
. The way Daniel Lopatin uses those old sample CDs is pure genius - it's like he's taking fragments of the past and reimagining them in a whole new way 
. And 70 minutes is a wild commitment - I need a nap after listening to it for the first time 
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and yeah, it's definitely not gonna be relaxing but who cares? sometimes you just need to feel the discomfort to shake things up 
. The way he uses those pre-packaged sample CDs is so clever - it's like he's taking fragments of other people's music and making them his own 
. It's like he's trying to keep you on your toes, make you feel like something's off or about to happen 
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I mean, who needs relaxation when you can have sonic unease, right 
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. It's exhausting but exhilarating at the same time – kinda like how we feel about some of our current leaders 
. Anyway, I think it's a solid listen if you can handle the intensity 
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. And yeah, the title "Tranquilizer" is a sick joke, because this album is literally the opposite – it's like a slow-burning fire that just gets more intense 
. and yessss "Residue" is like this dreamy opening track that just pulls u in, only to hit u with these jarring 90s ambient vibes 
. i love how the title Tranquilizer seems so ironic given the album's actual vibe... it's like, the opposite of what we need right now 
. but for real, this record is not for the faint of heart... it's like a wild ride that'll keep u on the edge of ur seat 
Tranquilizer sounds so intense! I love how the samples are used to create this sense of unease, like they're from another world or something 
It's crazy how Lopatin takes these ambient vibes and flips them into something completely different. The album title is genius, too - "Tranquilizer" as in it's supposed to calm you down, but it's actually the opposite 
. And I love how he subverts expectations with those jarringly out-of-time patterns... talk about keeping you on your toes 
the best part is how he keeps you on your toes, switching up moods and tempos in a way that's both jarring and mesmerizing 
. And don't even get me started on the title "Tranquilizer" - it's like he's trolling us with how ironic it is considering the actual vibe of the album